Jim Saveland writes "Developing a shared vision of the desired future taps
into aspiration and what people love...Love and truth are practical
applications, not just abstract principles."
Jim - thanks for your observation. I helps me see love in organizations a
little more clearly. Seems like love manifests itself in organizations in
three ways: love for ourselves, love for others, and love for what we do.
Your comment addresses the last one, loving what we do.
When Margaret Wheatley says love in organizations is the most potent
source of power we have available, I believe she's talking about love for
others. She says love is a potent source of power "because we inhabit a
quantum universe that knows nothing of itself, independent of its
relationships."
I think the notion of love in organizations has great potential for
practical application. But I think first we need to get the "L" word out
of the closet and onto the discussion table. In my experience it's not
something most folks are comfortable talking about in a work setting.
Here's a thought that's been rumbling around in my head for a while that's
in this vein. I've done lots of facilitating of groups and teams and have
a reputation as being pretty good at it. I've struggled some with trying
to figure out what it is that makes for a good facilitator. Margaret
Wheatley helped me come to an "Aha" understanding that it's love. When
the facilitator is whole-heartedly and whole-headedly devoted to helping a
group (loves the group), and the group trusts this to be true, the group
will behave differently, and more effectively, than it would without the
presence of the facilitator. In fact, I believe this may be true even if
the facilitator never makes an overt intervention. Does this make any
sense?
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Suzanne Kramer
74647.3025@compuserve.com
"There's deceivers, and believers, and old in-betweeners." -Willie Nelson