The final characteristic of a Living Organism is its sensitivity. It is aware of what is going on within its environment - its sphere of influence. Higher organisms are even self-aware.

Under the heading of Nutrition we spoke about the importance of open communication as an energy source. Sensitivity is also to do with communication - but in the sense of awareness. Under the heading of Respiration we talked about the importance of exchange, and here we explore the importance of being aware of what exchanges are transpiring.

The mechanism of sensitivity in a mammalian living organism consists of the senses and the nervous system. What are the eyes, and ears, and nose, and skin of your organisation? What or who is your tongue!

If the key word under 'Respiration' was 'exchange', the key word here would be 'network'. Healthy organisations have highly developed two way networks. They are communicatively connected to their associated suppliers, customers, departments, outlets - you name it - any unit that supplies or receives information.

In contrast, unhealthy organisations suffer from sensory deprivation. They don't listen to their customers, they don't listen to their staff, and they pay no attention to what the market is saying. The result? They don't even hear the Grim Reaper creeping up on them.

Living Organisations have an attractive humility. They solicit feedback and respond to it. Under 'Movement' they have defined what they are moving towards, and here, under 'Sensitivity' they have put in place the mechanisms to 'sense' whether they are really moving towards their goals or straying from their good intentions.

In the book we shall expand upon how to build information networks that ensure you have the right information right now.

Summary

Living Organisations create, manage and maintain information networks that ensure they have an accurate and up-to-date profile of their market and business environment. At any given moment in time they can assess the health of the organisation, giving attention to the well-being of every member of the team that makes an organisation an organisation rather than a collection of isolated individuals. How well are you 'wired in'?