How to Judge How Functional Information Is: The Hidden Metric Behind Organisational Readiness
In my work on organisational readiness, I often talk about functional information — the kind of information that actually shapes what a system can do. But leaders frequently ask a deeper question:
How do you judge how functional information is?
It’s a crucial question, because not all information is equal. Some information changes nothing. Some creates noise. Some confuses. And some — the functional kind — actually alters the organisation’s capacity to act.
Here’s the key: Functional information is judged entirely by its effects. Not by its intention, its format, or its emotional appeal — but by what it does inside the system.
Below are the five criteria that determine whether information is truly functional.
1. Functional information changes what the system can do
This is the most fundamental test.
Functional information:
enables new actions
constrains harmful actions
shapes behaviour
alters decision pathways
If information does not change capability or behaviour, it is not functional — it is decorative.
2. Functional information reshapes the Adjacent Possible
Every organisation lives within a structured field of possibilities. Some futures are viable from here; others are not.
Functional information:
expands viable options
clarifies viable options
removes non‑viable options
makes some futures reachable and others unreachable
If information does not alter the structure of the Adjacent Possible, it is not functional.
3. Functional information increases readiness
Readiness is the capacity to choose well under limitation. Functional information strengthens readiness when it:
improves clarity
reduces ambiguity
strengthens capability
supports emotional balance
builds trust
aligns people
If information does not improve readiness, it is not functional.
4. Functional information supports agency
Agency is the activation of readiness — the ability to act coherently despite uncertainty.
Functional information supports agency when it:
enables coherent action
reduces friction
stabilises commitment
helps people act under pressure
If information does not help the system act, it is not functional.
5. Functional information increases system viability
Viability means the system can:
maintain itself
adapt to change
respond to pressure
pursue its mission
Functional information increases viability. Non‑functional information decreases it.
This is the long‑view test: Does the information make the organisation more capable of surviving and thriving in a moving environment?
The Clean Synthesis
Here is the tightest possible definition:
Functional information is information that changes what a system can do. It reshapes the Adjacent Possible, increases readiness, and enables agency.
This is the backbone of how organisations change — not through slogans, not through enthusiasm, but through the deliberate introduction of information that actually alters capability.
Why This Matters for Leaders
Leaders are flooded with information every day. But only a small fraction of it is functional.
When leaders learn to judge information by its effects, not its appearance, they begin to:
make better decisions
reduce noise
increase clarity
strengthen readiness
activate real change
This is the difference between organisations that drift and organisations that move deliberately into better futures.