Greetings Rob,
Thanks for posting this narrative.
So interesting that the military is now focusing on much of what you
have written here, about open systems etc.
In fact, here is a link to a free PDF download of a book entitled, "The
Agile Organization":
http://www.dodccrp.org/files/Atkinson_Agile.pdf
What is super interesting is the fact that the book never references
software agility, or the 'agile movement', not even one time.
Chapter 2 starts with these entries:
Open Systems
Self Organization
...and...
Self Organizing Social Groups
The whole www.dodccrp.org web site might be of interest to many here as
well.
Here is the link to the other useful and free publications found there:
http://www.dodccrp.org/html4/books_downloads.html
Regards,
Daniel
On 8/6/14 11:53 PM, R Chaffe wrote:
I have been following this thread with interest. Some may recall
OSonOS gathering in Marysville in November 2002 when we went out into
the forest to see and hear the night creatures. As we walked into the
forest the only sound was the sound of our feet on the earth and
despite the best efforts of a highly skilled ranger no night creatures
could be found. All the components were in place, well organised and
managed. No night creatures! The forest was silent.
Everyone went away with their own thoughts including disbelief that
the Australian forest is alive at night. There was a strong sense of
disappointment - it did not work!
Before the month had ended the environment responded with a series of
wild fires that included over 6million hectares of high rainfall and
alpine forest and the National Capital city was invaded by fire.
Complex self organising systems at work.
The question then goes back to that silent night. Some of us
listened to the silence and with a deep sense of dread realising that
all was not well. There was no "silver bullet" quick fix it was a
systemic issue way beyond control or management. What we did was
prepare the things we had control over in readiness for the fires
that would come. Little did I know that I would spend most of 57 days
in an incident control centre coordinating information and advice to
the community about the sate of a rapidly changing mostly
unpredictable wild fire. The result in Victoria was less that 10
homes lost and on the day a rain storm eventually controlled the fire
a young lady was drowned when her vehicle was washed into a stream by
flood waters - yes in a drought and after nearly two months of fire.
What did I learn about complex systems, management and control?
First wild fire cannot be "controlled" by man. We stay at the edges
and do the best to protect assets, we mop up and clear up, we do our
best to give the people the best information to make informed
decisions about what they will do. (In the end it is their choice).
Mostly people organise themselves well, some better than others but in
the end, good or bad, the decisions are theirs.
Second willing participants in an "open" environment can achieve
outstanding things way beyond what expectations might be. How they do
it is up to them, they have some guidelines but the process that
evolves is theirs. Again sometimes it works and sometimes.....
Despite what I think or do.
In a major incident "co-ordination" centre there is structure with
key decision points (people) a time table (plan mostly to ensure
others needs are respected) a massive amount of self organising and
adjustment to constant change. Change that could be fatal, change
that does not allow the luxury of time out to plan a process or select
a model and change that needs a response now. Within the organisation
the one thing that was most controllable was the selection and support
of the people working there. The outcome was a sense of team with each
member working to dovetail into the work of others to remove
frustration and reach consensus with the best possible outcome.
In some sense the team meetings each day were an open space event with
each bringing their issues and concerns acting with commitment and
accepting a high level of responsibility. The report from the meeting
formed the game plan until the next change, which at times may only be
only minutes away - on one night meetings were being held every 15
minutes with broadcasts over national and regional radios to inform
the community of the changes that may impact on them so that they
could do what they needed to do (not command or control just advice).
12 years later I have spent too much time in incident coordination
centres yet remarkably, or not so, a similar pattern emerged. The
most successful always being where leadership focused on creating and
environment where individuals could perform at their best while
respecting a diversity of responses to change that reflect the
complexity of the natural, human and economic environment the change
was taking place in.
What can Open Space technology really offer? What control do I really
have? What I am responsible for?
As I see it the reality is that as the Facilitator all that I can
promise is to provide an opportunity for the group to meet and an
opportunity to participate in dealing with a particular topic. I can
influence the choice of the topic, the invitation to participate and
the creation of the safe space including the structure of the event
(environment, food, and other safety needs that form the base of
Maslow's hierarchy of needs to free the participants from these
concerns and focus on the purpose of the meeting).
I cannot promise any solutions, or reports, proceedings, quality of
input or output, satisfaction and the ongoing relationships between
the participants. These are the responsibilities of the sponsor or
the organisation or community who chose to attend. I may influence
the methods that groups may choose to explore their agenda item but in
the end they must do it their way including the law of two feet.
I do not have a simple solution, quick fix, or a "silver bullet". I
do have the experience to share, that just as in the parable of the
mustard seed there will be outcomes way beyond what we can imagine.
The mustard seed grows into a tree, so what! The tree becomes an
entire habitat for all types of life (macro and micro) way beyond a
simple tree. Some of the things that come from planting the seed
eventually lead to the death of the tree, but if you do not plant the
seed the tree will never grow and you will never know what
possibilities / opportunities you have lost including the genetic
change in the new seed crop that may grow into a new tree, not quite
the same as the old. The question then becomes, is the "sponsor"
willing to allow the "seed" to be planted and are they willing to
assist the nurture of the "tree"as it grows to what ever it will be?
I see my task is in the preparation of the event and ensure the seed
is planted in the best possible way then, allow the passion and
responsibility of the sponsor and participants to do what they do. If
there is respect for diversity and a will to include all as best as
possible there is a real possibility that the "organisation" will be
successful in their own terms.
One implication is that there is always something of me left behind as
I opened the space and, if I have done my job, the participants will
be confident that they did it their way.
Regards
Rob
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