Dynamic Relationality in Action: What Eventually Catches

The way things work

is that eventually

something catches.

— Jorie Graham, from Hybrids of Plants and of Ghosts (1980)

How do systems—whether human, machinic, or organizational—truly work? Jorie Graham’s poem The Way Things Workoffers a profound meditation on interconnectedness, revealing how dynamic forces—admitting, resisting, transforming—unfold into innovation. This vision resonates deeply with Dynamic Relationality Theory (DRT), which reimagines systems as adaptive, relational assemblages.

DRT emphasizes that transformation is neither linear nor predictable. Instead, it emerges from the interplay between stability and change, where resistance is a driver of adaptation. Graham’s insight—that “eventually something catches”—mirrors the way relational ecosystems evolve, aligning with DRT’s focus on the potential of dynamic interactions to generate new possibilities.

At its core, DRT views systems as Machinic Life-Experience Ecosystems (MLXEs): co-creative environments where human values and machinic capabilities align to foster innovation. This alignment, much like Graham’s metaphor of “hooks” and “lifting tackle,” bridges effort and transformation. MLXEs thrive on immanent processes—internal relational dynamics that continuously unfold to adapt, innovate, and grow without external interventions.

DRT’s methodologies, including category theory, differential topology, and diagrammatic logic, provide precise tools for analyzing and influencing these dynamics. By visualizing transformations, organizations can map connections across local (molecular) and global (molar) processes, balancing continuity with disruption. For instance, in healthcare, DRT helps align patient-provider interactions with systemic policies, enhancing care pathways and responsiveness during crises like COVID-19.

The concept of “solution” and “resistance,” as Graham explores, aligns with DRT’s territorialization and reterritorialization processes. These tools analyze how systems stabilize and reconfigure, ensuring flexibility and resilience. Diagrammatic logic, a cornerstone of DRT, makes such transformations actionable by illustrating relational flows within ecosystems, bridging theory and application.

For executives, consultants, and scholars navigating complex ecosystems, DRT offers a strategic framework to understand how systems adapt and thrive. Future posts will explore how these principles apply to pressing challenges—from designing responsive organizations to crafting ethical AI frameworks and enabling human-machine collaboration.

We invite you to engage with DRT as both a conceptual framework and a practical tool. Reflect on Graham’s poetic insights and their relevance to organizational strategy, innovation, and co-creation. Together, let’s explore the transformative potential of understanding “the way things work.”