My Grandma Kane, LaVina Kane to her friends, passed away this week, just one month before she turned 100. She lived on her farm into her 80s, in her own apartment until she was in her early 90s, and in the past 7 years she earned the nickname Speedy at her nursing home, because the staff had to constantly tell her “Slow down!” When she … [Read More]
Here are a few self-organizing groups I’m learning with/from this week… 1. A touching and cute self-organizing group (love the response of all the different adults in the video): 2. A brave self-organizing group within my neighborhood: The Mitchells trying to save their already paid-off home from foreclosure the end of October 3. A very visible collection of self-organizing groups right now. There are tons of … [Read More]
You asked me “Also, have you seen “evil” self-organizing groups?” From my perspective, evil is a word that belongs in the hands of someone far, far wiser than me. I’m not qualified to use it to describe living beings. No living being I personally know fits that description. Self-org groups have taught me that it’s pointless to negatively judge distant others, because I’ll never have the full story. Today, for me, evil self-organizing groups don’t exist, because for me self-organizing groups are self-aware groups of people surprised and delighted by what they become and do together. For me, these groups are an “us” that we’re only just beginning to recognize.
Some of the things I learned this week thanks to my self-organizing groups: Chaos and order are both within us, and both ok. It’s in our nature to be chaotic, silly, ridiculous, and huge risk-takers. Within these groups, I can accept chaos as rewarding and even fun. Yet it’s also in our nature to appreciate order and structure and to minimize or avoid risk. Within … [Read More]
I spend all my time working with and as self-organizing groups and reflecting on what we experience and learn together. Thanks to these groups, I live my life in a very good mood: to the point that, most days, it’s hard to wipe the smile off my face. I recently saw this same experience on the face of a person next to me at Skillet … [Read More]
Hey Doug, thanks for asking me to get more clear on this subject! I’ve only recently started thinking about this idea, which is why I am fuzzy speaking about it. What I believe I see so far has to do with perceived location of the self. That is, in the moments in which I/we think: “individual self” I am capable of leading my individual self … [Read More]
This was my official schedule yesterday: Take a bus, then ferry, to Bainbridge Island to spend the bulk of the day brainstorming ideas with one of my own favorite self-organizing groups (my friend Doug and I, a forming consulting group) Have dinner with another favorite self-organizing group (my husband and I) Spend three evening hours in the park near my house rehearsing dance moves with … [Read More]
I’ve been noticing lately that I’m a bit jealous of Daniel’s blog. Photographers can say so much without words. So in this post I’m embracing my photographer self. We just got back from 9 days in Kauai, Hawaii. As I sorted and posted my photos into Facebook for my family, I noticed that I see amazing self-organization everywhere I go these days thanks to the … [Read More]
Continuing from How do self-organizing groups make decisions? (1 of 2) … Short answer: These groups don’t make decisions. They find decisions, together, the instant that group members recognize and embrace their collective self. Long answer: Self-aware self-organizing groups don’t make decisions or design and plan things in the traditional sense. Within these groups, individuals become so close that together—as a collective self—they become able … [Read More]
This week, as I rattled excitedly on about the groups I’m studying right now (as I always do—I recently decided that this flaw is part of my charm), my friend Annie said “But I need to make a decision! How do self-organizing groups make decisions?!” Damn girl, good question. This post is for you, Annie, and for anyone else currently struggling with too many options … [Read More]
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