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STEVEN CADY

Hope for the Future Working Together for a Better World

When we come together to play and be, we are truly ourselves. When we are truly ourselves, it is wonderful and when we act collectively in that wonder we do transformative work for our community and our world.

—Brad Colby

The sixty-one approaches described in this book are a testament to human ingenuity and the capacity to adapt. The founders and inventors of these methods share three important qualities. First, there is an unyielding commitment to creating a better world through engaging whole communities and organizations. Second, they believe that real wisdom, ingenuity, and know-how emerge through connecting all aspects of the system. Finally, each method is represented by a unique community of practice; advocates applying what they know while learning from, sharing with, and supporting each other. Some of these communities number in the tens of thousands and others are in the hundreds—it’s a lot of people.

This chapter is a place for me to share reflections from my experience with all the authors who contributed to this book. It is almost indescribable to express how different I am after seeing the world through their eyes. As I listen to their stories, read their writings, learn their approaches, and reflect, I come away with hope … hope for our future.

Early versions of this chapter were sent to various people for review and comments. A dialogue ensued and their feedback has shaped the ideas presented here. The conversation has begun. My desire is to effectively convey the inspirational and practical message that is collectively emerging, an important message with implications for each and all of us.

Hope and Despair

The number of crises and conflicts around the world—economic instability, unemployment, resource scarcity, terrorism, wars, ethnic divisions, oppression, natural disasters, climate changes, and more—is cause for hopelessness and despair. And the research is clear: Focus on the negative aspects long enough and things will only get worse with more blame, shortsighted solutions, cascading harm, and a serious drain of human energy. Positive psychology compels one to ask an important question, “What do we want more of?”¹

Explore amazing transformations around the world; you will find examples of resilience, innovation, healing, and abundant energy driven by people committed to seeing a better world. The practitioners of the methods in this book, the pioneers and masters, have dedicated much of their professional and personal lives to supporting organizations and communities in realizing their potential. Their stories are here to be witnessed. If we want more, then this is where we need to focus. Tom Atlee captured the spirit and challenge of our times when he wrote,

I’ve come to believe that things are getting better and better and worse and worse, faster and faster, simultaneously. And so I’ve found myself bouncing back and forth between optimism and pessimism. “Things are going to work out well.” Or: “There’s going to be real disaster!” It’s been really exhausting.²

Gather Together

Well then, what next? Professionals in our field are naturally focused outward. This makes sense when considering their passion and calling. I offer that it is time to focus inward as well. In addition to the work we do for a better world, consider what might be possible if we take care of our collective self.

Let’s put to practice one of the most common principles to all the methods—get our whole system into a room.

Imagine a place, a house with an amazing garden. Someone is on the roof, shoring up shingles. Another is inside, working on the wiring. There are people in the garden: watering, planting, pruning. There is a fire being put out on the front porch, while out back, someone is putting up a hammock between two trees. Still others are inside, teaching people to play music and dance the samba. They all share something—a desire to support a vibrant place to live. Each person, while making a unique skillful contribution, knows there are others with the same desire. Yet, they really have not talked much, if at all.

In this place, overlooking a golden pond, is an open-air veranda next to a kitchen where the most sumptuous meal is being prepared. A cool breeze flows through the kitchen and veranda … a tantalizing aroma begins to swirl around the house, through the garden, and among the woods. The meal is placed out on the veranda. One by one, the people come from all over. They sit and eat … conversations begin, connections are made. As time passes, a few people wander together through one of the house’s many archways. They sit together and talk, for the first time. Others meander through another archway. They play and share ideas. The conversation is fluid, kindred spirits gathering as a whole, forming small groups, fanning out through the archways like breath bringing oxygen to the lungs … back again to the whole, for more food, desserts, and nightcaps. They share, diverging and converging. On this day, in this moment, something different has occurred for each person and the whole place.

When we come together as a community of communities, it is possible to transcend consensus where ideas coalesce into a new coherence; in which people act, taking responsibility for what they love, based on the essential core that emerges. As we gather, it will be important to recognize our individuality and our unique contributions; and, in so doing, we can achieve more than we dreamed possible.

Our networked communities can be like a spinning flywheel. In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins describes a large disk about 30 feet in diameter, weighing 5,000 pounds, and mounted on an axle like a “spinning plate.” Each push on the flywheel moves it forward an inch, then another inch, and finally a full rotation. Over time, the flywheel spins faster and faster until a breakthrough is reached. Momentum takes over. Collins states,

Now suppose someone came along and asked, “what was the one big push that caused this thing to go so fast?” You wouldn’t be able to answer; it’s just a nonsensical question. Was it the first push? The second? The fifth? The hundredth? No! It was all of them added together in an overall accumulation of effort applied in a consistent direction. Some pushes may have been bigger than others, but any single heave—no matter how large—reflects a small fraction of the entire cumulative effect upon the flywheel.³

Each of the communities of practice has their own flywheel, and they can bring their momentum … their passion to the community of communities. Advances in the whole system methods and cutting-edge technology make such an assembly viable in a new way not possible just a few years ago. Today, practitioners are leveraging their methods by coming together with distance (online) and in-person (face-to-face) tools that facilitate synchronous and asynchronous collaboration (see table 1).⁴ Consider, for example, Spirited Work at the Whidbey Institute. Corporate folks, educators, artists, writers, musicians, computer wizards, architects, chefs, builders, consultants, students, and preschoolers have been able to stay connected over a significant period of time. They meet in-person four times a year and incorporate online tools to support their work together on projects, research, or long-term conversations and learning.⁵ This example demonstrates an important opportunity reminiscent of candlemakers of yore: Once the light bulb was created in 1879, things would never be the same again.⁶ The candlemakers had a choice, whether they realized it or not … and so do we.

The collective flywheel can be spun; converging and diverging, adding to the momentum, creating sustainable follow-through. It is through the blending of on-line and in-person technologies that “follow-through” transforms into “flow.” Change becomes a constant source of positive energy supporting the natural rhythm of collaboration.⁷

	In-Person	Distance
Synchronous	• Meetings • Conferences • Summits • Classes • Conversations • Flip charts • Hugs and high-fives	• Chat • Webinars • eClasses • Video and phone • Discussion boards • Brainstorm and vote
Asynchronous	• Voting—ballots • Surveys • Suggestion boxes • Group murals and visuals • Bulletin boards • Sign-up sheets • Notes	• Blogs (weblogs) • E-mails • Podcasts and vodcasts • Articles and books • Discussion boards • Surveys • Project lists • Libraries

Table 1. Ways to Spin Our Flywheel

In addition, we can use our expertise to advance the methods as we do our work. Yes, shape our future with our own tools, and in the process invent whole new ways to support system-wide change. How much further might we go? What might we as users uncover that will inform practice, research, and education? What is our common ground? Let’s embrace the possibilities and spin the flywheel with two initiatives:

1. initiate a distance conversation supported with on-line tools, and

2. create a space for an in-person gathering (e.g., a conference).

As this book took shape, the notion of coming together emerged. In fall 2006, a group of people brought the various communities of practice together with online tools. This virtual conversation was designed to flow into an in-person conference at Bowling Green State University in Ohio set for March 2007, and to continue from there. Perhaps even as you read this book a networked community of practice will be making a difference.⁸ What follows below are some initial convening questions and ideas to consider.

Claim Our Identity—Our Field

Our identity, in many ways, provides a focal point that enables greater coherence. There is not yet a consensus as to what to call this work. Labels like large-scale change, large group interventions, and large group methods, exist, but there is a wide-open space—a vacuum if you will—in the world that is yet to be claimed. It’s time to claim that space intentionally, with the nimble vigor that embodies the wisdom of our field and founders. Marvin Weisbord wrote in his book Productive Workplaces,

What are corporate alternatives to rain dancing on the crest of the third wave? … I want to describe an extremely promising method for getting whole systems in one room and focusing on the future—the search conference. Like so many workplace innovations, its origins are traceable to creative extensions of Kurt Lewin’s insight that you steer a ship by feedback from outside, not by how the rudder, engines, or crew are behaving. Innovators in both Europe and the United States began extending Lewin’s work to larger systems many years ago, responding to the psychological stresses of accelerating change.⁹

We need a clear label toward which to direct our attention and energy. Recent research looking at twenty years of publications in practitioner and scholarly periodicals has shown a consistent use of words like whole, system, change, and transformation.¹⁰ In addition, the notion of the “whole system” is inclusive and connected to our historical roots as seen in Weisbord’s words above.

Here are some questions to consider with regard to identity:

• What is our intention? Who are we?

• What space do we claim? How do we want to be recognized?

• What do we want to call ourselves? What label do we choose?

• What is the case that we can make for the value we add; a case that calls people to learn and practice the methods?

• Are we effectively communicating our work and our field to various audiences around the world?

• What is the connection between the value of our field and the public good?

• How can we craft an image that helps the world to find us and get our support?

• How can we make our work more accessible to more of the world?

• What else might you add?

Innovate New Ways

The approaches are evolving, as evidenced by the sheer increase in methods described in this second edition. Since the first edition, the authors have enhanced their approaches, both deepening their practice and inventing new applications. There is a spirit of innovation in the air. Edie Seashore describes how our future can be seen through our invention of new methods and ways for change.¹¹ And, as we innovate, Kathie Dannemiller¹² and Billie Alban¹³ encourage us to build on the shoulders of those who have come before us. Together, they are imploring us to leap forward by taking the methods to new places and embracing new ways of thinking and being.

Consider the following questions:

• What have we learned thus far … what do we know?

• What are we yearning to know more about?

• What does the world need right now and what can we innovate to better serve those needs? What can be anticipated?

• What is emerging as our methods take communities and organizations to new heights?

• What happens next when an organization or community embraces the methods, embodies its fundamentals, and develops an advanced sophistication?

• How can we share our learning so that we can accelerate the development of robust approaches?

• How might we blend our in-person practices with online technologies?

• What else might you add?

Advance Theory and Research

There is emerging evidence to support the validity of whole system change methods. One challenge is that the approaches tend to draw from diverse and esoteric domains like small groups, chaos, quantum physics, psychology, biology, education, anthropology, organizational behavior, marketing, theater, leadership, urban planning, sociology, therapy, music, religion, organizational design, art, economics, spirituality, strategic planning, and more. Christopher Worley and Ann Feyerherm conducted interviews with pioneers in the field of organization development and found that

the most frequently mentioned theme was that the field needed to avoid getting trapped into a reliance on fads and techniques. Almost half of the comments were derisive in tone, including “less prescriptive, faddish people not knowing what they are doing” and “less jumping on every trendy notion that comes along.” In addition, this theme also included admonitions to continue using classic design skills and traditional (but effective) processes.¹⁴

We have such a rich setting for conducting research and developing theory. Through interdisciplinary scholarship we can develop a rigorous research agenda that not only validates what we know, it can provide the impetus for something new in a way that pleasantly surprises a few people.

When considering research and theory, how can we …

• gather together the existing knowledge so that we have a comprehensive view of the current state of the research and theory for our field?

• propose intellectually compelling questions?

• build a unifying theory? Is it even possible?

• develop the necessary skills to conduct research?

• use appropriate methods for the research questions we ask?

• make a strong case for the robust nature of methods through encouraging research and theory development as critical to our field?

• differentiate effective methods from fads or gimmicks?

• craft a theory that lends itself to a practice-oriented research agenda?

• What else might you add?

Educate—Educate—Educate

Learning to practice the methods is much more than an intellectual or cognitive exercise. It is a whole “get it in your bones” experience and a key component of a thriving community of practice. As we attract more and more people to this work, they yearn to learn. This can be seen with students—from those beginning their career to those who have been working for many years. They get excited by the possibilities and ask, How can I learn more? Where do I go? What is the best way to gain experience? Who do I talk to? Learning is also important for people living the change. For example, Dick and Emily Axelrod make a case with Collaborative Loops for developing internal capability so that people in the organizations and communities can design their own change process. The key feature of the methods is the focus on engagement principles and less on specific techniques.¹⁵ Such a shift in focus can be seen among many of the methods that exist today.

Some possibilities to consider are:

• What is the best way to tap into the wisdom of the masters and benefit from their expertise?

• What are the most effective learning methods, course designs, and curricula structure for developing competencies?

• How might we use the principles of the methods in the design of curricula and other educational initiatives?

• What role can distance learning play?

• How can mentoring, and other models such as apprenticeship, support learning?

• What about ensuring quality and accountability (e.g., certification, college courses, training, research)?

• How might we support curriculum in K–12 and higher education?

• How can we get this body of knowledge and practice into core curricula such as business, organization development, human resource management, educational leadership, urban planning, political science, law, communication, educational leadership, and management?

• What else might you add?

The Nexus

The ideas and questions posed highlight three perspectives or “hats”: those of the practitioner, researcher, and educator. Some people wear one or two of the hats, while others wear all three. Widen the circle. There is also a role for a leader, an activist or change agent that is different from the three hats mentioned. Broaden the circle further to include diverse fields and applications, then go broader still.

One way to think of the intersection is as the scholarship of engagement.¹⁶ True scholarship brings the three main perspectives together to address relevant world issues that contribute to the public good. Interestingly enough, Action Research was an early departure from the expert model that has dominated consulting and academia. Kurt Lewin advocated a partnership among this intersection in order to create new knowledge by experimenting with how to bring about the changes most desired.¹⁷

Some intersecting questions to consider are:

• What is the community of communities looking to accomplish?

• How can we ask relevant and significant questions collectively?

• How do the perspectives intersect?

• What are ways to ensure that our aims are realistic?

• How can this intersection guide our future work?

• What new possibilities are emerging from our shared experience?

• What criteria shall we use to assess the impact of our methods?

• In what ways have the intersections gone through changes together, informing each other “real-time” along the change journey?

• How can we articulate and use what we are learning and developing together?

• What else might you add?

A Call to Action

We have a unique opportunity and an obligation to create more coherence in order to facilitate progress. If you have been to various conferences, workshops, and symposiums on the change related subjects, you can appreciate how comfortable practitioners and scholars tend to be with keeping things “open-ended.” It is time that we take the very principles and practices used to guide our work and apply them to our field.

Several people, wearing the different hats, were asked to review this chapter and provide their advice. The box in this section provides selected quotes that capture the essence of the conversation that has begun. In reading their advice and listening to observations, something subtle emerges. There is concern and consternation, juxtaposed with enthusiasm and inspiration. Regardless, the comments have an important undertone of urgency—a call to action. It’s not about withdrawing or being nice; it’s about “putting a stake in the ground.” Wayne Dyer makes an observation that can be related to this sentiment, “change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.”¹⁸ His words are compelling. STOP… BREATHE…take a look at how we think, how we decide what we want, and what we do to get there. Consider the following adaptation of his words:

If we want to change the world, then we need to change the way we are changing.

A different kind of leadership is necessary to bring the field together. It is a collective action in which together we can be that “strange attractor” that broadens the web of connections around what is possible when people are engaged. Something special happening in our world and the more we advance our field, the more the world will benefit. We can do it … and we can do it now.

In addition to the people mentioned above that provided invaluable guidance and quotes for this chapter, I would like to thank Dick Axelrod, Juanita Brown, Margaret Casarez, Amanda Day, Jenna Encheff, John Hine, Cheryl Honey, Warren Lieberman, David Sibbet, Kate Siner, Christine Valenza, and Chris Worley.

1. J. E. Gillham, ed., The Science of Optimism and Hope: Research Essays in Honor of Martin E. P. Seligman (Radnor, PA: Templeton Foundation Press, 2000). See also M.E.P. Seligman, Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment (New York: Free Press, 2002).

2. Tom Atlee, Co-Intelligence Institute, www.co-intelligence.org/crisis_fatigue.html.

3. Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t (New York: HarperCollins, 2001), 165.

4. Jon Kennedy and Brian King provided valuable insight for the table to ensure it represented the various tools and technologies available, July 2006.

5. See chapter 9 (Open Space Technology) for more on the Spirited Work example. See also chapter 59 (Online Environments for Supporting Change) for more information on the possibilities for blending online with in-person approaches.

6. Ralph and Terry Kovel, “Light Bulb Set Lamp Designers Free,” The News & Observer [Raleigh-Durham, NC], July 29, 2006, 12E.

7. Marie Miyashiro, e-mail exchange with Steven Cady, July 2006. See chapter 8 (Integrated Clarity).

8. Find out more at www.thechangehandbook.com.

9. Marvin R. Weisbord, “Inventing the Future: Search Strategies for Whole Systems Improvement,” Productive Workplaces: Organizing and Managing for Dignity, Meaning, and Community (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1987), 281–282. See also Weisbord’s Productive Workplaces Revisited: Dignity, Meaning, and Community in the 21st Century (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004).

10. Steven H. Cady and Lisa Hardalupas, “A Lexicon for Organizational Change: Examining the Use of Language in Popular, Practitioner, and Scholar Periodicals,” Journal of Applied Business Research 15, no. 4 (1999): 81–94.

11. Edith W. Seashore, closing plenary at Organization Development Network (ODN) Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2000.

12. Kathie Dannemiller, chapter 11 (Whole-Scale Change).

13. Billie T. Alban and John J. Scherer, “On the Shoulders of Giants: The Origins of OD,” in Practicing Organization Development: A Guide for Consultants, 2nd ed., edited by William J. Rothwell and Roland Sullivan (Hoboken, NJ: Pfeiffer, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2006).

14. Christopher G. Worley and Ann E. Feyerherm, “Reflections on the Future of Organization Development,” Journal of Applied Behavioral Science 39, no. 1 (March 2003): 103.

15. See chapter 6 (Collaborative Loops).

16. To find out more, go to www.scholarshipofengagement.org.

17. Marvin Weisbord, e-mail exchange with Steven Cady, July 2006. See also Steven Cady, “A DIET for Action Research,” Organization Development Journal 18, no. 4 (Winter 2000): 79–93.

18. Wayne Dyer, The Power of Intention (Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2004), back jacket cover copy.

19. See also chapters 22 (Evolutions of Open Systems Theory) and 35 (Search Conference).

20. See also chapter 52 (The Cycle of Resolution).

21. See also chapter 20 (Human Systems Dynamics).

22. Jon Kennedy, e-mail exchange with Steven Cady, July 2006.

23. Harrison Owen, e-mail exchange with Steven Cady, July 2006.

24. See also J. Stavros and C. Torres, Dynamic Relationships Unleashing the Power of Appreciative Inquiry in Daily Living (Chagrin, OH: Taos Institute, 2005).

25. See also chapter 31 (Web Lab).

26. Steven Mercer, e-mail exchange with Steven Cady, July 2006.

27. See also chapter 33 (Future Search).

28. Barbara Bunker and Billie Alban, e-mail exchange with Steven Cady, July 2006.