"Ground and Excited State Management Studies" — Was the reason corporate transformation and personal growth don't last found in the "laws of physics"?: [Column] Science of Thought (Shiko no Kagaku) — Let's enjoy "thinking"! (Part 12:)

Science of Thought Part 12: "Ground and Excited State Management Studies"

— Was the reason corporate transformation and personal growth don't last found in the "laws of physics"?

1. Introduction: What is the essence of transformation?

We hear the words "transformation" and "growth" on a daily basis. In corporate management, digital transformation (DX) and organizational reform are taken up as challenges, while in personal careers, skill improvement and the establishment of learning habits are addressed. However, even if these transformations show a temporary surge, they often return to their original state over time.

Here, let's consider one question.

"Why is transformation difficult to sustain?"

We will explore hints to this question from the physics concepts of "Excited State" and "Ground State." An excited state is a state that is temporarily activated by receiving energy, but it returns to the ground state when the energy supply ceases. Could this phenomenon also apply to organizational and personal transformation?

In this column, we will explore how to apply this to corporate transformation and personal learning from the perspective of the fictional discipline of "Ground and Excited State Management Studies."

2. What are the ground state and excited state?

In physics, "ground state" refers to the state where matter is at its most stable energy level, and "excited state" refers to being in a temporarily high-energy state by receiving energy from the outside. Matter in an excited state has the property of returning to its original ground state when it releases energy.

To explain this concept simply, imagine a ball in a depression. A ball at the bottom of a depression (ground state) is stable and will remain there unless energy is applied from the outside. However, if you lift the ball (add energy), it temporarily moves to a higher position (excited state). After that, when you let go, the ball returns to its original position.

This concept of ground state and excited state can also be applied to our daily lives and organizational management. For example, if your usual daily rhythm is the ground state, then learning new things or receiving stimulation and having your motivation temporarily rise is the excited state. However, when the energy supply is cut off, you return to your original daily rhythm (ground state).

So, how can companies and individuals sustain this "excited state" and make transformation permanent?

3. Corporate and social transformation models: Designing a "sustainable excited state"

2.1 Challenges of corporate transformation

Many companies attempt transformation, but they face the following challenges:

• Temporary enthusiasm is generated, but it does not last

• Organizational inertia is strong, and it returns to the original state

• The direction of transformation is not clear, and empathy from the entire organization is not obtained

• There is a lack of leadership and talent to promote transformation

These problems occur because while companies transition to an "excited state," the energy supply required to maintain it is insufficient.

2.2 Four Phases of Transformation

By likening the transformation process to a physics energy model, it can be organized into the following four phases.

1. Ground State (Status Quo): A state where the organization relies on existing success stories and customs, and is passive toward new initiatives.

2. First Excited State (Momentum for Transformation): A stage where the necessity for transformation increases due to market changes and intensifying competition.

3. Second Excited State (New Value Creation): A stage where new business models and organizational cultures are built and transformation is executed.

4. Sustained Excited State (Culturalization of Transformation): A state where transformation is embedded in the organization's DNA and continuous innovation occurs.

2.3 Three Elements for Sustaining Transformation

The following elements are essential for sustainable transformation.

1. Energy Supply Model (Vision, Leadership, Incentive)

   • Clarify the vision for transformation and gain empathy across the entire organization.

   • Exercise leadership and secure drivers for transformation.

   • Design incentives and appropriately evaluate successful individuals and teams.

2. Friction Control (Resistance Management, Psychological Safety)

   • Promote open communication to minimize resistance to transformation.

   • Foster a culture that allows for failure and encourages trying new ideas.

3. Formation of a New Ground State (Culture Integration)

   • Ensure transformation is not transient, but established as a new standard within the organizational culture.

   • Provide continuous learning opportunities and support employee skill development.

4. Application to Personal Learning: "Self-Excited Learning Model"

3.1 Reasons Why Learning Doesn't Last

In personal learning, we see the same challenges as in corporate transformation.

• Ending with temporary motivation (loss of learning after exams or certification)

• Unclear purpose for learning and lack of opportunities for practice

• Inappropriate learning load, leading to boredom or excessive stress

3.2 The Four Phases of Learning

The process of personal learning can also be organized using the same model as corporate transformation.

1. Ground State (Stable Knowledge): A state where existing skills and habits are stable.

2. First Excited State (Interest/Challenge): The stage of taking an interest in a new field and beginning to learn.

3. Second Excited State (Practice/Deepening): The stage of putting learned knowledge into practice and deepening it further.

4. Sustained Excited State (Culturalization of Learning): A state where continuous learning becomes a habit and self-growth is sustained.

3.3 Three Points for Sustaining Learning

1. Energy Supply (Purpose, Community, Feedback)

   • Clarify the purpose of learning and create a system to achieve a sense of accomplishment.

   • Utilize learning communities and establish an environment for learning together with peers.

   • Increase opportunities to feel growth while receiving feedback.

2. Friction Control (Habit formation, Load adjustment)

   • Accumulate small successes and solidify learning habits.

   • Appropriately adjust challenge levels to ensure the continuity of learning.

3. Formation of New Ground States (Lifelong Learning)

   • View learning as a part of life and encourage continuous growth.

   • Cultivate a flexible mindset that adapts to change.

5. What is "Ground/Excited State Management Studies"?

"Ground/Excited State Management Studies" is a discipline that applies the physics concepts of ground states and excited states to systematize the mechanisms of sustainable transformation in corporate change, social change, and personal growth.

5.1 Research Objectives

The objective of this discipline is to clarify methods by which transformation does not become a passing phase but leads to sustainable growth for organizations and individuals. We scientifically explore energy supply for transformation, friction control, and the formation of new ground states, applying these to management strategy, education, and social system design.

5.2 Research Perspectives and Elements

1. Optimization of Energy Supply: Researching management methods for motivation, leadership, and incentives to sustain transformation.

2. Control of friction and stability: Analyzing the process of overcoming resistance and obstacles associated with transformation and adapting to a new ground state.

3. Adaptation and culture formation: Exploring ways for individuals and organizations to make transformation a new standard rather than a temporary event.

5.3 Systems and Research Methods

• Theoretical research: Constructing application models for excited and ground states from the perspectives of physics, psychology, and management.

• Empirical research: Analyzing corporate transformation and individual learning data to verify the mechanisms of sustained excited states.

• Simulation: Modeling organizational and individual growth patterns mathematically to simulate optimal transformation processes.

• Case studies: Comparing successful and unsuccessful cases to propose practical application methods.

5.4 Specific Research Themes

• "Formation of Sustained Excited States in Corporations and Their Impact: From the Perspectives of Leadership and Organizational Culture"

• "Research on Individual Learning Sustainability: Transition Mechanisms Between Motivational Excited States and Ground States"

• "Energy Dynamics of Social Transformation: Mechanisms for Sustaining Excited States in Reform Movements and Policy Design"

• "Redesigning Ground States in Digital Transformation: Building a Framework for Sustainable Innovation"

5.5 Curriculum Example

1. Basic Theory

   • Introduction to Physics: Basics of Excited and Ground States

   • Management: Transformation Management Theory

   • Psychology: Motivation Theory and Behavioral Science

2. Applied Research

   • Dynamics of Organizational Transformation

   • Research on Sustainability of Learning and Growth

   • Social Transformation and Energy Theory

3. Practical Programs

   • Case Study Analysis (Comparison of Success and Failure Cases)

   • Data Analysis and Simulation

   • Joint Projects with Companies, Educational Institutions, and Government

6. Conclusion: Intentionally Designing the "Excited State"

For companies and individuals to achieve sustainable growth, it is important to understand the concepts of "excited state" and "ground state" and to design them intentionally.

Finally, I have a question for you all.

"How can you create a 'sustainable excited state' in your organization or learning?"

Afterword: Mapping the "Un-science" with AI

Transformation and growth are born from the flow of energy and established through mechanisms of sustainability. In this column, together with ChatGPT, I explored a fictional field of study called "Ground and Excited State Management Studies", and considered the essence of transformation.

AI is becoming more than just a provider of information; it is becoming an intellectual partner that expands our thinking and generates new perspectives. Going beyond the boundaries of existing academic disciplines, discovering "un-science," building theories, and creating the future. This process may well be the intellectual adventure that AI and humans walk together.

"Un-science" is a domain of knowledge that has not yet been named. A question that no one has ever thought of before. If you were to create a new field of study, what would its theme be?

Also, while the importance of STEM education has been emphasized in recent years, what I want to convey through this column is not just learning science and mathematics subjects, but the fun of perceiving our daily events and phenomena from a "mathematical perspective" or a "physical perspective." By thinking of the challenges around us as flows of energy and analyzing the process of transformation mathematically, we can discover essences and laws that were previously invisible.

Science is not only a means to gain knowledge, but also a tool to train the power of thinking. If you rethink familiar problems from a "mathematical" or "physical" perspective, you might find new insights.

Now, why don't we unfold the map of "un-science" together?