[OSList] From linkedin today

Thu Jan 9 12:24:42 PST 2014

I’d add to what Harrison is saying about what keeps a social system coherent without someone in charge. It’s something built into the practice of Open Space Technology: coming together as a whole, following our two feet to sessions called around we love, coming back as a whole, dispersing again for the evening. Like breathing. 

There’s a power in coming together to reflect that connects us, helps us see ourselves in context, creates a coherent sense of “us” that complements all of the “I’s”. So without the need to make decisions or come to consensus, I suspect that long-lived self-organizing social systems create a rhythm in which the whole (or a sufficient subset of it) comes together periodically.

As an example, a few years back, I learned of a group of African Americans that met informally for Saturday breakfast in Tacoma, Washington once a week for thirty-five years. This gathering became the backbone of the African American community in that city. It was the place to connect, to learn what was happening, to share ideas, to find partners, etc. No one in charge, just part of the rhythm of the community. And lots of activities emerged from it.

Peggy

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On Jan 9, 2014, at 11:50 AM, Christine <chris.alice.koehler at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Harrison,
> 
> Thank you for your answer
> 
> What do you mean exactely with the law of 2 feet ?
> 
> Christine Koehler
> 06 13 28 71 38
> 
> 
> Le 9 janv. 2014 à 17:27, "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at verizon.net> a écrit :
> 
>> I’m awake now (Thank you Michael). And Christine – to your questions and my thoughts.
>>  
>> “In a  self -organized system, how do you keep the organization coherent as a whole ?
>> How do you make decisions that concern the whole organization ?”
>>  
>> I think the simple answer may be, “You don’t (make decisions or maintain coherency). The System does – which is in a way the essence of self-organization. I think one way of understanding self organization is that it is the systemic response to a changing environment in order to maintain internal and external coherence... a complicated way of saying that the system wants to get along in the world in a positive fashion. Part of maintaining that systemic coherence is by making a whole bunch of decisions – none, or few, of which are made by a vote or executive dictate. A powerful mechanism in this regard is our old friend, “The Law of Two feet.” – I think.
>>  
>> ho
>>  
>>  
>> Harrison Owen
>> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>> Potomac, MD 20854
>> USA
>>  
>> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
>> Camden, Maine 04843
>>  
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>> (summer)  207-763-3261
>>  
>> www.openspaceworld.com
>> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>  
>> From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of christine koehler
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2014 5:30 PM
>> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> Subject: Re: [OSList] From linkedin today
>>  
>> Harrison,
>> 
>> In a  self -organized system, how do you keep the organization coherent as a whole ?
>> How do you make decisions that concern the whole organization ?
>> 
>> Christine
>>  
>> 
>> On Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 8:27 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>> Paul – This piece from Zappos is interesting indeed. Though I must say I do wonder why the Zapposites feel it necessary to organize a self organizing system? As they say, “In a city, people and businesses are self-organizing.” I agree, and why not just follow the beaten path? Holarchy is a wonderful concept, and a good description of what I think I experience in a self organizing system. But why go for a knock-off when you can have the original? Just let (invite) the system to self organize. It will work better, and costs a lot less effort. As Stuart Kauffman might say, “order for free.”
>>  
>> Harrison
>>  
>> Harrison Owen
>> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>> Potomac, MD 20854
>> USA
>>  
>> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
>> Camden, Maine 04843
>>  
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>> (summer)  207-763-3261
>>  
>> www.openspaceworld.com
>> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>  
>> From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Paul Nunesdea
>> Sent: Monday, January 06, 2014 4:51 PM
>> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> Subject: [OSList] From linkedin today
>>  
>> Research shows that every time the size of a city doubles, innovation or productivity per resident increases by 15 percent. But when companies get bigger, innovation or productivity per employee generally goes down. So we're trying to figure out how to structure Zappos more like a city, and less like a bureaucratic corporation. In a city, people and businesses are self-organizing. We're trying to do the same thing by switching from a normal hierarchical structure to a system called Holacracy, which enables employees to act more like entrepreneurs and self-direct their work instead of reporting to a manager who tells them what to do.
>> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-ross/workplace-reinvention_b_4541805.html#!
>>  
>> From my iPad
>> 
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>> 
>> --
>> 
>>  Executive Coach, Médiateur
>>  www.christine-koehler.fr
>>  Tel :  06 13 28 71 38
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>> 
>>  
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