Hi Cathy, I just got back from a 4-day, technology-free vacation at the Sleeping Lady Lodge near Leavenworth with the women of my book club. Nice to get away with girlfriends! Thank you for asking these four questions and prompting me to reflect on our time together at lunch last week. My own self-organizing groups always do this for me (and always ask the best … [Read More]
Self-organizing groups are—themselves—leaders. They are different—new to many of us—and the people within them, and close to them, notice. One difference is that everybody within the group is a leader and a follower. Also, many nearby others and observers of the group are also leaders—especially those who decide to slow down and pay attention to the group because they notice that it’s different. Certainly those … [Read More]
Last week I spoke to three groups at the International Society for Performance Improvement annual conference about how to rapidly foster self-organizing work groups. First attendees identified their own self-organizing groups by writing down the names of people and groups who came immediately to mind for them in response to the following statements: I get more from the group’s spontaneity than I do from my … [Read More]
Well, my Steelers lost. Sigh. Continuing from Sustaining a self-organizing group for 20+years (1 of 3) From my perspective, this 20-year long, 100+ member group appears to sustain itself because the group is contagious (in a good way). Group members themselves are drawn to it, and the group draws nearby others to it as well. Together group members: Keep learning. Within this group, members appear … [Read More]
How do you evolve a planned group into a self-organizing work group? It’ll look a bit different for everyone, but for me it appears to be mostly about letting go as an individual. Let go of the individual plans you thought you needed. Let go of the group or people you thought you needed. Pay attention to the people who always show up to talk about what matters most to you (particularly to those who show up for you again and again). Who are they? What does that diverse group have in common? What’s making all of you give up your time with your individual work, families, and lives to be together? What’s drawing you together? That’s where your self-organizing work group lives.
If you’re familiar with this subject, let me know what it means to you. Here are my current thoughts. Self-organizing work groups are spontaneous groups, created from within, to accomplish work of the moment. Regardless of how the group may appear to have started, groups come fully into the self-organizing space the moment group members recognize that they: get more from the group’s spontaneity than … [Read More]
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