Productive Chaos

[Artur F. Silva]

At 23:28 10-01-2001 +0100, Christoph J.W. Schmees wrote:


>He (Prigogine) found out that basically two
>condidions must be met to enable spontaneuos order in chaotic systems.
>These conditions can easily be translated and transfered to social systems.
>They are:
>
>First - The system has to be far from equilibrium. You need an excess of
>energy, and a clear direction of energy flow. In social systems: You need a
>leader with a vision and the ability to transport the vision to his people.
>Call it CI, call it mission.

And Chris replyed:

>What about this:
>
>In social systems:  You need people with a vision.

So I conclude that translating from the termodynamics of irreversible
processes to social systems is not as easy as we may think ;-)

What are (some) conditions that make a social system to be far from
equilibrium? For me it has nothing to do with leaders with a vision, neither
with people with a vision.

A social organisation is far from equilibrium when:

- there are major problems or issues to be solved;
- there are high levels of complexity;
- high levels of actual or potential conflict are present;
- a solution is needed for yesterday.

(does this sound familiar? )


>Second - You need the possibility of free, omnidirectional energy flow
>inside the system. Organisation: You need free flow of knowledge. This is
>where knowledge management comes into the game and immedieately becomes a
>leader's task.


To have the needed free energy, do an Open Space assuring that
all the diversity is present in the room. OS is the artefact to create
a real "metanoia", a real paradigm shift and allow free energy to flow
in the right direction. Yes, the vision is in the people; what is needed
is a catalytic phenomenon: Open Space. And after that, whatever
happens...

Artur

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu
Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

===========================================================
OSLIST at EGROUPS.COM
To subscribe,
1.  Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist
2.  Sign up -- provide an email address,
    and choose a login ID and password
3.  Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions

To unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at egroups.com:
1.  Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist
2.  Sign in and Proceed