We are in the process of writing a practical managers guide to complexity
to be edited in Quebec and in France in the French language. It may sound
strange to talk about practical and complexity in the same sentence, but
that is the challenge that we are trying to meet. There have been many
references to complexity on this list, most of which, to my untrained
ears, seem to elaborate on the origins and the philosophical underpinnings
of complexity. Most of our research has been in French except for
Wheatley, Forester, and a few others. So far we have found very little
that provides layperson's ( read ordinary managers) access to the tools of
complexity. And this leads me to my request to those of you who have
dabbled in the world of complexity:
Do you know of the existence of resources that have an operational bent to
them. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated, and I could compile
them and post them on the list.
Some of the themes for which we are trying to create tools are:
-working with paradigms
-distinguishing between continuous and discontinuous (or radical) change
-working with paradox
-reframing our understanding of a situation ( we"d really like some help
on this one)
-dissapative structures
-strange attractors
-autopoesis
-butterfly effect
-non linear reasoning
-what mental muscles need to be flexed in order to be more at ease in the
world of complexity
-what practices contribute to developing an openess to complexity
-Are there specific competencies that can be developped
Je vous remercie d'avance de votre collaboration.
(translation...thanks in advance for any help forthcoming)
Steve Gildersleeve
P.S. A wonderful example of complexity and its workings is the thread on
gossip that emerged recently in this list out of a posting that I made in
which I talked about compost for which I was inspired by a posting on
practices, which in turn was inspired by....... and so on. Absolutely
wonderful!
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///// Steve Gildersleeve Groupe CFC /
/// Vadebonh@ere.Umontreal.ca Tel : (514) 286-8212 ///
/ Montreal, Quebec. Fax : 286-1500 /////
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