Monthly Archives: February 2010

Hosting the Chaordic Organization

Written by . Posted on February 18, 2010. Filed under Retreat. No comments.

Toke Moller of the The Art of Hosting community recently posted a link to the Art of Hosting in chaordic design process.  A picture of the process, nearly identical to the Kaos Pilot project model, is found on the Chaordic site and linked here. 

A full description of the process is provided on Chaordic.org:

The chaordic design process has six dimensions, beginning with purpose and ending with practice. Each of the six dimensions can be thought of as a lens through which participants examine the circumstances giving rise to the need for a new organization or to reconceive an existing one.

Developing a self-organizing, self-governing organization worthy of the trust of all participants usually requires intensive effort. To maximize their chances of success, most groups have taken a year or more on the process. During that time, a representative group of individuals (sometimes called a drafting team) from all parts of the engaged organization or community meet regularly and work through the chaordic design process.

The steps involved in conceiving and creating a more chaordic organization are:

Develop a Statement of Purpose

The first step is to define, with absolute clarity and deep conviction, the purpose of the community. An effective statement of purpose will be a clear, commonly understood statement of that which identifies and binds the community together as worthy of pursuit. When properly done, it can usually be expressed in a single sentence. Participants will say about the purpose, “If we could achieve that, my life would have meaning.”

Peter Block on “A Small Group”

Written by . Posted on February 10, 2010. Filed under Retreat. No comments.

More at www.asmallgroup.net

And the slides from last month’s session by Mark and Dan:

Kaos Pilot Guide to Social Innovation

Written by . Posted on February 9, 2010. Filed under Retreat. No comments.

Design with Dialogue has hosted two Kaos Pilots in recent months, founder Uffe Elbaeck in October and Bruce Mau KP intern Jonas Skafte. We admit to being enchanted with their loosely-defined Chaordic project process and their action-oriented learning preference.

In recent discussions I have asserted the Kaos Pilot program is one of the best design thinking schools in the world. Perhaps it is the best pedagogy. Because if “design thinking” is ever going to reach beyond the abstractions of thinking and into the understanding of participation, it needs an arena of trial and performance. Their recent Social Innovation – A Travel Guide presents a series of guidelines, experiences, programs, and innovators in the SI landscape. Maybe you’re in there. We have posted it here with KP blessing.

The redesign-of-design now taking place in curricula around the world misses the point. The redesign of social change institutions, movements, and networks is an emergent process that evades easy designerly labels.  While graduate design and business education programs are attempting to fit social and systems transformation into their programs, no discipline is big enough to contain a people’s movement. We are compelled to participate, commit to action in communities and organizations, and learn and continue.  The KP project model places the Pilot in front of action by articulating Idea, Needs, Purpose, Values, Concept, Roles, Structure, Practices. Let their Travel Guide help you find the way.