Mopsos

In this book, which you can download on the KnowledgeBoard, Harrison Owen draws a parallel between his own experience as the creator of Open Space Technology and his readings about Complex Adaptative Systems from Murray Gell-Mann, the physicist, and self-organizing structures from Stuart Kaufmann, the biologist.

In the world of physics, biology and social sciences, it appears for him that the process of self-organizing is central to reach « Peace », which Harrison defines as « wholeness, health and harmony »

« Given very simple pre-conditions, the process of self-organization commences :
1. A relatively safe, nutrient environment
2. High level of diversity of elements, and the potential for complex inter-relationships
3. A drive for improvement (Search for Fitness)
4. Sparse prior connections
5. Edge of chaos »

Harrison Owen : « Genuine leadership is rarely, if ever, a function of title, position or authority. Indeed one may have all of those, and absent passion and responsibility, not very much gets done. »

It’s a very intriguing book, which resonates with my personal experience as well. This general idea that breakthough solutions to problems are only born within « open spaces », providing the pre-conditions mentioned above. These are the places where people from very different backgrounds sharing a common goal can establish connections and « sit in a circle ».

This is indeed what I have been experiencing over and over again in my career for the past 20 years (yikes!), and the very reason why I believe communities of practice are so important. As soon as somebody takes control of a group of people « deluding himself into thinking that he is in charge », then all creativity is stiffled, the atmosphere becomes stuffy, and the company dies. Corporate bureaucracy is the direct result of corporate messianism, the cult of the manager-hero who will save the company through hard work, outstanding decision-making skills, and, of course, ability to « keep everything under control ». Thus the potential for breakthrough innovation is eliminated in favor of a culture of « process optimization ».

The seemingly unending willingness of human beings to obey orders truly is fascinating.

John Kao , in another old, yet brilliant, article uses a more mundane, but similar concept : « I knew, in my own bones, that innovation happens in places. There’s a reason why artists have studios. There’s a reason why in Hollywood the work happens in protected enclaves where you have to go through a guard’s gate and have a pass to get onto a studio lot. »

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