Monday Morning Coffee – Riding this wave of Transformation

Good Morning!

My Father Harrison Owen wrote a book published in October of 2010 entitled Wave Rider: Leadership for High Performance in a Self Organizing World

The link is to the Amazon.com page where you’ll find a couple of great reviews summarizing many of his ideas.

The primary premise being one that “Everything is self-organizing” . . . and that for us to achieve High Performance, we should probably quit struggling and learn how to ride the wave rather than attempting to control it.

This was certainly a timely book in October 2008 and NOW and likely at all times past and future.

As we all face the prospect of the good ole USA potentially “Defaulting on obligations”, I often think of this book and wish that I could:

• “Pause the game” in Washington, DC
•  Have the President and all members of the House and the Senate read this book.
• Then invite the whole bunch of them into a 5 day Open Space Technology meeting to let them explore the issues and opportunities they face with respect to the National debt and budget.

I have little question that if this were done, better solutions would emerge within a week.

I believe that high performance shows up when “Natural flow” is present . . .

This requires us to understand that we cannot control the wave  . . .

We CAN engage the wave and through self-organizing learn to RIDE the wave.

People who “find their groove” get it.

While I know that doing such a thing in Washington might be an impossible mission to accomplish – akin to attempting to herd kittens, I do know that we CAN positively influence folks within our reach . . . and that LOCAL matters more these days . . . We can come together on a local level and ride this wave.

May 5 of this year, I invited the REALTOR community to a full day conference (in Open Space) . . . and combined it with a “Trade Show” in which mostly real estate related businesses (Lenders, Title companies, Home Warranty Companies, etc) participated. The Businesses could peddle their wares AND were welcome to participate in the proceedings.

We called this event the “Nashville Real Estate Consortium”

The intent was to throw everyone in the space together and let them self-organize . . . It WORKED!

Many folks have asked for another such event, and I promised to do it annually.

3 months later, the demand seems to be there another event sooner. World events, the National Economy, and Local goings on have all created enough angst that I sense a craving for a way to connect more local people at a deeper level to explore issues and opportunities we all face.

So . . . (Drum Roll)

November 4, 2011 we’re going to have another consortium:

The Nashville Local Business Consortium – Riding the Wave of Transformation

We’re inviting the entire community (not just REALTORS – although they will be invited) and are especially interested in participation of Locally owned and operated businesses.

As we begin planning, we need only 2 things:

• A suitable location for what I believe will be 250-300 people.
• Local Business sponsors – will get to have a booth to display in the trade show and will be able to participate. Funds from these sponsorships will fund the event – Any excess money will be donated to charity.

If you know of any businesses or organizations you think might benefit by participating in this event, send’m to me.

Keep on riding this wave of transformation – Don’t get yourself caught in the undertow 🙂

Just sayin’

Best,

b

(That was TWO cups of coffee today)