Bryan, thanks--some thought provoking comments! Maybe it's time to take another run at defining "open"--updating the concept in light of some of these conversations, and your several points? Do all our Ambassadors hold today to a common definition? (Could be buried in some other thoughtful email string that I missed--if so, mea culpa).
Regards On Fri, Mar 24, 2017 at 12:17 PM, Bryan Behrenshausen <[email protected]> wrote: > Very engaging discussion, and thanks to Brook for kicking it off with an > example of "open" in the vernacular. These are the best places for us to > "go to work" and assess what's happening around "openness." I've enjoyed > reading everyone's responses. Just a few thoughts here. > > >From the article: > > > The flip side of cohesion is exclusion. The consequence of exclusion > is decline. > > Pithy statements like these are always appealing and fun to read (let > alone write!), but I doubt issues of identity and difference (to which I > think cultural "cohesion" is indebted) are so easily reducible to bytes > like that. > > For example, I think one could just as easily make the argument that > cultures of openness require "exclusionary" practices to _remain_ open > (might we say the GPL is exclusionary to the extent that it disallows > certain practices—namely, practices that involve _not_ giving back?). In > this case (and likely others), one could just as easily argue that the > consequence of exclusion is not "decline" (if the goal is the > propagation of, say, freely-licensed code), but a certain type of > flourishing. It cuts both ways. > > Some theories of identity expressly contend that identity is _nothing_ > but the series of exclusionary differences one is able to make ("I know > who/what I am because I am _not_ this, _not_ that, _not_ this other > thing, etc.), and so exclusion is part and parcel of _any_ type of > identity formation—including the identity of a thing we call "openness." > Therefore (echoing Huiren here), to say that "openness" is simply > analogous to "without borders" is incorrect, because the very identity > of openness itself is predicated on exclusionary practices (all those > things people juxtapose with openness to give it meaning—like "closed," > "proprietary," "authoritarian"—pick your favorite). > > "Organizational cultures" are no different. I just read a call to drop > the term entirely [1], but I don't know as I'd go that far (I do think > it's necessary for naming the thing that we produce through these > boundary-drawing practices). At any rate, I get the sense that the "old > guard/new guard" (thanks, Laura and Sam!) dynamic owes something to the > way people tend to parse "culture" and "behavior." The former is broader > than the latter, but the latter is what perpetuates the former. > Nevertheless, because the latter is observable (while the former is much > more abstract), people tend to use it as a barometer of "the cultural > situation" in an organization—they see people doing things that "aren't > like we do them here," and assume some difference in "cultural values." > But values find expression in multiple, nuanced, and ever-changing ways. > So the complexity here is key for understanding what people tend to be > worried about when they start wringing their hands over a supposed "loss > of culture." > > Thanks for good reading and discussion on a bleak and overcast Friday > here in Raleigh. > > Bryan > > [1] https://hbr.org/2015/04/why-company-culture-is-a-misleading-term > > > > On 03/24/2017 10:49 AM, Sam Knuth wrote: > > Thanks Laura - on the grow vs. shrink and die piece, I don't disagree > > with you at all. What I mean is that within the system we have of > > publicly traded companies (speaking of our organization specifically), > > that's the paradigm that is established. I think we could have a very > > interesting (and long!) discussion on this topic > > > > -Sam > > > > On Fri, Mar 24, 2017 at 9:40 AM, Laura Hilliger <[email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > > Interesting discussion. I think this: > > > > "The driving truth is that if we don't grow, we will shrink and die.” > > > > and this > > > > "The average rate of GDP growth in countries with shrinking > > working-age populations is */only/* 1.5%.” (Emphasis mine) > > > > are misnomers. This idea “growth is good" is aggressively promoted > > because the economic systems that support it (e.g. systems based on > > consumerism), depend on growth as a metric for success. What it > > doesn’t take into account is the happiness and well-being of the > > people inside the system. It’s been generally established that > > countries with lower GDP have equal or higher levels of happiness > > compared with countries with high GDP. If we had data(!) we could > > start looking at this at an organizational level. > > > > Greenpeace is doing a research and strategy around mindsets that are > > prevalent in our society. The “infinite growth is possible and good” > > mind set is one that the ecological movement is desperately trying > > to change as the growth-driven consumerism is the root cause of > > almost all environmental issues. Maybe it’s better to say “If we > > don’t change, we will shrink and die.” Even that might depend – if > > you think about tribal cultures that stayed the same way for > > hundreds and hundreds of years, only to die out when change was > > introduced. > > > > None of this is a dichotomy, of course. We’re a group of people who > > are hyper aware of the nuance (this pleases me :) > > > > Rands wrote an article in 2014 that I’ve shared a thousand times. > > It’s specifically about cultural identity, the shifting of culture > > when new people are introduced, and the fear that can elicit – He > > called it “Old Guard, New Guard”. > > > > http://randsinrepose.com/archives/the-old-guard/ > > <http://randsinrepose.com/archives/the-old-guard/> > > > > —laura > > > > Laura Hilliger > > Zythepsary (part of the We Are Open Co-op <http://weareopen.coop>) > > @epilepticrabbit <http://twitter.com/epilepticrabbit> > > > > > > > >> On Mar 24, 2017, at 12:44 PM, Sam Knuth <[email protected] > >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > >> > >> Thank you, Brook for keeping us engaged with deep topics! > >> > >> I like the comparison/contrast of our work on "open" culture with > >> what's happening in the global political climate right now. I'm > >> surprised I hadn't made this connection myself now that I think > >> about it. I see a lot of parallels. Working in an organization > >> that has been "open" since its founding, it does become part of > >> the identity of the people working in the organization. But, as > >> the organization grows, and welcomes more and more new people > >> ("immigrants" - never made that analogy before), we see a lot of > >> fears among some that our culture will change or will become "like > >> them" instead of "them" becoming "like us". Other people welcome > >> the newcomers and embrace what we can learn from them, accepting > >> that how we've always done things might not be the best way. The > >> driving truth is that if we don't grow, we will shrink and die. In > >> a company, it's easier to convince people of this truth, and > >> people can more easily leave if they really don't like the > >> direction we're heading (whereas as much as liberal American's > >> joke about moving to Canada, doing so is actually quite difficult). > >> > >> As I'm writing this and thinking about the comparison, I'm seeing > >> a lot of similar challenges but not easy answers or ways to apply > >> our learnings to broader society or public policy at a national > >> level. My personal feeling here is that looking at this kind of > >> data doesn't sway people. Companies, I think, are much more > >> receptive to convincing data than citizens. It's more about how > >> people feel in relation to deeply ingrained cultural identity. > >> Those feelings are so strong that they result in the election of > >> leaders who take an extreme stance on one end of the spectrum or > >> the other. > >> > >> Great food for thought! > >> > >> Sam > >> > >> On Thu, Mar 23, 2017 at 10:01 AM, Brook Manville > >> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > >> > >> Dear Open enthusiasts....recent opinion piece in WSJ by > >> columnist Bret Stephens caught my eye (below)--talking about > >> immigration, open borders, greater diversity and innovation; > >> and imply such things should be more part of today's policy > >> debates (but aren't). There are some "meta" themes about > >> "open" at the national level that might deserve more attention > >> among us. At a minimum, it makes for some interesting compare > >> and contrast discussion, e.g. how much of the culture-building > >> implied by best open organizations should be/could be applied > >> to a nation's public policy? What is the data about innovation > >> and other measures of "good" between companies that are more > >> open versus those that are less? etc...Regards > >> > >> > >> Other People’s Babies’ > >> > >> > >> If the U.S. slipped into demographic decline like Japan, > >> it would tear itself apart. > >> > >> Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with President Trump in > >> West Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 10. > >> Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with President Trump in > >> West Palm Beach, Fla., Feb. 10. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS > >> <https://www.wsj.com/articles/other-peoples-babies-1490050955> > >> By > >> BRET STEPHENS > >> March 20, 2017 7:02 p.m. ET > >> 786 COMMENTS > >> <https://www.wsj.com/articles/other-peoples-babies- > 1490050955#livefyre-toggle-SB10780801779306074119304583034393448048174> > >> > >> /Tokyo/ > >> > >> Japan is an excellent place to test the proposition that > >> countries do better with low levels of immigration. In a land > >> of 127 million people, there are just over two million foreign > >> residents, and only a third of them are here for the long > >> term. The number of illegal immigrants, which peaked at a > >> modest 300,000 in the early 1990s, is down by 80%. > >> > >> As for refugees, in 2016, Tokyo entertained 10,000 requests > >> <http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170211/p2g/00m/0dm/ > 008000c> for > >> asylum. It accepted a grand total of 28. Steve Bannon would > smile. > >> > >> > >> > >> The result, say immigration restrictionists, is plain to see. > >> Japan’s crime and drug-use rates are famously low. Life > >> expectancy is famously high. Japanese students put their > >> American peers to shame on international tests. The > >> unemployment rate clocks in at 3.1%. All this is supposed to > >> be a function of a homogenous society with a high degree of > >> cultural cohesion—the antithesis of cacophonous, multiethnic > >> America. > >> > >> Just one problem: The Japanese have lost their appetite for > >> reproduction. To steal a line from Steve King, the GOP > >> congressman from Iowa, the only way they can save their > >> civilization is with “somebody else’s babies.” > >> > >> Japan’s population shrank by nearly a million between 2010 and > >> 2015, the first absolute decline since census-taking began in > >> the 1920s. On current trend > >> <http://www.ipss.go.jp/site-ad/index_english/esuikei/ > gh2401e.asp> the > >> population will fall to 97 million by the middle of the > >> century. Barely 10% of Japanese will be children. The rest of > >> the population will divide almost evenly between working-age > >> adults and the elderly. > >> > >> Imagine yourself as a 35-year-old Japanese salary man. You can > >> expect that an ever-larger share of your paycheck will go to > >> the government to fund the pensions and health care of your > >> parents—who, at 70, can reasonably expect to live another 10 > >> or 15 years, and who aren’t likely to vote for politicians > >> promising to strip their entitlements. > >> > >> Being Japanese, you were raised to make financial sacrifices > >> for your elders, even if it means not having children of your > >> own. Besides, it’s hard to want children with the economy in > >> such bad shape. As Morgan Stanley > >> <http://quotes.wsj.com/MS>’s Ruchir Sharma has noted > >> <https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2016-02-15/ > demographics-stagnation>, > >> lousy demographics mean a lousy economy: The average rate of > >> GDP growth in countries with shrinking working-age populations > >> is only 1.5%. In 2016, Japan’s growth rate was 1%—and that was > >> a relatively good year by recent standards. > >> > >> What if the government paid you to have babies? Alas, along > >> with millions of your countrymen, you suffer from what the > >> Japanese call > >> <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/young- > people-japan-stopped-having-sex> “celibacy > >> syndrome” and aren’t interested in sex, never mind > >> procreation. You’re also unhappy: In 2016, Japan ranked 53rd > >> on the U.N.’s World Happiness Report, a notch above Kazakhstan > >> but below El Salvador and Uzbekistan. > >> > >> So Japan is in trouble, and the government knows it. Prime > >> Minister Shinzo Abe has tinkered with formulas to bring in > >> lower-skilled temporary workers for housecleaning and farm > >> jobs, and he has promoted various tax breaks and subsidies to > >> ease the burden of raising children and caring for aging > parents. > >> > >> But whatever their other benefits, “pro-family” policies won’t > >> reverse the demographic trend. Only large-scale immigration > >> can do that, and the Japanese won’t countenance it. The flip > >> side of cohesion is exclusion. The consequence of exclusion is > >> decline. > >> > >> Which brings us back to Mr. King and the U.S. immigration > >> debates. A decade ago, America’s fertility rate, at 2.12 > >> children for every woman, was just above the replacement rate. > >> That meant there could be modest population growth without > >> immigration. But the fertility rate has since fallen: It’s now > >> below replacement and at an all-time low > >> <http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2016/06/07/behind- > the-ongoing-u-s-baby-bust-in-5-charts/>. > >> > >> Without immigration, our demographic destiny would become > >> Japanese. But our culture wouldn’t, leaving us with the worst > >> of both worlds: economic stagnation without social stability. > >> Multiethnic America would tear itself to pieces fighting over > >> redistribution rights to the shrinking national pie. > >> > >> This doesn’t have to be our fate. Though it may be news to Mr. > >> King, immigrants aren’t a threat to American civilization. > >> They are our civilization—bearers of a forward-looking notion > >> of identity based on what people wish to become, not who they > >> once were. Among those immigrants are 30% of all American > >> Nobel Prize winners and the founders of 90 of our Fortune 500 > >> companies—a figure that more than doubles when you include > >> companies founded by the children of immigrants. If > >> immigration means change, it forces dynamism. America is > >> literally unimaginable without it. > >> > >> Every virtue has its defect and vice versa. The Japanese are > >> in the process of discovering that the social values that once > >> helped launch their development—loyalty, self-sacrifice, > >> harmony—now inhibit it. Americans may need reminding that the > >> culture of openness about which conservatives so often > >> complain is our abiding strength. Openness to different ideas, > >> foreign goods and new people. And their babies—who, whatever > >> else Mr. King might think, are also made in God’s image. > >> > >> /Write [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>./ > >> > >> > >> On Thu, Mar 23, 2017 at 8:10 AM, Bryan Behrenshausen > >> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > >> > >> ### Editor's Note ### > >> > >> Hi, friends! It's been another exciting, whirlwind week > >> here in OpenOrg > >> Land. Yesterday, we announced the next book in the Open > >> Organization > >> book series—this one devoted to open principles in the IT > >> organization. > >> We're building it the open source way, and (if you missed > the > >> announcement) you can see the links below for more details > >> about getting > >> involved. > >> > >> Today we're publishing the second half of Ajinkya Pawar's > >> two-part > >> series on open agencies. In this article, Ajinkya lays out > >> a concrete > >> and specific plan for creating the agency of the future. > >> > >> –B > >> > >> ### New Today ### > >> > >> Ajinkya Pawar: What does an ad agency's source code look > like? > >> > >> https://opensource.com/open-organization/17/3/how-build- > open-ad-agency > >> <https://opensource.com/open-organization/17/3/how-build- > open-ad-agency> > >> > >> red.ht/2o855Xy <http://red.ht/2o855Xy> > >> > >> Sample social media: > >> > >> If an ad agency is to go open source, then what's its > >> source code? > >> @thejinxedone red.ht/2o855Xy <http://red.ht/2o855Xy> > >> #TheOpenOrg > >> > >> .@thejinxedone explains exactly how to build an open ad > >> agency. What are > >> you waiting for? red.ht/2o855Xy <http://red.ht/2o855Xy> > >> #TheOpenOrg > >> > >> .@thejinxedone with five benefits to turning your ad > >> agency into > >> #TheOpenOrg: red.ht/2o855Xy <http://red.ht/2o855Xy> > >> > >> > >> ### Previously Published ### > >> > >> Bryan Behrenshausen: "Help us write the next IT culture > book" > >> > >> https://opensource.com/open-organization/17/3/announcing- > it-culture-book > >> <https://opensource.com/open-organization/17/3/announcing- > it-culture-book> > >> > >> red.ht/2nmnfYB <http://red.ht/2nmnfYB> > >> > >> First day page views: 157 > >> > >> Sample social media: > >> > >> Help us write the next great book on IT culture—in the > open: > >> red.ht/2nmnfYB <http://red.ht/2nmnfYB> #TheOpenOrg > >> > >> We're writing a book at the intersection of #TheOpenOrg > >> and #IT culture. > >> You can help: red.ht/2nmnfYB <http://red.ht/2nmnfYB> > >> > >> The next book in #TheOpenOrg book series is under active > >> development. > >> Pull requests welcome: red.ht/2nmnfYB < > http://red.ht/2nmnfYB> > >> > >> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > >> > >> Simon Phipps: "7 ways to discuss legal matters with an > >> open community" > >> > >> https://opensource.com/open-organization/17/3/legal- > matters-community > >> <https://opensource.com/open-organization/17/3/legal- > matters-community> > >> > >> First day page views: 131 > >> > >> ### Site Stats ### > >> > >> Page views yesterday: 753 > >> Total page views for the month: 12,213 > >> Page views from newsletter: 106 > >> > >> Leaders Manual downloads: 5 > >> Leaders Manual downloads for the month: 71 > >> > >> Catalyst-In-Chief downloads: 4 > >> Total Catalyst-In-Chief downloads for the month: 30 > >> > >> Field Guide downloads: 2 > >> Total Field Guide downloads for the month: 37 > >> > >> ### Social Media Stats ### > >> > >> @TheOpenOrg Twitter followers: 3,918 (+1) > >> @JWhitehurst Twitter followers: 15,204 (+2) > >> Facebook likes: 526 (+0) > >> > >> ### Full Daily Stats ### > >> > >> https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ > 196RzNrhAiHRBcZHtrDYYKy0I9m8Bqa67K9OOPbDxuME/edit?pli=1#gid=46325027 > >> <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ > 196RzNrhAiHRBcZHtrDYYKy0I9m8Bqa67K9OOPbDxuME/edit?pli=1#gid=46325027> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Openorg-list mailing list > >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > >> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list > >> <https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> */Brook Manville/**/ > >> Principal, Brook Manville LLC/* > >> > >> */http://www.brookmanville.com//* > >> /Twitter/ <https://twitter.com/> /@brookmanville > >> / > >> /blogging at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookmanville/ > >> <http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookmanville/>/ > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Openorg-list mailing list > >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > >> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list > >> <https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> Sam Knuth > >> Director, Customer Content Services > >> Red Hat, Inc > >> Mobile: +1 612-840-1785 <tel:(612)%20840-1785> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Openorg-list mailing list > >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > >> https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list > >> <https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list> > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Sam Knuth > > Director, Customer Content Services > > Red Hat, Inc > > Mobile: +1 612-840-1785 > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Openorg-list mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list > > > > _______________________________________________ > Openorg-list mailing list > [email protected] > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/openorg-list > -- *Brook Manville* *Principal, Brook Manville LLC* *http://www.brookmanville.com/ <http://www.brookmanville.com/>* *Twitter* <https://twitter.com/> *@brookmanville* *blogging at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookmanville/ <http://www.forbes.com/sites/brookmanville/>*
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