Three years ago when I was asked this question for the first time, off the top of my head I said something like “That with the right group of people, I can do anything.” Luckily for me, because I’m a researcher, that impromptu comment was recorded. I got to listen to it over and over for an entire year as I sought to understand what … [Read More]
This extra blog this week is for my dear friend (and self-org work group member) writing an important paper that’s due today. Good luck, D! From my perspective as a researcher (studying 18 self-organizing groups) and my perspective as a group member (having been consciously part of more than a dozen of these groups myself since 2004), my answer is yes. There are small work groups … [Read More]
This question has been part of my work for five years, since the day I walked away from my first self-org work group determined never to work any other way but as part of these amazing groups. I’ve learned that individuals and self-organizing work groups can foster self-organizing work groups. Here’s how. How individuals foster self-organizing work groups In the 17 groups I’ve studied so … [Read More]
You can expect amazing things from these groups, but what those things actually are, you can’t entirely know ahead of time. Think about a self-organizing group that you’ve seen somewhere: like several jazz musicians or rappers spontaneously improvising amazing music in the moment or a flash mob of people somewhat spontaneously performing a Michael Jackson or Lady Gaga song in a city park. You can expect to be surprised and wowed. Or you can expect nothing and still be surprised and wowed.
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