Foresight "Group Genius" Weekend
Leaping the Abyss:
Putting Group Genius to Work
by
Gayle Pergamit and Chris Peterson
knOwhere Press, 1997
Table of Contents
"For what can the teeming molecules
that hustled themselves into self-reproducing metabolisms, the cells coordinating
their behaviors to form multicelled organisms, the ecosystems, and even
economic and political systems have in common? The wonderful possibility,
to be held as a working hypothesis, bold but fragile, is that on many fronts,
life evolves toward a regime that is poised between order and chaos. The
evocative phrase that points to this working hypothesis is this: life exists
at the edge of chaos. . . Networks in the regime near the edge of chaos--this
compromise between order and surprise--appear best able to coordinate complex
activities and best able to evolve as well."
-- Stuart Kauffman, At Home in the Universe
AUTHORS'
PREFACE
CHAPTER
I: Three Days: Collaborating at the Edge of Chaos
compressing time to action and generating orders of magnitude
returns. . . bringing collaboration out of conflict and a scarcity mentality.
. . the structure must evolve because structure wins. . . you must start
with the current "DNA" and go from there
CHAPTER
II: Gathering Genius
everything speaks. . . setting the tone in the music of
our lives and our work. . . folding many different perspectives and individuals
together in the work. . . employing a process to focus as much data and
energy as possible. . . creating a neutral space for discovery and interaction
CHAPTER
III: Freeing Time and Attention
shattering the limitations we accept about time. . . employing
techniques to provide the focus and discipline necessary for breakthrough
creativity. . . balance intensity, immersion, concentration, attention,
rhythm over time. . . executing multiple cycles of the creative process
leads to geometrically increasing returns
CHAPTER
IV: Prospecting at the Edge
learning to scan individually and in teams. . . stretching
mental muscles. . . employing a comprehensive toolkit instead of looking
for the silver bullet. . . you can't drive change and still be careful.
. . what it means to be in a design process
CHAPTER
V: Mapping the Terrain
the difference between scanning and planning. . . employing
the first half of the creative process for learning so that good decisions
can be made in the second half. . . the importance of managing knowledge.
. . increasing the flow of the data stream. . . using scanning to outframe
the situation
CHAPTER
VI: The Architecture of Collaboration
using changes in the physical environment as aids in making
mental leaps and emotional shifts. . . managing the environment so that
people become naturally and spontaneously creative, productive and cooperative
CHAPTER
VII: Facing the Abyss
creating the game. . . engendering collaboration. . . the
discipline of the change agent. . . the role of the facilitator. . . embracing
the risk of starting with a blank piece of paper. . . asking the right questions.
. . living with uncertainty, ambiguity, and paradox. . . embracing discomfort
as a precursor to fundamental change. . . solving problems instead of assuaging
conditions. . . getting out of the box by being a kid again
CHAPTER
VIII: Simplify by Increasing Complexity
employing complex metaphors to illuminate complicated problems.
. . using indirect and non-linear approaches to understanding complex systems.
. . understanding that the problem is so complex that it requires the consideration
of hundreds of options instead of just a few
CHAPTER
IX: Inventing the Problem
following the process of iteration: design, test and redesign.
. . avoiding a limited solution set. . . broadening the definition of the
problem. . . building models
CHAPTER
X: Magic Behind the Scenes
the science and art of facilitating the creative process.
. . flocking and swarming. . . exemplifying the behavior you want to see
established. . . supporting the creative process by being invisible. . .
being in the game as a collaborator, never an observer. . .
CHAPTER
XI: Tactical Planning at Warp Speed
making deep changes; avoid exhausting yourself in the little
changes. . . the art of assembling the high performing team. . . envisioning
the preferred future state and then bringing a little of the future back
to here every day
CHAPTER
XII: Designing the Ride
embracing wholeness in the process: there is no single point
or event that triggers the solution to precipitate. . . creating a balance
between scripting and improvisation. . . building a design for an event
instead of an agenda. . . using the scan focus act model as a template for
designing a session
CHAPTER
XIII: Giving up the Illusion of Control
how to sponsor a DesignShop. . . overcoming the fear of
embracing true collaboration without exerting control. . . letting the vision,
plan and the implementation emerge
CHAPTER
XIV: "The Future is Rational Only in Hindsight"
how to bring the results of a DesignShop back home. . .
structure wins. . . determining which structures to change in order to redirect
and loosen the hold of the status quo
AXIOMS
the assumptions underlying collaboration, creativity, planning,
and the emergence of enterprise
FURTHER
READING
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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