Anatomy of an Omnipattern

If we treat patterns as situated hypotheses for acting under tension, and we express them through consequence-focused reflection, then they become portable, adaptive tools for navigating complexity across difference.

This pattern emerges when people want to document, share, or evolve ways of working without collapsing them into toolkits, checklists, or cultural generalisations. In complex environments, practices must remain revisable and grounded in lived experience.

We call them patterns, not practices, because a pattern is a reusable structure of action shaped by recurring tension and defined by its anticipated consequences. This definition follows the pragmatic maxim: meaning is found in what the pattern is expected to change in the world, not what it claims to represent

Patterns should support variation, reinterpretation, and collective inquiry. This anatomy exists to help hold that intent.

How to use this pattern

This pattern unfolds through a series of eight structured moves. These allow writers or teams to turn complex, situated experience into a coherent, shareable pattern without freezing it into a rigid template.

Name the pattern and write a hypothesis

Choose a name that evokes the energy or shape of the pattern. Then write a one-sentence hypothesis:

“If we are facing [this kind of tension], and [these conditions hold], then acting in [this way] tends to produce [these consequences].”

This gives the pattern a testable, consequence-oriented anchor—without claiming certainty.

Example:

Team Coherence Reflection

If a team maps where they feel emotionally in relation to their shared work, and they reflect together on the distribution, then they tend to surface tensions that enable more grounded and adaptive action.

Expand with a clear “Why”

Describe the lived tension the pattern arises from. What situation created discomfort, contradiction, or ambiguity? Then explain the consequence the pattern is trying to bring about in experience.

Example:

This pattern arises when teams sense something is misaligned but can’t name it. It provides a way to explore emotional tone and coherence without needing immediate resolution.

Describe the “How” as a rhythm of interaction

Sketch how the pattern unfolds as a rhythm of relational moves. Describe what people do, when, and how they respond to each other or the material.

Example:

• Each team member reflects: “Where do I feel I am in relation to our shared work?”

• They place themselves on a Coherence Map

• The group observes the distribution and discusses surprises

• They begin to name tensions using lived language

• These tensions are either held for reflection or used to guide next steps

Identify Affordances

List what the pattern reveals, enables, or might mislead people into doing. Include all three types:

• Perceptible – what is visibly suggested or made easier

• Hidden – what is only revealed through deeper use or longer reflection

• False – what might look useful but risks misuse or misinterpretation

Example:

• Perceptible: visual map prompts nonverbal placement and shared noticing

• Hidden: repeated use reveals how tensions evolve or recur

• False: can be misunderstood as an evaluation tool or team diagnostic

Describe how COIN stances show up

Use only the eight stances from the Community of Inquiry (COIN) constellation. Explain how each might contribute to the pattern’s use, evolution, or critique.

Example:

• Noticer – identifies the subtle moment or behaviour that sparks the need for a pattern

• Inquirer – asks what the pattern is really trying to change or reveal

• Challenger – questions overuse, oversimplification, or drift from consequence

• Synthesiser – links this pattern to others across the constellation

• Facilitator – helps groups write, test, or reflect on the pattern in use

• Steward – curates the pattern library and updates language or framing

• Shaper – evolves the anatomy itself to better hold new needs

• Craftsperson – refines the expression of the pattern for clarity and usability

Tag the pattern using inquiry phases and pattern types

Use two categories of tags:

Inquiry Cycle:

• #feltbreakdown – a disruption or tension becomes noticeable

• #framing – the situation is named and explored

• #hypothesising – potential approaches or moves are imagined

• #experiencing – pattern is enacted in real context

• #consequence – effects are noticed or discussed

• #reframing – understanding shifts

• #repatterning – practices are adjusted or rewritten

Pattern Types:

• #tensionsensing

• #synthesis

• #probes

• #actioninquiry

• #governance

• #strategy

• #metapattern

Review the pattern against the six qualifiers

Before finalising, test the pattern against six qualifiers. These are rooted in pragmatism, complexity theory, and ethical reflection:

• Abductive – does the pattern invite exploration or hypothesis, not just execution?

• Fallible – is it open to revision or challenge? Is its usefulness framed as conditional?

• Plural – can it support multiple interpretations, entry points, or enactments?

• Situational – is it clearly grounded in a specific kind of setting or tension?

• Social – does it involve interaction, sensemaking, or collective work?

• Scalable – can it flex across different scales without collapsing its meaning?

Tip: If the answer to any qualifier is “no,” the pattern might still be useful but that limitation should be acknowledged in the pattern text.

Add Field Notes (Optional) 

Document what happened when the pattern was used. What emerged? What surprised people? What tensions did it surface or resolve? How might the pattern need to shift?

Example:

In one workshop, participants used this pattern to capture stories of practice across multiple teams. What emerged was that the “same pattern” lived very differently in operations vs. policy. The anatomy helped hold those differences while still enabling coherence.

Affordances

Perceptible

Clear sections prompt inquiry rather than instruction. The hypothesis form makes consequence-thinking immediate.

Hidden

Encourages reflection on power, context, and difference—especially when used in group pattern-writing. Reveals what’s often assumed but not named.

False

Risks being used as a static format if writers treat it as a checklist or simply fill in the blanks without inquiry.

Stances

• Noticer – Spots moments of improvisation or stretch in everyday work that deserve attention

• Inquirer – Frames the central tension and probes the consequences the pattern aims to influence

• Challenger – Asks whether the pattern is still alive, still useful, or drifting into performance

• Synthesiser – Weaves this pattern into others, noticing structure and rhythm across the library

• Facilitator – Hosts a collaborative writing or reflection session using the grammar

• Steward – Maintains consistency and integrity across the constellation

• Shaper – Evolves the anatomy itself to match emerging needs or insights

• Craftsperson – Refines the language and layout to make the pattern accessible and resonant