Slow Living

It's been a full on month.  I'm in Melbourne at the moment - my projects are on track, I've had some incredibly productive inspiration and reflection about my business, my information streams are under control, and I just need to get down to the necessary low-value administrative crap.  Perfect time for a blog post.

Some themes are emerging in my life and practice, like a desire for simplicity, complementarity and cumulative investment of energy.  Perhaps the most interesting is the desire to live slowly.

I know a lot of people loathe the pressure and effort of high pace living.  But this is not where I'm coming from.  In fact, my life is not energetic enough.

What I'm coming to loathe is the futility and narrow-mindedness of the short term, and the corrosive influence of the cults of busy and fast.

I've spent a lot of time since leaving my job, more than twelve months ago now, doing things that have been great and worthy and valid by themselves - and a great personal experience... but haven't added up to much.  You probably noticed that in my reflection on 'helping' where it's not wanted.  Short sightedness played just as much a role as my misguided idea of 'helping'.

I'm not hard on myself over this, because I frankly didn't know where I was going - nor could I have.  It was one of those necessary, foggy periods.

But now, as things settle into a slower and longer-term rhythm, everything is coming easier.

A materialising sense of purpose has not only given my efforts a frame, but driven my perspective outwards into the longer term.  All of a sudden, the things in the now don't need to deliver value in the present, as long as they're an investment in the future.  And they don't need to happen now either, if they're best off taking the time to mature.

Living slower doesn't mean I'm doing less.  But it does mean I'm doing better - especially in the long term.

An example. I'm organising CoCreate Adelaide - an unconference to enable community members to cocreate their visions.  It's had a longer effective lead time, is coming along way easier, and is better organised than anything I've done in the past... but in the now, that doesn't even matter.  Because my goal isn't to realise the amazing potential of CoCreate Adelaide in April... it's to realise it in April 2015.

Some may take that as permission to take two lazy years to get it done... but far from it.  I still need to work hard now, and for the next two years... it's just the rhythm and perspective that have slowed down to stretch out beyond the present.

Iteration, reflection, growth, learning and 'sustainability' are no longer luxuries at the edges, but integral to the core.  The experience is de-stressing and empowering.

I've invented a contrary challenge in fact, to encourage me to stetch my mind - instead of working out how to speed everything up, as is the customary imperative, I'm exploring how to slow it down.

Last year I wrote a book in a week. It was a good exercise, but if I could write that book in two years it would really be worthwhile.  Can I write a book in two years?  Or perhaps if I am writing a book, what book can I write in two years?  (The fact is, I couldn't possibly take that long to write the Open Handbook, my One Week Book.  If I find a book that I can write in two years, I'll aim to do that - and because I've done the one-week exercise, I know I can knock over the first edition in three or four days.)

Sometimes it feels like a curse to have a big picture, systemic perspective on doing good.  There are so many amazing things in the world that I could get excited about... if they weren't doomed to insignificance.  The vast majority of 'good' done achieves little in the long term (even ignoring the dubiousness of its impact now).

But our efforts don't need to be futile.  Be patient.  Slow down.


www.jsbaxter.com.au
@JohnSBaxter

Don't waste your effort helping people achieve something unless they want it

I've been lucky enough to be involved in some fantastic projects in the last year, like Collaboratory Melbourne, Collaborate to Innovate and Our World Today.  I've had great experiences.  But a lot of the time, it hasn't felt like I've achieved anything.

I have learnt that transformation relies upon the use of potential energy.  Enabling people, helping them realise their potential, instead of doing things for them.  Things they want to do - rather than what you want them to do.

Sometimes I haven't been able to take a step back and realise that the 'help' I've wanted to provide is really just an expression of my own desire. Most of the time people will nod and agree - perhaps with some enthusiasm, and often with a degree of gratitude.  But that's not enough.

On one hand, where my help is for something to get done, then I should go do it.  There's nothing wrong with taking the initiative.  Ask people to make sure it's okay with them, sure - but if it needs doing, then I can't dally around expecting people to get on board.  My desire is mine to take responsibility for, irrespective of who it's good for.

I've found myself much more inclined to be direct like this lately.  Probably out of impatience more than anything else.  It feels liberating, and things feel easier.  It actually seems easier to involve others - people helping me, instead of me helping them.  There's a paradox to navigate, but the direction is clear nevertheless.

On the other hand, where my help is actually for another person to do something, then I shouldn't expect it to be of any use unless they want to.  If there's no energy there, if they don't feel the need, then the best informed and best intentioned advice is a waste of time.  Sure, if I'm specific enough then they might do it.  But when they need to digest it and make a decision on it, chances are it won't go any further.

I gave a lot of great, gratefully accepted advice last year.  Most of it was useless.  Useless because I didn't really understand where the unmet needs and energy lay, so that I could actually help others achieve what they wanted to do.

Hence today's lesson - if people don't want something that I do, I should stop wasting energy trying to 'help' them to do it.  It's really not helping them at all.

Boo for all my well-intentioned, wasted energy.  Here's to taking the lesson on board.


www.jsbaxter.com.au
@JohnSBaxter

Simple steps for leading collaborative initiatives

It was one of those dark and stormy, sleepless nights.  Ideas racing at a million miles an hour, and my last post churning around in the back of my mind.  Out popped a few simple steps for collaborative projects.

My inclination has been to talk, ask about issues, seek collaborators, try to find common ground, and develop practices for collaborative action.  Things have gone slowly.  These new steps are a bit different.

1. ! Do
2. - Invite
3. > Develop
4. \/  Evolve

! Do  -  what you can

Don't get caught up planning things for others to do.  And don't stress yourself stretching beyond your own capacity.

Don't worry too much about waiting to get everyone on board first - this can come later.

'You' does not need to be you individually, but if the initiative doesn't resonate really strongly initially, don't expend energy trying to get people to partner with you.

- Invite  -  specific opportunities

Make specific invitations for modest opportunities to collaborate, and general invitations to participate (with a specific 'opt in' attached).  Don't push too hard, don't expect big leaps from collaborators, and don't be afraid to tell it how it is to get the job done in the early days.

> Develop  -  deeper engagement

As the project matures, interest grows and collaborators are more familiar, gradually enable deeper engagement in the project.

Most collaborative initiatives seem to get stuck with a few key organisers, and a host of others whose keenness grows... only to whither as they don't have opportunities to move beyond relatively minor engagement

\/ Evolve  -  roles and project

It will be possible to evolve to a more collaborative partnership only as others gradually develop deeper engagement.  The roles of participants, and the nature of the project itself, will need to evolve to better reflect the energy and resources of the community.

You really need to step back and accept that it's not 'yours' anymore.


I initially sketched this post way back in January.  I'm pleased to confirm the Simple Four Step is working pretty well so far in 2013!  A few small collaborative initiatives here at the Majoran Distillery are coming along well, and CoCreate Adelaide is taking on real momentum.

I'm going to claim it validated.  Bam.


www.jsbaxter.com.au
@JohnSBaxter

A more reflective, personal turn

The blog has been fairly quiet the last six months.  There are too many different things I could write about, and I have no compelling case to write about any one of them, especially given my modest readership.

This blog was initially a way to engage with friends about what I was up, where individual conversations were impractical.  Many of my posts have let my friends know I write about things that are 'interesting' - but of little interest to them.  However, without a specialist readership to replace them I've mostly been writing for me.

2013 will see me setting up a business, and a collaborative book project.  I can write more in-depth, topic specific posts in conjunction with these.  Guest blogging may also be a way to share niche thoughts.

A friend's post reminded me the other day about the value of regular reflection in the development or practice.  So for this blog - I'm going to do that.

First step: reflect on blogging experience.


www.jsbaxter.com.au
@JohnSBaxter

Looking ahead to 2013 together

It's been too long, too much has happened... even I have struggled to stay in the loop.  So instead of a recap - a few quick comments on 2013 ahead.

I'm setting up a business.  Still in alpha: a mission-driven enterprise to realise the positive potential of changes in the ways we work.  Communities, networks, agility and collaboration... all that stuff I do.  But more than anything, providing support to those contributing to this vision.  I'm pretty excited about this one - nearly as excited as I am about what the experience will hold.

The first big project will be a book, also in alpha: Collaborative Communities 101.  To help potential agents of the future and develop collective literacy... by making the essentials accessible: the core that an agent needs in the emerging collaborative future.

I'd be grateful if you could kindly keep me accountable to my part in these - making sure they happen.  And also to my four focus areas - resolutions if you'd like:

• be a good person - be genuine, kind and serve others
• think big and lead - look at the bigger future, and be compelling in inviting others to join me cocreating it 
• dedicate - stick with it and do it properly
• work better, together - stand on others' shoulders and develop capacity collectively

Let's have a wonderful 2013 together.


www.jsbaxter.com.au
@JohnSBaxter

'Social Business' - what's it all about?

This is my take on 'social business'.  It refers, in short, to businesses that are social in nature - that are a connected part of society.

I'm referring to Australian/UK usage here, so I'm not referring to social enterprise - businesses created for social purpose - which is the meaning of 'social business' in other places.

And yes, all businesses are inherently social.  Some people think this makes it a pretty empty phrase.  I disagree.

All businesses may be social, but they don't necessarily act like it.  The main factor defining 'social' is interconnection.  Most of the time, businesses construct elaborate, reinforced boundaries to separate them from the outside world.  Their interfaces are distinct, controlled channels like communications / marketing, or product<>money exchanges.  Businesses try to eliminate their 'social' nature, preferring to instead interact with markets, or individual customers.

Sound familiar?  Social businesses are networked businesses.  I may have written about them before.

I got thinking about this today reading the blog of @ChrisBrogan.  Chris is a pretty cool dude.  He knows his stuff (marketing, sales, service // business design), and he shares a lot of good content at www.ChrisBrogan.com.  He was also the #1 Diigo result for 'social business'.

His take on 'social business' is social media as a communications tool.  From a traditional business perspective, this is a fair stance.  But it is only the start of social.

Maximising the opportunities of social business goes beyond reviewing communications practices.  Don't just take my word for it (@Nilofer)!  Social business is about reimagining businesses' role in the social ecosystem.

The traditional role and purpose of a business is to create a product, sell it to people, and make as much profit as possible.  Simple.  But in reality, businesses have complicated sets of relationships, and a role in the ecosystem that can't be reduced to products + sales = profits.  Increasing interconnectivity accentuates these complications.

Businesses that recognise this complication are in a great position.

By shifting focus to the value they create in the ecosystem, businesses can better understand their future and financial sustainability.  Focusing on value also highlights opportunities for innovation that a narrow product-sales-profit focus might never illuminate.  Shifting perspective to value also opens business up to the opportunities of shared value.

Some businesses might be able to ignore this whole 'social' thing... those in stable markets that create value in a very straightforward way.  For now.  But the others will be left behind if they think that a Facebook and Twitter marketing strategy will keep them at the front of social business.

www.jsbaxter.com.au
@JohnSBaxter

Community is Important

We've all experienced stale 'community' environments.  Workplaces rife with distrust.  Volunteer organisations with a few ardent leaders - and volunteers who arrive passionate and leave disengaged.  'Community' or 'networking' groups where everybody seems to have their own agenda.

These spaces either don't have underlying community, or are affected by major pathologies.  Nobody is looking after the health of the community.  More often than not, the community's champions are actively undermining it.

Community requires a web of healthy, synergistic relationships between community members.  Trust is built up through interactions.  People associate with the group, and care for one another.  And yes, this takes care and attention.

Organisations seem to get away without dedicating proper care to community.  Organisations dehumanise, forcing people into transaction-based behaviour systems.  This applies to staff as well as customers.  It works - up to a point.  The side effects are dissatisfaction, poor performance, and an expensive HR and Corporate Services maintenance bill.

Many organisations are held together, despite dysfunctions, by expensive band-aids.  They get away with neglecting community because they have the resources.  If you don't have the resources, you don't have a choice.  Initiatives that fail to appreciate this fail to survive.

Appreciating the importance of community is only the start.  Most of our methods for organisation were developed for large corporations.  Established ways to manage, make decisions, communicate and sell our products and our selves - command and control management, marketing, broadcast communications...  Community is completely below the radar of the organisational paradigm that created these methodologies.

Established methods don't foster community - they undermine it.  They incubate community pathologies and lead to stale, unhealthy environments.

Successful, sustainable initiatives need to be informed by principles and approaches that support community.

Now, I'm sorry if this disappoints - but I don't have The Answers, and these aren't clear or well refined like the tools of corporate management.  Neither for me, nor as far as I can tell, for any others.  Though there is a lot of really great work out there to start from.  (Google 'social business' for a start. Loving @Nilofer's work at the moment.)

As I work through content and synthesise the progress others have made I'll be sharing what emerges.  My last post, about the firestarter community maturity metaphor, is a start.

As I get my head around a few different pockets, I feel like I'm finally getting to a position of pragmatic knowledge.  It's exciting!  I look forward to testing, sharing and doing some meaningful work.

So, back to it!

www.jsbaxter.com.au
@JohnSBaxter