Every summer of my childhood, my dad would pack our camping gear and drive us deep into the South Dakota grasslands. Without saying it explicitly, he encouraged me to see beyond the surface of what appeared to be simple grass.

His 1997 book “Ecology and Economics of the Great Plains (Our Sustainable Future)” became a reference for understanding the intricate relationship between ecological health and economic sustainability across the region, but the lessons he shared around those campfires shaped how I think about organizational change. Just as prairie restoration requires understanding invisible root networks, successful learning system transformation demands respect for the hidden infrastructure that keeps organizations functioning.

The Underground Architecture

Prairie grasses evolved one of nature’s most sophisticated root systems. While the visible grass might stand only two feet tall, the roots can extend fifteen feet deep and spread horizontally for miles. Big bluestem, one of the dominant tallgrass prairie species, allocates 80% of its biomass to root development. This creates an intricate underground network that stores nutrients, shares resources between plants, and maintains soil stability across vast landscapes.

This interdependence creates remarkable resilience. Prairie grasslands can survive droughts, fires, and harsh winters that would devastate other plant communities. But this strength depends entirely on the integrity of the root system. Disturb those underground connections, and the entire ecosystem becomes vulnerable.

The Plowing Problem

The tragedy of prairie loss across the Great Plains illustrates what happens when we focus only on visible systems while ignoring underground infrastructure. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, farmers saw vast grasslands and envisioned productive cropland. The grass looked simple to replace – just plow it under and plant something more “useful.”

But plowing severed millions of years of evolutionary root networking. Those deep, interconnected systems that had sustained themselves through countless cycles were destroyed in a single season. The result wasn’t just the loss of native grass – it was the collapse of soil stability, water retention, and nutrient cycling that those root systems had maintained.

The Dust Bowl of the 1930s demonstrated the full cost of this disruption. Without deep prairie roots to anchor the soil, entire regions became uninhabitable. What seemed like simple land conversion had actually dismantled a complex system that kept the ecosystem functioning.

This pattern repeats whenever we prioritize surface changes over systemic understanding.

Learning System Root Networks

Organizations have their own version of prairie root systems – the informal networks, cultural practices, and institutional knowledge that keep daily operations functioning. Like prairie roots, these systems are largely invisible but absolutely essential.

I’ve seen this firsthand during technology implementations in schools and universities. Leaders often focus on the visible changes: new software interfaces, updated workflows, modern devices. But successful implementations depend on understanding the hidden infrastructure of how information really flows, who people trust for guidance, and what unofficial practices keep the organization running.

Recently, I talked with a peer who had helped to implement a new learning management system a few years back. The rollout looked straightforward on paper – migrate content, train users, launch the platform. But deeper investigation revealed a complex network of informal communication patterns. Teachers relied on hallway conversations for troubleshooting, department chairs served as unofficial tech support, and veteran educators had developed workarounds that weren’t documented anywhere. The initial implementation plan ignored this underground infrastructure. When problems arose, the official support channels couldn’t handle the volume of needs. Teachers started abandoning the new system because their traditional support networks had been disrupted without replacement.

The Root-First Approach

Map the Invisible Networks: Before implementing new technology or processes, identify how information currently flows through your organization. Who do people actually ask when they need help? What unofficial communication channels keep operations running? Which informal leaders influence adoption of new practices?

Preserve Functional Connections: Just as prairie restoration preserves beneficial existing root networks, organizational change should maintain effective informal systems. If teachers rely on department chairs for technical support, integrate those relationships into your formal support structure rather than bypassing them.

Build Deep Before Building Wide: Prairie grasses invest heavily in root development before focusing on visible growth. Similarly, sustainable learning system changes require deep foundation work – training key influencers, establishing support structures, and allowing time for new practices to take root before scaling broadly.

Understand Interdependencies: Prairie plants share resources through root networks, creating mutual dependence. Learning organizations have similar interdependencies between departments, roles, and processes. Changes in one area inevitably affect others, often in unexpected ways.

Patience With Organic Growth

The most challenging aspect of the root-first approach is timing. Prairie restoration doesn’t produce immediate visible results. The first year after planting, restored prairie looks sparse and underwhelming compared to the lush grass that grows quickly from annual seeds. But those slow-growing native plants are developing the deep root systems that will sustain the ecosystem for decades.

This patience with invisible progress runs counter to most organizational change timelines. Stakeholders want to see immediate results – updated interfaces, new features, measurable improvements. But just as prairie restoration requires years of underground development before visible flourishing, sustainable learning system changes need time for deep adoption.

I’ve learned to help stakeholders understand this timeline by sharing what’s happening below the surface. Regular communication about root-level progress – increased confidence among key users, developing internal expertise, strengthening support networks – helps maintain commitment during periods when visible changes seem minimal.

The Deep Infrastructure Framework

To implement this approach practically, I’ve developed what I call the Deep Infrastructure Framework:

Assess Before Acting: Spend significant time understanding current systems before designing changes. This includes formal org charts and informal influence networks, official procedures and actual practices, documented knowledge and tribal wisdom.

Identify Root Connectors: Find the people and practices that serve as connection points in your organization’s underground network. These might be administrative assistants who know everything, veteran teachers who mentor newcomers, or long-standing traditions that build culture.

Design for Interdependence: Create changes that strengthen rather than disrupt beneficial connections. New systems should enhance existing relationships and communication patterns while gradually improving functionality.

Measure Underground Growth: Develop metrics that capture root-level progress – confidence levels, peer-to-peer helping behavior, informal knowledge sharing, and relationship strength between key stakeholders.

Protect During Transition: Organizational change creates vulnerability similar to newly planted prairie. Provide extra support and protection during early stages when new systems haven’t yet developed deep roots.

When Deep Roots Become Restrictive

This approach isn’t without limitations. Sometimes existing root systems are genuinely problematic – like invasive species that crowd out beneficial plants or outdated practices that prevent necessary innovation. The key is distinguishing between healthy underground infrastructure that should be preserved and restrictive patterns that need careful removal.

Invasive plants can also masquerade as beneficial native species. Similarly, organizational assessment must distinguish between helpful informal systems and entrenched practices that resist positive change. This requires careful observation and often outside perspective to see patterns that insiders take for granted.

Learning From the Land

The grasslands of South Dakota taught me that sustainable change starts with understanding what’s already there. Whether restoring prairie or transforming learning systems, success depends on respecting the invisible infrastructure that keeps complex systems functioning.

This doesn’t mean avoiding change – prairie restoration is ultimately about transformation. But it means approaching change with the patience and wisdom to understand deep systems before disrupting them.

Every time I encounter an organization eager to “plow under” existing practices in favor of something new and efficient, I think about those camping trips with my dad. The strongest ecosystems aren’t built by starting over – they’re cultivated by understanding what’s already working underground and building from there.

Key Points

1. Organizational success depends on invisible infrastructure that keeps daily operations functioning
2. Disrupting underground systems without understanding them can cause systemic failure
3. Sustainable change requires mapping informal networks before implementing formal changes
4. Deep foundation work must precede visible transformation for lasting results
5. Root-level progress often happens before surface improvements become apparent
6. Assessment, patience, and respect for existing systems enable more effective transformation

Questions for Reflection

1. What informal networks and unofficial practices keep your organization running day-to-day?
2. Think about a recent organizational change initiative. What underground systems might have been disrupted without recognition?
3. Who are the “root connectors” in your organization – the people who help information and support flow between different areas?
4. How do you currently measure the health of your organization’s invisible infrastructure?
5. What existing practices or relationships deserve protection and integration rather than replacement during your next change initiative?
6. How might you communicate the value of “underground progress” to stakeholders who expect immediate visible results?

This piece continues our exploration of how natural systems can inform organizational learning and change management. While nature can’t provide all the answers, understanding these deeper patterns helps us approach human systems with appropriate wisdom and patience.