Resources

Since my last post, things in the US have only gotten worse. Militias in Michigan, COVID in the Whitehouse, wildfires in the West, hurricanes in the South, and dark money in the courts. In spite of all these patterns of destruction, I am beginning to see a different and more constructive path for myself and my community. I have acknowledged the turbulent patterns I cannot change. Now I can search for more useful patterns that are mine to influence. This journey from painful realization to dawning opportunity has not been easy, and it is far from complete. At this turn in the road, though, I want to share some of my emerging insights about our shared, emergent future.

To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science. Albert Einstein

In this week's HSD blog, Glenda Eoyang will explore what patterns in complex adaptive systems can teach us about the dangers of uncontrolled self-interest. She will also share some nonviolent ways to protect ourselves and each other from those dangers.

We talk about change as an orderly sequence from past through present and into future. That is not how most people experience change, though. The concept of ‘stretch and fold” is a better mirror for our experience of change in human systems. In this week’s post, Glenda explores the emergent nature and living paradox of transformation in complex systems.

In the 21st century, people are looking for ways to build coalitions and partnerships that make a difference in the world. Whether it’s corporate, non-profit, or governmental strategy, organizations and groups are realizing they can’t do it all. The challenges are too big. People, ideas, and needs are too diverse. More traditional ways of working together fall short as more people recognize the urgency of issues we face--climate change, social and economic disparities, ideological differences, globalization, and technological development.

We swim in a sea of noise. Images, words, sounds, and stories bombard us. Marketing tries to seduce us on city busses, bill boards, and buildings. News jumps from the black and white local newspapers. The 24-hour, almost unlimited, channels bring us news, shopping, stories, sports, and everything in between. Music, news, and talk radio keep us company wherever we go.

If you are like many of us working in fast-paced organizations, you most likely have no shortage of projects needing your attention. When the projects start piling up, you are faced with the difficult question of what to take on and what to put off. But the real challenge in making these decisions is that all these projects appear highly important or at least highly risky to avoid.