Making Artful Decisions

Recently I had the opportunity to design a decision making method for a group that I am working with.

I have really enjoyed the process and look forward to practicing it and inviting a level of coherence which draws on the wisdom of the whole to more groups and organizations.

The process itself has the working title, Heart Centric Consensus, and it is based largely on the standard consensus model, and in fact I took inspiration for the flow chart that I created from one that I found in the wikimedia library.

The flow of the process is anchored on a few key points which distinguish it from the standard model.

* Attunement to the context of the proposal is essential

* Proposals require a clear champion to carry them all the way through the process

* Modifications to a proposal create an iterative spiral which continues until full support is reached

* Utilizing circle technologies for valuing the wisdom of all parts within the whole

Within the techniques identified as “circle technologies” are the small group work of Heart Circles, as well as other communication techniques like the Zegg Forum, which helps to bring up and celebrate the personal intentions and motivations behind our choices thus distinguishing them information and factual based discussions; and fishbowl discussions which provide the advantage of small scale discussion within the presence of an entire larger group while also keeping a circulation of the oppurtunity to speak.

The role of assisting with the wisdom of the whole being heard in decision processes is a passion of mine so feel free to contact me and stay tuned for the evolution of this service and facilitation art.

ay

What Makes the World Go Around

. . . . if may not be money after . . . .

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As we continue to integrate the shift from the outdated, Cartesian/Newtonian thinking, towards a Holistic interconnected web of relationships, economic historian H. Thomas Johnson’s question seems a simple challenge point for a leap in consciousness:
“Why should accountants continue to believe that human organizations behave like machines if the scientists from whom they borrowed that mechanistic worldview now see the universe from a very different perspective?

It’s as if we are poised to collectively agree that it is not money, nor oil, nor any human achievement, however great, that turns our world.

As we apply the thinking of the Quadruple bottom line(more on the QBL, or 4 DEEP model soon), we are poised to integrate some of the concerns of Humanity’s champions.

In my recent study of chaordic organizational design I am reading Dee Hock’s book,
Birth of the Chaordic Age.

I am struck both by the relevance of his writing to this moment in human emergence as well as the integrity of his offerings.

To quote Dee Hock from Birth of the Chaordic Age;
“There can be no doubt that the people who control corporations should lead this odyssey [examining how corporations are and ought to be] in the most profound way. If they profess to be leaders they should, “go before and show the way”. Our challenge is to foster a regenerative model for transforming, “the tendency of corporations to increase the capitalization of gain on one hand and the socialization of cost on the other”.

A 4 Deep bottom line has cause for balancing it within the operating principles with measures for feedback and accountability. Another step on the quest is to research existing models and examples of success and willingness to implement regenerative principles.

The evolution of the corporate model itself seems a likely step, from the sort of “tribal identity” into that of a more fully networked open-system of mutual support and intersection.
Sounds a bit like Win-Win, doesn’t it?

Brent Cameron founder and author of SelfDesign suggests that “Family is the smallest unit of Humanity”, is it possible that an evolving Corporate model can serve as a unit of measure for Humanity on the Global scale?

Another reading resource on this topic is the book,
Sacred Commerce, by Ayman Sawaf & Rowan Gabrielle.

From the introduction;
“The central principle and “engine” of culture is no longer religion or politics, as was the case in the past. Like it or not, commerce has become the primary force propelling our species and human society forward. We are witnessing a commerce-centric (r)evolution, a whole new form of ‘conscious capitalism’, wherein business transactions the world over will become the main conduit of social and cultural evolution.”

infuse that with Bright Green, and we’re ready to live the Dream, albeit with an Honoring of All Beings, starting right here in the *gardens of Gaia.

* A deliberate play on words referencing Toby Hemenway’s highly recommended home-scale permaculture guide,
Gaia’s Garden.

Bright Green Design Solutions for a Win-Win World

I decided to do a little web research on the meme of Bright Green in order to feel out the field that I am emerging with, and also to ascertain if it is indeed the right tag.

I found some interesting links:

On Bright Green Leadership I found this site, http://www.brightgreenleadership.com/, with this set of five principles;
Bright Green Principles
” * A passion for solving environmental problems
* A positive vision of the future
* The conviction that business and technology can provide practical solutions
* The determination to use leadership to promote sustainability
* Increased profitability and employee engagement combined with a decreased carbon footprint “

I really resonate with the role of leadership. I was thinking about this in regards to global politics and the idea of modeling peace and a regenerative economy. Clearly in the United States we have a powerful opportunity, and some would say a responsibility to model a peaceful planetary solution. I am clearly called to participate in and promote cultivating the Culture of Peace.

In the process of fleshing out the idea for creating a repository for Bright Green start-ups as a Citizens Solution offering, I came up with this basic list of design priorities;
Bright Green Business
* Creates Jobs
* Regenerates Ecology
* Improves social conditions, quality of life
* Meets and helps to shape market demands
* Supports transition for existing infrastructure and business
* Is Education in Action

As far as taking on urban scale in China, this Wired article covers some of the depth of the challenges and opportunities in Bright Green design for the urban scale.

I would also like to see more retrofit designs and DIY (do it yourself) scale solutions, perhaps they would land in the same repository.

It probably was about four years ago when I first got turned on to Worldchanging, their tagline, “Another World is Here”, was and is music to my ears. I actually stopped tracking that site regularly before they printed the book and made major changes on the site. After a recent visit, seems like a powerful resource and growing, or should I say glowing, Bright Green.

The last stop on this brief tour of Bright Green potentials is an article written for What is Enlightenment? A Brighter Shade of Green Rebooting Environmentalism for the 21st Century
by Ross Robertson

That’s a great intro the Bright Green Meme, now let’s take it to the next level!

Liberty Gardens 2.0

As promised the thread on Bright Green economics continues here.

I’m inspired to be hearing the buzz around Liberty Gardens again. For those new to the term here is a little historical and emergent context check the blog link from the photo borrowed above, and more herehttp://www.libertygardens.com/.

There are many emergent expressions of this Bright Green, common sense approach. In our modern age something like Green City Growers model would serve a fair number more of our urban and suburban populations who might enjoy having another responsible steward care for their gardens. See what they’re up to in this Boston Globe article, Nourishing more than minds.

Another area for Liberty Gardens 2.0 which I need to do more research is the cultivation of indoor gardens for winter and cold climate regions. Other methods such as sprouting beans and seeds helps to keep the supply of fresh greens and enzymes on the table.

Whichever way we look at it, it seems like a bright idea to build more food security in our homes and communities, and to reward those with the initiative and the know how to make it happen by creating more jobs and programs to support them.