Wilding Organisations

A ramble about human growth at work

Mono-culture, a lack of diversity, the exploitation of precious resources... these are just some of the ways in which we’re causing huge damage to not only the natural world, but to human nature in the workplace. The human instinct to interfere is the root cause of both these catastrophes. Yet, it also points us towards the simplest of possible solutions: to get out the way. Wilding is the concept of letting nature regenerate without our interference and it is yielding incredible results. When we move aside, the natural world can show its resilience. In this short essay, we consider how to apply the idea of wilding as a metaphor, to human nature. From stories of child-led education, through to the workplace, we imagine how we could adopt wilding as an alternative lens through which to look at a different way of designing organisations. If nature can bounce back when we get out of the way, is it possible that human nature could regenerate given the freedom to do so? If the natural world is our greatest teacher, what wisdom can it teach us when it comes to our own growth?