Gathering11 - envisioning change
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This document discusses envisioning better futures and constructing pathways toward them. It includes quotes from Lao Tzu about how great things originate from small beginnings. A quote from Voltaire suggests that history is shaped by accumulated imaginings. The final quote from W.E. Deming defines a system as interdependent components working together to achieve a shared aim, and that without an aim there is no system. Overall, the document encourages envisioning alternative futures and building paths to realize more positive outcomes.
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Gathering11 - envisioning change
- 1. Envisioning Constructing pathways toward better futures Kate Carruthers
- 2. As above so below As within so without
- 3. “All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small.” Lao Tzu http://www.flickr.com/photos/tico_bassie/120810354/
- 4. “History consists of a series of accumulated imaginative inventions.” Voltaire http://www.flickr.com/photos/8525214@N06/5792686713/
- 5. “A system is a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the system. A system must have an aim. Without the aim, there is no system.” W.E.Deming http://www.flickr.com/photos/pwhiddon/2435588387/
- 6. It starts with us http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiguibu91/2889883615/
- 7. It starts with us http://www.flickr.com/photos/guiguibu91/2889883615/
Notes de l'éditeur
- Hi I'm Kate Carruthers and am glad that I am able to join in Gathering11 from a distance. I wish I could do two things at once but I'm in transit to New York to speak at the 140Conference about Social Innovation.
- I've been thinking about this topic of envisioning pathways to change and it has really brought home to me the fact that change is personal and particular as well public and general. The saying "as above so below" or "as within so without" seem to be good starting point for envisioning pathways to change. As Mahatma Gandhi told us "we must be the change that we seek in the world". This is a very confronting message. It faces each of us with admitting the possibility that to make change we need to start with very intimate personal change from within. It means admitting that we are not perfect. And it means, by corollary that other people are not perfect. We must enter into the vision for change in a small and quite humble way.
- All great change starts small. And we must not be afraid to look to micro levels to commence a great change journey. Too often we are intimidated by the scale of the end result that we seek to achieve and are transfixed by the difficulties. Instead it is important that we break down the elements of the change journey and work out what is the one thing that we can do today to move us towards the desired outcome. Every great human enterprise commenced with intent and commitment from a small number of people. Every great movement for change in the world started with one step. Those that achieved their goals did so by constant focus and daily effort. Just as a seed doesn’t grow into a healthy plant without careful husbandry so to our dreams for change will not manifest unless we do the work.
- Another thing to consider about change is that one individual alone can rarely achieve it on any scale. To make change we need other people. And it is in the ability to bring other people to our cause that force is given to our intent. But as we bring other people to our cause they will bring their own perspectives. And these perspectives can evolve our intent and purpose. However if we block ourselves off from receiving those different perspectives then we can stop the flow of people gathering with us to create the change we seek. This comes back to that notion of personal humility as an important component of envisioning and creating change. Accumulating the best inputs from all who have joined up and committed to making change is important. And it is important from two perspectives: respect for our fellow travellers on the change journey, and to improve the content of our ideas and plans for change. Adding other people’s wisdom to our own can help ideas evolve much faster than we alone.
- Now let’s turn to the nature of the macro changes we might envision. Each of us is a part of the many systems that we participate in. When envisioning change we need to contemplate the systems that we are participating in and upholding. We need to go back to first principles and to discern the aims of the change we envision and also the means we intend to use to create the change that we have envisioned. One thing that I have learned over the years is that the saying by Aldous Huxley is true: “The end cannot justify the means, for the simple and obvious reason that the means employed determine the nature of the ends produced.” Thus we must be very clear on both the what and the how of our change process.
- Making change in a human being or in a society is not a trivial thing. It should not be undertaken lightly. Change is unpredictable and its results are not always certain. That is why it is so important to begin with us ourselves, the individual changemakers, and to form clear intent and be very clear on the means to be used to effect that change. Also making change happen is a social activity and depends upon other human beings. So our ability to create and nurture relationships is critical. It really does start with us.