Emotus "The Book"

Everything that shines creates a shadow and every shadow points to a source of light.

An important first step in finding balance is looking at the shadow side of elements that appear largely positive. The question is what happens when you have too much of a good thing. What are some of the symptoms that we are slipping beyond the healthy balance point – slipping into unhealthy obsession?

The following provocative questions are meant to start a conversation that goes beyond the simplistic “either / or” thinking that is too common in our current culture. The same post is available on FreePencil and we would love for you to become a collaborator there (see below).

What are the first signs that “being of service to others” is turning into being a martyr?

What are the first signs that a focus on “fair compensation” is turning into greed?

What are the first signs that “holding a vision” is turning into living a delusion?

What are the first signs that “being practical” is really just inventing excuses to avoid doing the scary stuff you know you should?

What are the first signs that “planning” is turning into an excuse to avoid actually doing anything?

What are the first signs that “being action-oriented” is really just an excuse to avoid looking at the big picture and whether your actions are really having any impact?

What are the first signs that “compassion” is actually condescension?

What are the first signs that “independence” is actually just an illusion of separation / ego-gratification?

What are the first signs that “helping” is actually co-dependence?

What are the first signs that “tough love” is actually indifference?

What are the first signs that “building collaboration” is actually avoiding responsibility?

What are the first signs that “differentiation” is actually building artificial barriers?

Next section - is currently being written.

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We are looking for collaborators on this project. There are several ways you can get involved.

If you would like a chance to talk about the ideas we are developing, join the Facilitator Seminar - a free regular web-meeting to discuss concepts in the book.

We are developing the book on FastPencil - an online writing collaboration tool. If you would like to be added as a collaborator on the book, visit the project site AND please send an email to me (ben@emotusoperdi.com) – the technology can be buggy.

And, of course, you can leave comments here or on our Facebook Page.

Emotus "The Book"

I resisted writing this book for several years because it seemed like the last thing the world needed was yet another self-help / business management / “you should” book. I have personally developed a case of bibliophobia that causes heart palpitation’s and cold sweats when people tell me about yet another book I should read. I didn’t want to contribute to more insecurity and OCD behavior.

Likewise, the idea that I had much to add to the current debate seemed egotistical. The elements people need to create happy, productive, thriving lives are already available “out there” in countless books, blogs, or workshops, not to mention in most of the great philosophical and spiritual traditions. Most of the ideas you will encounter here aren’t new. In fact, it’s likely that you have already read similar things in other books or blogs.

But I was consistently disappointed that:

1. Good ideas are too often presented or interpreted as THE magic “silver bullet”
2. There is a surprising lack of interest in integrating potentially contradictory advice
3. There is a nearly complete lack of critical self-reflection on “best practices”

All of this combines to create an environment that is flooded in information but lacking true knowledge – and almost devoid of real wisdom. Deep economic and sociological shifts are disrupting old, taken-for-granted ways of navigating the world and the “new normal” still eludes us. This environment presents very real dangers. The creative and productive capacity of intelligent, committed, passionate people is largely being wasted in the frenetic chase after passing fads and “secrets to success” that are appealing but ultimately ineffective. In a world facing significant economic, environmental and social challenges, we can’t afford to keep wasting our most important nature resource.

This book attempts to correct that situation by applying critical thinking to a wide variety of “how to” advice currently circulating. The work reported here is the result of an on-going discussion of practitioners from a variety of perspectives coming to together to ask “what do we know to be true and how do we know it?”

We started with a few provocative propositions:

1. All perspectives hold valuable yet partial pieces of the puzzle.
2. Social systems are dynamic, therefore effective solutions must navigate dynamic tensions – oppositional forces requiring balance rather than simplistic solutions that ignore (at least) half of reality.
3. Much of what we think we know is wrong AND much of what we actually know is hidden from view until brought to light though reflection

With that in mind, we began to put together an integrated, dynamic model that could help practitioners develop a deeper understanding of the process of transformational change. Our goal here is to begin the discussion and keep it moving forward, not to provide the final, definitive recipe for success.

Next section

_____________________________

We are looking for collaborators on this project. There are several ways you can get involved.

If you would like a chance to talk about the ideas we are developing, join the Facilitator Seminar – a free regular web-meeting to discuss concepts in the book.

We are developing the book on FastPencil – an online writing collaboration tool. If you would like to be added as a collaborator on the book, visit the project site AND please send an email to me (ben@emotusoperdi.com) – the technology can be buggy.

And, of course, you can leave comments here or on our Facebook Page.

Emotus "The Book"

This book is written for and by people who are striving to create and support high-functioning, thriving teams and inviduals who are working on deep transformational change. It is written for hard-headed dreamers and idealistic pragmatists. This describes a large and growing group of professionals who, unfortunately, lack a common shared identity and tend to practice in isolation. It includes coaches, facilitators and team leaders; internal champions and project managers. It includes people who are coming from an organizational development perspecive and others focused on personal development. It includes people who are trying to make work meaningful and others who are trying to make their meaningful goals work.

In short, it describes an army of people who believe we can do better: that we can lead happier, healthier, more meaningful, and more sustainable lives and that the work we do in the world is an important part of a life well-lived.

This army of intelligent, passionate, hard working people is, for the most part, struggling to have the impact that we know we can have. Many free lancers spend more time on the never-ending challenges of business development, technical support, and administrivia, than doing the actual work. Others are imbedded in organizations, struggling against the huge inertial forces protecting the status quo. And all of us are struggling to make sense of the constant torrent of often contradictory, always changing ideas about “best practices,” “success tips” and “flavors of the month.”

This book represents a different approach to both the topic and to book writing. Emotus Operandi convened an on-going online Facilitators Seminar with one focusing question: what do we really know? The results of that (still continuing) discussion are captured in this book. Our goal was to avoid the fads that come and go and the partial truths that capture the imagination but fail to gain traction in the real world. Instead, we go below the surface to start to identify consistent patterns in the change process, their trigger points, and the most effective interventions to re-focus and re-energize the process.

The results will challenge some people. We are not writing for people who are looking for better ways to build or sell widgets. We don’t offer a simple “how to” or fool-proof formula for success. There are already more than enough books offering suggestions on SEO optimization or using social media to drive more sales. Instead, we are more likely to challenge some assumptions of what constitutes success in the first place.  And we are not writing for people who are looking for magical solutions to complex problems. We agree with Arthur C. Clark that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” and take up the challenge of advancing the technologies of social interaction to unlock it seemingly magical potentail.

As a result, we won’t simply provide a menu of interventions and techniques assuming that all approaches are equally valid or effective. Instead, we attempt to identify the dynamic tensions at work and provide tools that can help move groups and individuals navigate back to that ellusive balance point where passion and action meet to have a real, positive impact in the world. We attempt to provide a deeper theoretical foundation and the implications the theory has for practice.

Finding that balance requires wading into murky water and embracing the “both/and” nature of life as adventure. We might be wrong sometimes, but we are willing to risk being transparent and exposing our errors as a way to advance the state of the art beyond the the fads and “best practices” approach that is currently the norm. As Art Williams says, “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.”

Next section

_____________________________

We are looking for collaborators on this project. There are several ways you can get involved.

If you would like a chance to talk about the ideas we are developing, join the Facilitator Seminar - a free regular web-meeting to discuss concepts in the book.

We are developing the book on FastPencil - an online writing collaboration tool. If you would like to be added as a collaborator on the book, visit the project site AND please send an email to me (ben@emotusoperdi.com) – the technology can be buggy.

And, of course, you can leave comments here or on our Facebook Page.

Emotus "The Book"

There is a natural human desire for certainty and predictability. This is balanced by a similar urge towards curiousity and learning. In a balanced system, the drives guide an organism to navigate a changing environment by preserving habits that seem to “work” and innovating where current efforts aren’t bringing the desired outcomes.

Unfortunately, we currently live in a decidedly unbalanced system. Broad social forces, from the educational system to advertising, to economic insecurity trigger fears that in turn activate a stronger need for certainty. The result: more people willing to buy more snake oil and an endless supply of people willing to sell it.

Here is the simple truth – there is no simple recipe for material success if that success is seen as greater than average wealth. If there were, everyone would do it and it would, through market forces, cease to be effective. There are, however, time-tested ways to increase happiness and effectiveness in a changing environment. Basically, these involve learning to learn, being responsive (not reactive), and embracing the process (not getting stuck on the outcomes).

Throughout the book we will make suggestions about particular tools or interventions, or ways to make sense of a particular situation. These are always intended as ways to stack the deck in your favour. It is your job as a reader to resist the urge to read these suggestions as some sort of magic bullet that can be slavishly followed to guarantee that the goals you set are the goals you achieve.

Likewise, we explicitly recognize the role of practice and mastry in lasting success. Conceptual knowledge of techniques is an important first step, but the effective application of techniques requires a developmental process, focused practice and time. As the Zen saying goes, “enlightenment happens instantly after years of practice.” To many people in contemporary society want the enlightenment moment without the hard work. The ability to specialize has, in fact, been one of the lasting gifts of an advanced industrial economy – a gift that is currently at risk in the transition to a distributed information economy. By extension, the advantages of specialization suggest the need for new ways to collaborate in an increasingly fragmented economy.

We invite you to engage the book in the same spirit in which is was created: value learning over knowing; ask if it resonates with your experience and if not, how can you experience add to the discussion; be self-critical and self-aware – know your own biases and assuptions; and apply the suggestions here in a spirit of experimentation and learning. In other words, join us in the adventure.

Next section

_____________________________

We are looking for collaborators on this project. There are several ways you can get involved.

If you would like a chance to talk about the ideas we are developing, join the Facilitator Seminar - a free regular web-meeting to discuss concepts in the book.

We are developing the book on FastPencil - an online writing collaboration tool. If you would like to be added as a collaborator on the book, visit the project site AND please send an email to me (ben@emotusoperdi.com) – the technology can be buggy.

And, of course, you can leave comments here or on our Facebook Page.

Emotus "The Book"

In The Omnivour’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan visits and describes a grass farm in Virginia. The idea behind a grass farm is deceptively simple: since everything on the farm depends ultimately on the grass, the farmer’s job is to manage the farm in such a way as to promote the healthiest grass possible. From this relatively simple premise, though, develops a radical approach to farming. The farm is treated as a dynamic process of interrelated and interdependent parts.

In practical terms, it means that the cows are frequently rotated between fields. If the cows are left in a field too long, they will overgraze on their favourite grasses first, leaving gaps in fields biodiversity. But if they are left there the right amount of time, they will nibble the choices types of grass which, ironically, spurs the grass on to healthy rebounding growth. In other words, both the cows and the grass win.

A few days after the cows have grazed, chickens are brought in. The chickens, it turns out, love the grubs that hatch in cow manure about 4 days after, well, being deposited. So the chickens feast on the grubs, gaining protein and nutrients, reducing the parasites that could make the cows sick, and simultanesouly scatter the cow pies so that the organic matter is spread evenly over the field. And in the process, the chickens leave a layer of their own nutrient rich manure. Again, if the chickens were allowed to stay too long, the nitrogen in their poop would burn the grass to death. So, the cows, chickens, and grass all win.

After a while, the grass has gone through the blaze – a short, intense regrowth period following the cow’s nibbly-bits and the field is actually healthier than before and ready to be regrazed by the cows again. The cows, chickens, and grass are healthier. There has been no need to burn gas to import corn produced miles away through the use of petro-chemical fertilizers and pesticides to feed the cows and chickens. There is no need to dose the cows or chickens to keep them healthy. There is no need to “deal with” the chicken and cow manure, which is often treated as toxic waste in conventional farming operations. The eggs and meat produced on the farm is also healthier and more nutritious.

The actual farm is far more complex when you start to bring in the pigs, the woods, seasons, and an interesting thing you can do with apples, and the worl of a grass farmer is more complex than a conventional farmer. They have to understand the interpendent cycles and make sure that everyone is where they need to be at the right time. They must understand not just cows or chickens or grass, but the subtle interconnections between them all. Our linear minds often balk at these sorts of examples. They seem needless confusing and complicated. But in that complexity lies power – the power to more closely map the reality of the real-life, living system that we humans inhabit.

In particular, the model highlights a few things that we see as key to working with the dynamics in any living system, whether they are an individual, team, or culture. 1) Work with naturally occurring desires / impulses. 2) Recongize the need to balance dynamic tensions. 3) Look for interconnections. 4) Understand the role of time and cycles in development. 5) Focus on structures that channel the flow of energy.

Next section

_____________________________

We are looking for collaborators on this project. There are several ways you can get involved.

If you would like a chance to talk about the ideas we are developing, join the Facilitator Seminar - a free regular web-meeting to discuss concepts in the book.

We are developing the book on FastPencil - an online writing collaboration tool. If you would like to be added as a collaborator on the book, visit the project site AND please send an email to me (ben@emotusoperdi.com) – the technology can be buggy.

And, of course, you can leave comments here or on our Facebook Page.

Emotus "The Book"

Our current worldview is dominated by linear, either/or thinking. This is, in part, a legacy of the anlytic tradition that recongized that the natural world in its full, rich complexity is too complex for the human brain to comprenend as a whole. So scientists and philosophers developed a method for breaking the whole into smaller and smaller parts so that we could focus our attention on the particulars. This technique has lead to incredible breakthroughs in our understanding of everything from the big bang to microchips.

According to Newberg, et al., either/or thinking is also a legacy of some of our cognitive processing systems. Human brains have developed a few unique cognitive functions -the ability to categorize, cause and effect, counting, etc. – and like a kid with a new toy, our brains have a strong drive to always apply these operators even when they aren’t particularly helpful. This tendency leads to superstitious thinking when a random coicidence is misconstrued as cause and effect. It also leads to a prefence for either/or thinking in situations when both/and thinking is more helpful.

The scientists and researchers who are on the forefront of any given field are usually the first to recognize the limits of their analytical approach. Unfortunately, the same perspective which is hammered home in advanced training in the scientific method is remarkable rare in modern society. In fact, most of our culture structures emphasize the binary – politics that present the world in left vs. right terms, cultural identities that emphasis us vs. them, education that focuses on right vs. wrong, etc.

The focus on either/or is particularly dangerous when applied to dynamic living systems. Dynamic systems are animated by the dynamic tensions at their core. The either/or impulse identifies these dynamic tensions and then sets about deciding which force is “right” – after all, if there is a pair one or the other one must be the winner.

Studies done on Isle Royale in Lake Superior demonstrate both the dynamic forces at work and the ridiculousness of the either/or approach. The isolated island has a resident population of wolves and moose cut-off from the mainland that has been studies for decades. Over the years, the relative population of wolves and moose oscilates. As the moose population grows, it creates good hunting conditions for the wolves. Healthy, well-nourished wolves give birth to more cubs who survive. Eventually the wolf population swells and their predation causes the moose population to shrink. Harder hunting and less food causes fewer wolf cubs to be born or survive. This ebb and flow has occurred repeatedly within similarly boundary conditions quite possibly for thousands or hundreds of thousands of years. The actual balance of wolves to moose is constantly shifting. At some points, though, it seems like human intervention is required. Usually this happens when the moose population is reduced, mostly because we have decided that in the either/or world of the Isle Royale the moose as “victims” are the good guys and therefore we need to remove the “bad” wolves to protect them.

While most readers probably recognize the ridiculousness of intervention in the example, the same logic still dominates much of our thinking about transformational change. We look at many of the forces involved in change and then begin the process of choosing the “good” and “bad” forces. Our goal then is to intervene – to cull the “bad” forces or introduce the “good” forces – without first understanding both the light and shadow of each side and understanding the generative power of their interaction.

In the following sections, we are going to explore many of the balanced dynamic tensions involved in transformational change. We will attempt to look at the positive role both sides of the tension produce and the dangers that can occur if either force dominates the field. Then we will attempt to look at how to identify the sweet spot for each – the healthy balance range (because it is rarely a single point) when the forces produce optimal performance. We will also look at how that balance shifts at difference points in the developmental cycle.

Next section – too much of a good thing

_____________________________

We are looking for collaborators on this project. There are several ways you can get involved.

If you would like a chance to talk about the ideas we are developing, join the Facilitator Seminar - a free regular web-meeting to discuss concepts in the book.

We are developing the book on FastPencil - an online writing collaboration tool. If you would like to be added as a collaborator on the book, visit the project site AND please send an email to me (ben@emotusoperdi.com) – the technology can be buggy.

And, of course, you can leave comments here or on our Facebook Page.

Back in the day, the world seemed tidier – with everything in neat little boxes. You were either a for-profit trying to maximize profit at any cost or you were a non-profit scrimping along trying to do good on whatever resources people would donate. You were a company man, trading your independence for a retirement plan or a free-lancer risking it all for the chance to do work that felt important and meaningful.

Those days are quickly fading away. A combination of powerful forces are reshaping the way we think and feel about work. Economic forces are destabilizing the old centralized industrial economic system. Environmental forces are forcing a reevaluation of basic assumptions about a consumption economy. Technological forces are making new ways of communicating and collaborating possible and democratizing the means of production. And societal forces are causing aging baby boomers and young millennials alike to reexamine their core values about what is really important in life and work.

The bad news is that there doesn’t appear to be a  ”new normal” yet. The good news is that there are many promising experiments that reimagine what is possible in how we work.

Last weekend, I attended the SEEED 2012 Conference – one of the first national gatherings of people starting, running or supporting social enterprises. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, social enterprise (also referred to as social entrepreneurship) is about doing well by doing good. It includes people coming from the non-profit side who are looking at innovative ways to finance their social change efforts and people from the for-profit side who recognize the responsibility of business to do more than just make a profit.

What all these people have in common is a desire to blend the best of both worlds: using the power and innovative capacity of market forces to do good things through the work we do.

We are still early in the process and there are more questions than answers at this point, but the energy behind this movement makes me believe that it is the shape of things to come.

Ironically, the biggest challenges at this point is simply finding a way to help link together the incredible diversity of people and organizations that are working on similar projects without even knowing it. There is an army already at work, but most of them (I’m betting most of you) don’t even know that they are part of a bigger movement.

So, are you an accidental social entrepreneur or social enterprise? Are you looking for a way to make a positive impact through the work you do – trying to find ways to do well financially while doing good in the world? Last weekend I discovered that I was part of a larger movement that I knew very little about. If that sounds like you, too, check out the following links.

Social Enterprise Alliance

Social Venture Partners

Emotus Operandi will continue to build connections and supports around this important work. We are happy to be part of the larger movement and excited to find ways to support other people who are doing the work. We hope to become part of the new infrastructure that supports a new way of working – building social and structural supports that help you focus your energy on making a difference.

Photo by Atulburnwal via Creative Commons

Treat your day like a real business day: Even if I’m just working from home, I try to stick to a regular schedule each day – get up, have breakfast and the all-important coffee, dress and be ready to start work at the same time each day. I’m not a slave to this, but I try to behave as if I’m “going” to work and it helps me to put aside any other distractions and get down to business.

Start every day by journaling and scheduling: When I do get down to business each morning, I start by doing my journal – starting with a few words about my mood that day and I also try to state something positive or something I’m thankful for. Then I do a quick review of yesterday’s accomplishments regardless of what they were and recognize both the good and the bad in yesterday and then mentally put it behind me.

Write a To Do List: Even though a lot of my schedule goes into my Outlook calendar and my phone, I find that writing a simple “To Do” list in point form every day and taping it on my desk in front of me – helps to keep me focused throughout the day. It is easy for time to drift away from you and looking at that list during the day keeps me focused on what I think is important and getting at least a few of them crossed off. I deliberately cross off whatever I got done with a black marker and the list gets thrown out each morning and a new one put up.

Reward yourself: As a sole proprietor providing a service to others, it is easy to slip into the 24/7 syndrome where you are always available. I try to schedule a few times each week where I screen my calls, don’t answer E-mails and I get out and do something for me. Customers may think that their request is important, but so is my sanity and I find it is easy to burn out if you feel you always have to be instantly accessible to your clients.

Get the BIG picture IN the picture: When I’m writing my To-Do list each day, I try to include at least one item that is directly related to my longer term goals. Even if it is just writing an E-mail to move a project along or sending out information to a new cold contact, I feel it is important to not lose sight of your big picture goals in the midst of all the daily grunt work.

So that’s about it – pretty simple, and there are days when I don’t do what I say, but those are usually also the days when I look back and see how my previous day was scattered and unproductive. Not every day can be a good day, but having a system helps me feel that I at least made the best I could of that day.

I was at an event recently that, frankly, horrified me. The session was being led by someone who was absolutely convinced that he had reached full enlightenment. The version of enlightenment he found is irrelevant. The important point is his absolute certainty of it. As a result, the session became all about him. The opening included a long biography, filled with name dropping and a list of unrelated personal accomplishments. The workshop included some questions for discussion that were promptly answered by the facilitator and the sorts of unstructured “do what feels good” kind of exercises usually offered by people who describe themsevles as “highly intuitive” (read vague and unfocused).

As an observer, what surprised me wasn’t so much the narcissism of the facilitator – that’s pretty common – it was watching the reactions of the participants. People were eating it up.

The overwhelming desire people have for finding certainty constantly amazes me. As H. L. Mencken says, “for every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.” But that’s the answer that people want to buy. It’s as true in personal development as business. Business people seek the simple recipe for success, ignoring the obvious reality that if there was a full-proof simple secret to success, every business would be successful. Likewise, if enlightenment was as easy as some people make it sound, the glare of auras would light the night.

So, since it seems like I’m never going to convince people to stop looking for gurus, I thought I would offer a few simple guidelines for picking a good one.

1. Trust those who seek the Truth. Suspect those who have found it.

Phil Tetlock, a professor at UC-Berkeley who has studied the accuracy of “Talking Head” predictions, found that certainty in that ‘one big idea’ was the biggest factor in bad predictions. The most accurate predictions came from people who were “self-critical, eclectic thinkers who were willing to update their beliefs when faced with contrary evidence, were doubtful of grand schemes and were rather modest about their predictive ability.” Interestingly, he has also found that relatively well-read nonexperts were just as accurate as the “experts.” In fact, “the more famous the expert, the less accurate his or her predictions tended to be.” You can read a great summary of the research here. Substitute “advice” for “predication” and you have a guide for selecting a better guru.

2. The big secret is there’s no secret.

For the last 10,000 or so years, every human being has wondered: what’s this all about? Why am I here? How can I be happy, safe, successful and loved? A lot of them spent a LOT of time thinking about these questions. And as soon as anyone has something that feels like an answer – even a partial answer – they share it with everyone they can. You can’t stop them. I’ve tried! The problem isn’t that people are keeping the “real” answer a secret, it’s that we don’t like the answer. When you stop looking for the magic solution, you realize that the tools you need for happiness and success have been sitting right there in front of you the whole time, revealed again and again in the common themes of all great religions, philosophical traditions, and guides to living. Unfortunately, it turns out you have to do the work.

3. Does it resonate with my best experiences or my worst fears?

This is the most important one. We all have competing voices in our heads – some inspiring us to strive for more and some stuck on all our inadequacies and fears. There’s nothing pathological about the voices. As David Eagleman explains in his book Incognito, that’s how our brains are structured and for good reason. The pathology happens when we let some of those voices have too much say. So, when some motivational speaker tells you that anything is possible – that you can be rich and famous and save the world – they are manipulating you by encouraging your deepest fear that you are inadequate as you are and that you need to be special, heroic, different – just to be loved and happy. As Umair Haque recommends in his blog: you have to put what, who and why you love in front of anything else.

So, when you are out there shopping around for a guru, kill the Buddha if you see him. Start where you are – start with what you love and what you already have. Use your own experience as a guide and remind yourself of what already feels right and true to you. Then look for a guru who will join you in the search for truth, not give you all the answers.

The more I understand how the conventional system works the greater urgency I see for change.

I grew up in a fortunate situation, everything I needed has always been provided to have a great future.  But the most difficult thing I found was discovering purpose and meaning.  I have always found purpose and meaning through surfing, hunting, fishing, camping, etc. but never “within” society.  I think the state of this world reflects this great limitation–what is it about society that recognizes and utilizes the unique qualities in ourselves and in others?  I believe that if we had an answer to this question we would see a radical shift in every aspect of society towards the betterment of the whole.