Replying to LO28472 --
Hello Mark, Alan and dear readers,
Today i learned that Prigogine warned that the maintenance of organization
in nature is not and cannot be acheived by central management; order can
only be maintained by self-organisation. He states that self-organizing
systems are superior to conventional human technology. The only difficulty
is that self-organizational systems have no goals or desired outputs!
There is no reference to intention. McWhinney adds that pro-moters of
self-organization have simply their own organizing purposes, although
perhaps anti-hierarchical - and therefore - because of the intention - are
unable to create what they want.
So we have to give up all hope for a self-organized system with a purpose,
with a goal, strategy or intention. Just let go, go with the flow and
watch how complex systems evolve.
I assume we have an inner most fear: that life has no purpose, no goal, no
meaning; that i'm alone. This would imply, that we have to define
ourselves, make ourselves a purpose, intention, goal, ethics and morale
and organize being in a group or organization. Our fears, our angst were
realized when we were very young and at that time our basic coping
mechanism was to split and project. The fears - of being alone, no food,
no shelter - are projected on other people and groups. Perhaps first on
our parents, the father would be a good object, and later on other
families, tribes, nations and races and finally to the world outside
ourselves as a whole. In doing so, we create, we realize goals, purposes,
intentions, ethics and organisations. Because we all do this, we get
feedback that this is the best way to behave, the culture to survive blah
blah blah. We're now beginning to realize that the only goal was to get
rid of the fears and by doing so only created an even bigger mess: now
we're afraid of others - who are just like us, have to work all day for a
manager and bosses we do not like - because we fear and distrust them -,
we fear being expelled from groups or organizations (fire!, fired!) and so
on and so on.
So: let go of all hope and we'll be liberated from hopelessnes; let go of
all intentions and we'll be free to organize; accept your fears of being
alone, vulnerable, doing wrong and an untimely death and you'll be free to
choose. Long way to go, still,
walk on - and you'll never walk alone -
Jan
Mark Spain wrote:
> Dear Alan
>
> Thank you for sharing this information and wisdom from the past. I am
> unsure that the history in Germany will be enough proof to change people's
> behaviour today in any country. Despite this I also share your enthusiasm
> for more participation.
>
> What structures in our organisations in 2002 will bring on participation
> if authoritarism still demonstrates success to our leaders and
> organisational architects?
--With kind regards - met vriendelijke groeten,
Jan Lelie
LOGISENS - Sparring Partner in Logistical Development mind@work est. 1998 - Group Resolution Process Support Tel.: (+31) (0)70 3243475 or GSM (car): (+31)(0)65 4685114 http://www.mindatwork.nl info@mindatwork.nl
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