Complexity Workshop LO25191

From: Richard Seel (richard@richard-seel.demon.co.uk)
Date: 08/23/00


Dear Listmembers and fellow learners,

Complexity and chaos seem to be prevalent on the list at present - I mean
the topics, of course!

Given this, I wonder if anyone on the list might be interested in a
workshop I'm running in London in October. The details are below:

Richard Seel will be running a workshop on Complexity and Organisations
10:00 - 17:00 on 4th October 2000 at AMED - 42 Paul Street, London EC2A
4NA. Tel: 020 7613 4121; Fax: 020 7613 4737.

Cost: Self-financing AMED members £70.50; other members £129.50; non-
members £247.00 (includes 1 year's AMED membership) - all prices include
VAT.

Send bookings to Julian Clover at AMED address above or e-mail him at
julian@management.org.uk

Synopsis:

Much is now being written about complexity and organisations but there is
still a lot of misunderstanding. This workshop has three aims:

* To offer some basic chaos & complexity theory
* To explore the implications of these approaches for organisational
life
* To inquire into how practice may be influenced by these perspectives

The day will focus on a number of aspects of the complex systems approach
to organisational life, including attractors and attractor basins,
agent-based modelling and facilitating emergence.

Attractors are not easy to understand. I will start by offering an
explanation of the basic theory which should help people see how this idea
can be useful if used appropriately.

I will then offer a little background on the 'classical' Santa Fe
approaches to complexity, using some examples of the simple computer
models which underpin much of their work. We will then consider their
implications for systemic working and, in particular, explore how they
affect they way we investigate organisational culture (my 'Culture and
Complexity' - http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk/culture-complex.htm - gives
some of my thinking on this topic).

I have been recently experimenting with the use of a 'small set of simple
rules' as a way of capturing the essence of the culture. We will conduct a
brief cultural inquiry and explore how the 'simple rules' approach may be
useful.

Finally I will focus on emergence - possibly the single most important
property of complex systems. I will present some work on emergence,
including my own latest thinking on the topic.

We will then experiment with an 'emergent inquiry', a form of
participative inquiry which I 'discovered' while writing my dissertation
and which I am beginning to use in my work. Perhaps the key, distinctive,
feature of emergent inquiry is the maxim, "Do not try to answer the
question, wait until the question answers itself." However, this does not
mean that it is a purely passive process; it follows the seven principles
of emergence of human systems which I am currently thinking about
(http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk/emergence-human.htm)

* Everyone speaks with many others (Connectivity)
* Relevant & 'irrelevant' inputs (Diversity)
* Many short 'rounds' (Rate of information flow)
* Safe, egalitarian environment (Lack of inhibitors )
* Clear question, tight time-keeping (Good boundaries)
* Relevant topic, desire for answer (Intention )
* Wait for the question (Watchful anticipation)

Who should attend:

Any one concerned with organisational change (consultants, internal OD,
managers, change agents, etc.); anyone wishing to understand why
organisations behave so strangely; anyone wishing to get a better grasp of
chaos & complexity theory.

Best wishes,

Richard.

Richard Seel

New Paradigm Consulting
Organisation Consultancy & Development
richard@new-paradigm.co.uk
http://www.new-paradigm.co.uk

Seabrink, Beach Road, Bacton Green, Norfolk NR12 0EP, UK.
+44 (0)1692 650 706

-- 

Richard Seel <richard@richard-seel.demon.co.uk>

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