Teams and Organizations as living networks: the mycelium metaphor

How do we actually view teams and organizations? It often seems logical to think in terms of structures, processes, silos, and hierarchies. But what if we looked at them as living, interconnected systems instead? Nature offers us a beautiful metaphor: mycelium.

What is mycelium, and what can we learn from it?

Mycelium is a fascinating underground network of fungal threads that connects everything. Through mycorrhiza, it forms partnerships with plants: fungi provide nutrients and receive sugars in return. This creates a perfect exchange and strengthens the entire ecosystem.

This can be compared to organizations:

• The upper current (such as job titles and departments) are like the mushrooms above ground.
• The under current (relationships, communication, collaboration, patterns) are like the mycelium, essential but often invisible.

The power of connection in teams

In organizations, relationships between teams and colleagues – just like mycelium – are the real source of strength. Teams do not function as isolated islands; they are part of a larger whole in which information and knowledge are constantly exchanged.

Teams that effectively share knowledge and collaborate strengthen the organization, reducing friction and inefficiency. Departments that work openly together typically achieve much more than those operating in silos. While this sounds simple and promising, reality is often more challenging. Especially when multiple interventions have been tried with little success, it becomes valuable to look at the underlying dynamics.

Resilience and adaptability

What makes mycelium remarkable is its ability to adapt effortlessly. When old pathways no longer work, new connections emerge. This principle is invaluable for organizations in a constantly changing world: whether it’s market developments in your industry, changing legislation, evolving technology, or geopolitical shifts.

Organizations and teams are increasingly challenged to be resilient and adaptive. Or rather sometimes, they simply have no other choice. But how do you keep the “mycelium” within an organization healthy, fostering resilience, adaptability, and long-term strength?

Within the workplace, the relationships, patterns, and dynamics between colleagues and teams – like mycelium – form the true strength of an organization, not job titles or departmental structures. Those may define formal roles, but teams do not function in isolation. They are part of a larger whole, constantly exchanging information and knowledge to achieve a shared purpose.

Healthy organizations: letting go and radical responsibility

Mycelium keeps ecosystems healthy by breaking down organic material and recycling nutrients. This is also a powerful metaphor for organizations. Sometimes, a certain approach no longer works. Instead of clinging to it, working even harder, or trying to be even more goal-oriented, it can be valuable to consciously let go and form new patterns.

This often requires an intervention from outside the system, as systems are rarely capable of solving their own underlying structural issues. If they were, they would have already found the answer, right?

When exploring, letting go, and creating new patterns, leadership plays a crucial role:

• Having uncomfortable conversations: Engaging in honest dialogues about what is truly happening.
• Communicating clearly and transparently, especially in times of uncertainty.
• Radical responsibility: Taking full ownership – meaning no longer projecting frustrations onto others, colleagues, or the organization itself.

No one thrives in isolation. Like mycelium, we need each other’s knowledge, insights, and support. The stronger the connections within a team or organization, the more resilient and successful the whole becomes.

Which ‘mycelium connections’ in your team or organization deserve more attention?

~Dees van de Hoef