Resources

According to Dictionary.com, “collaborate” means to work together or cooperate to accomplish a task. But what does it really take for a group of unique individuals to come together to create a true collaboration? The definition tells us what to do, but the question people often ask is how to do that.

In mathematics there is a group of patterns referred to as “attractors”. In complex systems, recognizable patterns of behavior can evolve over time, based on the system’s initial conditions. Mathematicians studied those patterns and identified unique sets of conditions that shape the different types of patterns. We use the insights of these mathematicians to inform our basic decisions and actions.

Mindfulness is a topic today that many people are talking about. I am not an expert in mindfulness. In fact, I am only recently beginning to build a practice of mindfulness.

To see patterns in the world around you is to know your world and to understand something about that world. You make sense of the world by recognizing the patterns around you.

Consulting is a many-faceted job, particularly in the complexities of today’s organizational landscape. For good consultants, every call brings a new, unique challenge. Each organization has its own assets and barriers. When every situation is so unique, where can you start?

Recently I worked with a group of middle managers charged with the task of leading a system-wide change initiative. Their considerations included programmatic, organizational, and service delivery changes. At the same time, they were shifting from a program-determined silo structure to one that required collaborative planning across all programs.