Re: Essence LO198

Tobin Quereau (quereau@austin.cc.tx.us)
Wed, 22 Feb 1995 08:07:05 -0600 (CST)

Replying to LO164 --

Thanks for the extension of this vague notion of organizational "mind",
"consciousness", etc. Your comments on the ways in which the awareness of
an entity such as a corporation or other organization could be understood
brings me to the notion of a "field" of awareness even more than a
"system" model.

While we can certainly gain immensely from pursuing the systems approach
to learning organizations, for example, I wonder if the model of an
energy or awareness "field" comes in some ways closer to the operational
experience. Just as we have gravitational fields, magnetic fields, and so
forth, we may be operating in organizational fields which are more than
just the "interpersonal" connections, but reflect what might be called
"transpersonal" patterns (that is if you spent any time in the San
Francisco area in the 1970's... I'm sure there are better terms out there)
Rupert Sheldrake, I believe, talks about the concept of morphogenic
resonance. That is certainly not a better "term" for most of us, but that
concept comes closest to what I am musing about.

It is a result of the field in operation that new awareness/learning
emerges and further refines or redirects the organization. The more
information, perspective, passion, and energy that is liberated within
the organization, the greater the potential growth in appropriate directions.
In many cases that learning is applied more "efficiently" through tools
of authority, control, planning, etc., but the central force comes from
the whole rather than the part--even the "head"quarters part!

We are in some crude ways looking at the "group" and searching for its
mind, heart, and soul, much as we sometimes do with ourselves and others.
I think (and hope!) that the mystery of it all will continue to remain at
the center and at the edges--even as we play with the next level of
approximation in understanding "it".

Anyone else want to go out into the field and play???

Tobin Quereau
Austin Community College
quereau@austin.cc.tx.us