Robert Jordan Fritz is an author, management consultant, composer, and filmmaker. He is known for his development of "Structural Dynamics," the study of how structural relationships impact behavior from individuals to organizations. His books, starting with The Path of Least Resistance, develop the theory and application of Structural Dynamics and the creative process.

Biography

Robert Fritz studied music composition and theater at the Boston Conservatory of Music where he earned a BM and MM in composition. He also studied on scholarship at the Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Germany. He studied cinematography at Maine Media Workshops

Maine Media Workshops

The Maine Media Workshops is an international non-profit educational organization offering year-round workshops for photographers, filmmakers, and media artists...

 (formerly Rockport Workshops).

In the late 1970s, Fritz, Peter Senge

Peter Senge

Peter Michael Senge is an American scientist and director of the Center for Organizational Learning at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is known as author of the book The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization from 1990...

, David Peter Stroh

David Peter Stroh

David Peter Stroh is an organizational development and learning consultant. He was a founding partner of Innovation Associates, and is one of the founders and principal partners of Bridgeway Partners.-Early life:...

 and Charles F. Kiefer founded a management consulting firm. Fritz's study of music composition, along with his close contact with Senge's work in system dynamics

System dynamics

System dynamics is an approach to understanding the behaviour of complex systems over time. It deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that affect the behaviour of the entire system. What makes using system dynamics different from other approaches to studying complex systems is the use...

, became a major influence for his exploration of the relationship of structure to behavior. His books on Structural Dynamics are based on his work with Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California is a not-for-profit health plan founded in 1939 and based in San Francisco, California. The organization serves over 3.4 million health plan members and nearly 65,000 physicians across the state...

, La France, Harvard Vanguard

Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates

Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates is an American non-profit multi-specialty group medical practice operating in eastern Massachusetts. It was founded in the late 1960s as part of Harvard Community Health Plan . The two organizations split in 2004. It is allied with four other regional practices...

, IBM China, and Ortynsky Automotive, among others. Fritz has worked with the Swedish governmental agency Vinnova

Vinnova

Vinnova is the Swedish government agency that administers state funding for research and development. The agency's mission as defined by the government is to promote development of efficient and innovative Swedish systems within the areas of technology, transportation, communication and labour...

. He has consulted with the US Department of Defense on issues of terrorism, and has also introduced his work to the US Air Force and Department of Transportation

United States Department of Transportation

The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...

. The Managerial Moment of Truth, co-authored by Fritz, was chosen as one of BusinessWeek

BusinessWeek

Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...

's best books of 2006, and Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review

Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership among academics, executives,...

 placed it on their executive reading list.

Fritz has created two separate careers, one as a consultant and the other one as composer and filmmaker. As a composer, Fritz has won commissions from groups such as Collage and Dutch Radio. He has composed music for film, TV, and theater, as well as CDs. Two of his arrangements appear on Celtic Ladies, which topped Billboard Magazine (2007-2008 World Music).

Fritz has made documentaries for government, industry, and television, has written and directed three feature-length films, has directed and co-hosted Creating (a TV series made for a Canadian network), and directed episodes of the PBS series LeaderTalk, for which he also composed the theme music. Fritz wrote and directed the TV series Vermont Stories. He created the multi–media work She Was A Dancer for the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center

Brattleboro Museum and Art Center

Brattleboro Museum and Art Center non-collecting museum was founded in 1972 and is housed in a historic train station in downtown Brattleboro, Vermont. New exhibits by regional and international artists are shown each season. The aim of BMAC is to present art and ideas in ways that inspire,...

. Overload, a 2009 narrative feature film written and directed by Fritz, won several awards, including an Indie Spirit Award in Recognition of Distinguished Accomplishment from the Boston International Film Festival

Boston International Film Festival

The Boston International Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Boston, Massachusetts which showcases over 90 films annually....

.

Structural Dynamics

Structural Dynamics is the study of how structural constructs lead to predictable behavioral patterns, otherwise known as macrostructural patterns, the long-range patterns that reoccur in a person's life. Two basic patterns can be observed: oscillating and advancing. These two predictable patterns occur in quite specific and unique ways; and in each instance the same steps and the same sequence can be observed in every aspect of personal and professional life. The oscillating pattern emerges when a person, team, or organization takes action to accomplish a goal; and after achieving the desired result a reversal occurs. Examples illustrating this sequence include the business success that eventually leads to a financial loss, the great love that ends with a break-up, the successful project that turns into an undesirable predicament. In contrast, the advancing pattern creates momentum when outcomes are achieved, and accomplishment builds a platform for future success.

Structural Dynamics has been used extensively in corporations, education, and third-world development. The Uganda Rural Development and Training Programme (URDT) adopted this approach as its fundamental operating principle. In 2009, URDT won recognition for its programmes from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...

 for Changemakers Cultivating Innovation: Solutions for Rural Communities.

Structural Dynamics has also been used in public school systems as chronicled in School Leaders Building Capacity from Within (Corwin Press

SAGE Publications

SAGE is an independent academic publisher of books, journals, and electronic products in the humanities and social sciences and the scientific, technical, and medical fields. SAGE was founded in 1965 by George McCune and Sara Miller McCune. The company is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California,...

) by Burrello, Hoffman, and Murray. Peter Senge featured Fritz's structural approach In his book, Schools That Learn: A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, as well.

Tension-resolution systems

Underlying structures cause these behavioral patterns. The basic structural unit is the "tension-resolution system". In musical composition, harmonic tension behaves as a structural dynamic when it seeks resolution. Similar tension-resolution systems appear in behavioral macrostructural patterns. In the oscillating pattern, opposing tension-resolution systems dominate, and "non-equilibrium" occurs when the desired outcome is achieved. Structurally, the opposing tension resolution system remains and resolving it requires moving away from the achievement. In the advancing pattern, a single tension-resolution system dominates, and equilibrium occurs by achieving the desired outcome, the structural point at which the desired state and the actual state are equal. From these observations, this principle was developed: the underlying structure of anything determines its behavior. Without a change of underlying structure, change efforts fail, and the original behavior patterns reoccur. This explains why many sound change efforts fail within organizations. Organizational oscillating patterns occur when building up capacity, then downsizing, then building up capacity again; or centralizing decision making, de-centralizing decision making, and then centralizing it again; or focusing on long-term growth, then refocusing on short-term demands, and later refocusing on long-term growth again. When an underlying organizational structure leads to oscillation and remains unchanged, the structure rejects any change effort in a similar way that a body rejects an implanted organ. Conversely when a change of underlying structure designed to support advancement occurs, any subsequent change effort increases the likelihood of success and sustainability.

The creative process

Fritz developed his ideas about the creative process from the arts rather than psychology, making a distinction between the creative process and creativity. Creativity usually focuses on idea generation and comes from suspending the norm. However, Fritz argues that to advocate withholding critical judgment in favor of free association, brainstorming, or other systems in an effort to bypass the usual thought processes will not guarantee successful creativity or accomplishment of the goal. In the arts a consummate professional must produce consistent quality outcomes and meet rigid deadlines. Rather than freeing the mind, an artist focuses the mind, often by using structural tension—the relationship between two related data points. With repeated application and refinement what was once the unusual then becomes the usual. A desired outcome or goal, the first data point is contrasted with its relational current reality, the second data point. As the creative process begins, a difference exists between the desired state and the actual state, and this difference creates a useful tension. The composed tension is not psychological nor is it associated with stress, anxiety, or pressure. Rather it is structural. Clarity about the desired outcome and the actual situation, establishes a structural tendency that moves the structure toward tension resolution; and strongly motivates the best actions to achieve the desired outcome. The actions may be conventional. But often inadequate resources limit the conventional means to accomplish goals. Therefore, invention and innovation emerge naturally bringing forth new ways to accomplish goals. Fritz argues against glorifying inspiration. Professionals can create irrespective of their circumstances. Ideas about structure and the creative process fundamentally underscore Fritz's observations that like other structures, the mind seeks equilibrium. By nature, the mind desires a state of equilibrium and attempts to create order out of disorder. Fritz advocates using the mind to compose a structured state of non-equilibrium (structural tension) in order to originate new ideas. The mind then generates structurally relevant ideas which do not emerge using usual thought processes.

Problem-solving vs. creating

Fritz argues for a distinction between problem-solving and creating. Problem-solving is taking actions to have something go away: the problem. While problem-solving has its place, as a persistent approach, it limits accomplishment. The elimination of a problem does not mean that the desired result can be created. As distinguished, solving a problem does not by design lead to a creation. Creating is taking action to bring into being that which does not yet exist: the desired outcome.

Media & music

• Overload - 2009 feature film (written and directed by Fritz)

Awards:

• Boston International Film Festival
  Boston International Film Festival
  The Boston International Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Boston, Massachusetts which showcases over 90 films annually....
  
  - Indie Spirit Special Recognition Award
• Los Angeles Reel Film Festival - Honorable Mention
• Honolulu Film Festival - Aloha Accolade Award for Excellence in Filmmaking
• Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood - Award of Merit for Narrative Feature
• Accolade Competition
  Accolade Competition
  The Accolade Competition is an international, non-traditional, virtual awards venue. Awards go to those filmmakers who produce fresh, standout entertainment, animation and compelling documentaries....
  
  - Award of Merit
• Los Angeles Movie Awards - Award of Excellence (television), Best Original Score, Best Screenplay, Best Actress

• Creating - Canadian television series (directed and co-hosted by Fritz)
• The Little Pinecone - Audio CD (Story and music by Fritz)
• Elmer's Extraordinary Christmas - Audio CD (Story and music by Fritz)
• The Top - Audio CD (Story and music by Fritz)

External links

• Uganda Rural Development & Training Programme