December 2000
PARTNERS FOR INNOVATION, INC.
www.partnersfi.com
Éa monthly internet letter addressing key
aspects of
collaborative innovation
==============================================
Do
you remember those times when you have been so self-absorbed that you seemed to
be on a downward spiral, one that consumed all the possibility in your life?
Benjamin and Rosamund Zander, authors of the new book, The Art of Possibility,
describe this experience as that of our Òcalculating selves.Ó It is probably safe to say that we have
all had that experience of feeling greedy, self-protective, defensive, of
taking ourselves and our needs too seriously, often to the exclusion of the
needs of others. This is the experience of that calculating self. It can even
be disingenuous, manipulative, fearful and self-aggrandizing.
But
the authors also write about another experience, an experience of the Òcentral
self.Ó We can probably remember experiences with this side of our lives as
well. They have a far more generous and genuine feel about them. We take
ourselves less seriously, we are lighter, more open, more willing to make a
contribution to others. We view the world as full of abundance rather than
scarcity and are more interested in how we can contribute than in what our
share will be.
The
distinction between these two is vital for collaborative innovation, for a
group temperament centered in the calculating self will be unproductive,
ornery, suspicious and political. There will be precious little room for
possibility or for creating anything of value.
Virtually all of the
possibility is with the group where the central self prevails, where there is a
critical mass of people committed to living generous, open and creative lives.
In
Charles DickensÕ A Christmas Carol, Ebeneezer Scrooge beautifully illustrates
these two opposing ways of life: the stingy, hoarding way of life before his
transformation and the generous, creative way of life after it.
His
transformation occurred when he made the conscious choice to live a generous
life. With groups of people at
work, it is also a choice. Often, the choice of just one person in the group
can make the difference for everyone.
Which
way do we choose? The answer seems obvious, but how much of our daily work
lives is lived out of a sense of abundance and a genuine interest in the
welfare of others?
The
choice is ours, from minute to minute. The choice to live from that central
self is full of possibility, not just for the individual, but for the whole
group.
__________________________________________
INNOVATION
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