Dancers in a World of Abundance

.... we are all dancers in the wilderness of the world. Nine slides to think, and act!

 

 Created by change maker friend @HeleneFinidori, whom I met at Gathering11 in Melbourne in June 2011.

Stories Connect People & Action

A two-day meeting down in Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne made the difference. Thanks to Annalie Kilian, David Hood, and especially Marigo Raftopoulos (for hosting me two day in her beautiful home in Melbourne).

Gathering11 was the name of the "show" - and it definitely was more as the stories podcasted and gathered (what an coincidence ;-)) by Daryl Cook will let you know.

What has been your story about Gathering11 (Twitter)? Interested in a screencast experiment? Leave a message on the comments.

To get inspired listen to the already uploaded podcasts.

Reflection on #gathering11

It's me - really 

Last weekend around this time we were well into the 1st DAY at #gathering11 - an exceptional experience. Similar power I have seen in Muscat, Oman, during the 3rd SoL Global Forum in spring 2008 and visiting the "management school without teachers" (Team Academy) where students co-create value for real customers and learn through this experience.

Being part of the collective learning experience one often encounter times when you really feel "yes, that's working nicely" to moments you think "nothing really comes out of that".

The beauty of an event over several days is that you can adjust your personal thinking and connecting your past experience with what is going on in the room gradually (if you allow to let it go loose). Once you sort of give up, feeling that the process is overpowering you (which I actually felt on the arrival in the morning of the 2nd DAY), the way is open to transcend into a larger collective body, get yourself connected.

This happened to me during the second part of the Sunday at Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, when the asset workshop at the very end really grasped my interest and joy. This was the state which connected very well with my first encounter with a Twitterwall at the 1st Mobile Camp in Dresden in 2009 which emerged in the WikiWall.

My condensed take away from these two amazing days (which I unfortunately could not follow up in the Hub Melbourne) are captured in the following PresencingStatus:

Gathering11 Badge

1. What was good? Powerful morning start with "Thrivable World" video by Jean Russell, the power of passionate and dedicated people in the room, the beauty of the venue (which reminded me of CoOrpheum), connecting with people whom I only knew across Facebook, a wide range of passionate change makers (in discipline, age, profession, role, etc.)
2. What was tricky? Holding the energy power feeling the sort of "overheating" 
3. What have I learned? Connections are most easily made with name badges (in the size we had been given - where the heck did I put it? Found just now :) ), technology (e.g. my question on the gathering11 Flickr) is not yet playing a larger part in the collaborative action across boundaries (whether in distance, time zone, or field of expertise/ experience)
4. Action to be taken? more than happy to engage in making a "thrivable world" become happening in the days ahead (even though away in distance and time (8 hours delayed to Melbourne)) - technology provides the tools to do so. "How Small Moves, Smartly Made, can Set Big Things in Motion" - subtitle of "The Power of Pull" and my personal philosophy in life (sometimes I call it Lean Thinking ;))

Lake of Knowledge - Ready to be Harvested

Yesterday I got reminded that having too much drive in bringing things forward can be a constraint. Being passionate about sharing and connecting people and ideas I often stumble across "unseen" barriers. People get overwhelmed and step aside from my network.

Reminds me of my own behavior of processing information. Rather I like to jump into the "Lake of Wisdom" where I can capture information, people, and data in way I think is relevant. Isn't it therefore not possible to create this opportunity where who wishes can create his/ her own "lake of wisdom"?

How cool would that be? Filling up the level of wisdom you can then decide on (speed, volume, etc.).

A dream? Yes, maybe. It is already pretty close - it perhaps just needs a nudge to happen.

PS.: The picture on left is taken during the flood crisis in Dresden 2002 where information first sat in people's heads, then on the wall (picture) and then smoothly transcended into mobile devices (like Palm Zires, which Palm Europe Inc. sponsored the City of Dresden)

Innovation sneaks in from the Edge

Over the course of the past six days the term "Edge" was mentioned by various speakers at #amplifyfest and #gathering11 (such as Gunter Pauli and John Hagel).

http://knol.google.com/k/the-direction-of-time#

Now sitting on the table grabbing an older MIT Sloan Management Review (summer 2009 (!)) the notion of making the change happen from the outside (rather than from inside) hit me again. "Innovation From The Inside Out".

Making the change happen (and last) one has to learn the things a great big wave surfer has to have:

COURAGE - ADAPTABILITY - RESILIENCE - FAITH

EduJourney2011 - surprises always come around the corner...

... UNEXPECTED.

As with all big changes, intended to make a difference, you have to change the structure. Often it is not easy to find the "right" leverage point.

One of those (a day in autumn 2010) was the beginning of love for ballet and seeing beyond the pure show, but rather the deeper intentions and interactions of the dancers - an awesome expression of the Power of WE.

••• Help us to use the Power of WE to share and inspire •••

PS.: Ulrike will be coming for gathering11 and I am coming to #amplifyfest (as well). We both are sharing very similar world views on how the world can become a better place: Using the power of WE.