Apr 112011
 
Self-organizing groups increase resilience

Here’s something I can say for sure: self-organizing groups increase the resilience of group members and at least some nearby others. I experience this myself every time I’m part of a self-aware self-organizing group—both my own and others. This holds true across all 30 groups I’ve studied—from teacher and employee and consulting groups to friendship groups to milk carton derbys and flash mobs. Here’s an … [Read More]

 

I’ve witnessed the following organizational benefits studying self-organizing groups. To individuals (including me), these benefits sound too good to be true—especially all stacked together like this in a list. To self-organizing groups, though, they will feel familiar. Even if I’ve used slightly different words and language than you use in your environment, as a self-organizing group member, you can recognize these experiences as your own.

 

Continuing from previous blog. The last two things I see in these groups that helps them sustain themselves are that: 7. As a group, they rely on the group’s strengths (and notice that this is happening) Group members do this in the moment—sometimes talking about it and often not. Here are several examples I’ve seen in the groups I study and am part of: Members … [Read More]

 
Should outputs be expected from self-organizing work groups or does that pressure discourage the organic growth of them?

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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