To me, "self-organization" is a metaphor that is used to describe the fact that patterns of relationships between entities emerge when the conditions or present and that some principles are usually involved in those conditions. Atoms, rocks, life, organizations, meme's are all emerge in to being. (According to Greaves and the Spirial Dynamics folks, memes are "self-organizing".) Every thing manifests in every moment out of its relationships to "entities" in the past moment (according to Whitehead, and I think he's right). Our consciousness as humans shapes that emergence, but I think aspects of the process of becoming can be described and some of the principles can be described.
Those patterns of relationships between people are shifted, in some time and space, when the space is intentionally opened. When the Principles and Law are brought to consciousness. It may be that opening the space is a "hunter" thing, Chris, to do for an outside consultant, at least it's intentional. It may allow for a new "garden" of changed (or even new) relationships to form for awhile in an organization. Whether that garden continues to grow in that organization or community is dependent on many things. It can enable people to experience (sometimes consciouisly) a new way to relate that the "control" processes they have been using. It certainly leads to new connects, new leaning and often an experience of a higher or deeper level of spirited working and being together. I think "Self" organization has taken on some important meaning, particularly for those of us with a "green" orientation because it counters the proactive (orange) view that every thing has to be proactively managed. It is a step in our understanding of phenomena, of what happens and helps me clarify what to do and not to do, what to expect and to be surprised about. Larry Larry Peterson Associates in Transformation Toronto, ON, Canada 416.653.4829 <mailto:la...@spiritedorg.com> la...@spiritedorg.com <http://www.spiritedorg.com> www.spiritedorg.com
