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aqal
August 2008 
Why not start with a focus on technology
Posted on Apr 16th, 2007
by 
Duri
Duri
I promised to write more about technologies optimized for collective intelligence, wisdom and collective leadership. To be congruent with my experience of what works, I first have to address the question of why not focus on the technology, just now.
Although I didn't talk with them, I almost certain that when the founders dreamt up Zaadz, what appeared in their mind's eye was not a set of tools and functionalities but how they and others would feel when using Zaadz, what it would enable to do and be, how would be the feel of the whole experience.
It seems that the Zaadz team has an emerging, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cross the bridge from the 50,000 innovators to the half million early adapters, in the next couple of years. Isn't it a good time to re-imagine and co-intuit the kind of company that the future wants Zaadz to be, and the kind of products and services that will be the most highly valued by its expanding markets?
Clearly, that question deserves to be in the focus of an ongoing, productive inquiry. I believe the U Curve could provide an empowering framework for that. Scharmer's next book, "Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges - The Social Technology of Presencing" will come out next month. You can download the two key chapters that may trigger some insights on how presencing can help co-initiating the next phase in the life of Zaadz. (I can also be available to facilitate that process if you don't have other trained presencers in-house.)
I imagine a bit more rigorous use of the integral framework would also go a long way to sensing more accurately what is needed in a possible move towards more support for communities of practice and co-creation, and their knowledge ecosystems.
A more AQAL Zaadz could provide increasingly more value because it could better respond to the growing human aspirations for wholeness and agency, communion and autonomy, as well as creative self-expression (individual and collective). How does that would translate into the dimensions of innovation architecture-- social, business, learning, technical, and spiritual--so that it can trigger a vortex of innovation that will involve large number of present and future Zaadsters? I guess, that question could be best addressed in the context of a daylong or 1/2-day strategic learning dialogue with Brian and the team.
Although I didn't talk with them, I almost certain that when the founders dreamt up Zaadz, what appeared in their mind's eye was not a set of tools and functionalities but how they and others would feel when using Zaadz, what it would enable to do and be, how would be the feel of the whole experience.
It seems that the Zaadz team has an emerging, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cross the bridge from the 50,000 innovators to the half million early adapters, in the next couple of years. Isn't it a good time to re-imagine and co-intuit the kind of company that the future wants Zaadz to be, and the kind of products and services that will be the most highly valued by its expanding markets?
Clearly, that question deserves to be in the focus of an ongoing, productive inquiry. I believe the U Curve could provide an empowering framework for that. Scharmer's next book, "Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges - The Social Technology of Presencing" will come out next month. You can download the two key chapters that may trigger some insights on how presencing can help co-initiating the next phase in the life of Zaadz. (I can also be available to facilitate that process if you don't have other trained presencers in-house.)
I imagine a bit more rigorous use of the integral framework would also go a long way to sensing more accurately what is needed in a possible move towards more support for communities of practice and co-creation, and their knowledge ecosystems.
A more AQAL Zaadz could provide increasingly more value because it could better respond to the growing human aspirations for wholeness and agency, communion and autonomy, as well as creative self-expression (individual and collective). How does that would translate into the dimensions of innovation architecture-- social, business, learning, technical, and spiritual--so that it can trigger a vortex of innovation that will involve large number of present and future Zaadsters? I guess, that question could be best addressed in the context of a daylong or 1/2-day strategic learning dialogue with Brian and the team.
Access: Public
I see no problem with focusing on technology too. Though I am no techy…and lots of Euroeans have center of attention more on culture and society….I have no problem with it. See the creative enrgy and drive at conferences like TED…..innovation archtitecture gets fertilicized by many areas.
And to make integral aproaches complete:
Spiral Dynamics integral must definitely contribute to these knowledge eco-systems. There are complex integration tasks in the first 6 awakenings of the spiral and the dynmaic flows at any points depend on how profoundly each preceding steps did succeed and was completed.
> innovation archtitecture gets fertilicized by many areas.
Definitely, and technology innovation is clearly, more than just an “enabler” of the social, business, and knowledge innovationa. It is also a differentiator. For example, in the niche market of “social networking with a cause,” companies that make their services more ready and available to benefit from the richness of web 2.0 solutions, and the emergence of web 3.0, will have a strategic advantage. However, my point was about not starting the presencing of the future with the tech analysis, so that the individual and collective human needs and aspirations can get proper attention in articulating the vision of the next phase.
> Spiral Dynamics integral must definitely contribute to these knowledge eco-systems.
Right on! As Ken pointed out a couple of times, when people say AQAL, they frequently mean only AQ and forget about taking into account the levels of development. SDi and some of the other developmental theories have a useful framework of analysis, which could help any company finetuning its market offer, and even more so in the social networking industry.
>As Ken pointed out a couple of times, when people say AQAL, they frequently mean only AQ and forget about taking into account the levels of development.
Right on, Duri and Albert. I don't know whether it's because I have my mind deep into Otto Laske's Measuring Hidden Dimensions but I see the developmental perspective as ever more important. We do see the world not as it is, but as we are.
I think SDi has a lot to offer also in terms of Don's experience of action in the field. Some of what he's up to is being documented on the Integral Action in the World pod. I set that up as a forum to focus attention on integral approaches, in the hope that joining some dots could bring some cross-fertilisation.
Of course, while there are still turf-wars very clearly preventing them from collaborating properly, the partisans of these approaches are diluting their potential and giving the whole field a bad name. (Don has been griping about allowing I-I events to be advertised on the SDi Yahoo group if I-I won't do the same for theirs). Not transcending ego and blaming the other side for it. We see the world as we are. I intend to call that out if I see it happening on Zaadz.
But aside from all that, our efforts would be much more powerful if we had proper collaboration tools. The pods just leave me frustrated. It would at least be good to be able to paste pictures in comments (I can't do that yet, despite following the FAQ instructions) and upload documents.
Helen..the pods can be improved..sure…nevertheless they work already. …The clear spirit of collaboration…makes the difference! Ego Games…politics and narcissistic Status poses create these toxic and useless infights Don often speaks about. I know this from German speaking countries too!
Here at Zaadz -and certainly in any future constellation with EVONexus we transcent all of this. Of course no kind of system ALONE can produce these results. The Committement to authentic self will be measured and tested in future scenarios too.
George….agree absolutely with your last comment!
You also said:
“For Zaadz to become a household name in 2008, and later a brand that expands into other industries, urban centers, etc., as Brian envisioned it in the recent issue of WIE, its core business, social networking needs to hit the sweet spot of business, social, learning, technical and spiritual innovation. It can be done through intentional and simultaneous cultivation of all 5 dimensions of the “innovation architecture.” (I introduced that distinction and community development model in my Liberating the Innovation Value of Communities of Practice chapter of the “Knowledge Economics: Principles, Practices and Policies” book.”
There was a nice little story last year. I posted this:
In the K Zones
And Debra Amidon, CEO of Entovation found it via Internet. I know she is co-authoring the book about knowledge economics. We had an excellent exchange about GCC Area and she offered cooperation for ECMAS.
Do you know Debra personally?
Thx for your powerful input here!
Albert
> Do you know Debra personally?
Yes, I am an Entovation Fellow and frequently quoted by her. I appreciate her work on “knowledge innovation” that corresponds to what I call “learning innovation” in the context of my innovation architecture.
this is great, George (and Albert & Helen!).
I appreciate your insight and support.
–>I almost certain that when the founders dreamt up Zaadz, what appeared in their mind's eye was not a set of tools and functionalities but how they and others would feel when using Zaadz, what it would enable to do and be, how would be the feel of the whole experience.
you're correct. Our intention has been to create an oasis that honors the highest within us and gives us that much needed sanctuary that inpsires and empowers us to live at our highest potential.
Quick snap shot of my/our thinking in terms of high level focus/nuts and bolts operational strategy/tech development:
I like to say that 2006 was all about laying a foundation of powerful tools while creating an oasis–connecting “seekers” to their highest selves and to other “seekers” on their own paths.
In 2007 we'll be focusing on empowering people in the business of empowering people as we offer micro-communities for life coaches, veggie restaurant owners, meditation and yoga teachers and other “conscious entrepreneurs” passionate about making a difference in the world and getting paid to do so.
fun.
Back to plerk. :)
-bri
(Just downloaded the intro to Theory U, btw. thanks for the rec!)
thanks for all the resources. i'm downloading them and bookmarking them as we go along :)
~C
i just checked your bookmarks - way cool - plese note that Otto spells his name as S-c-h-a-r-m-e-r - i dunno whether you can change spelling in the tag of a bookmark but if so it could help preventing the proliferation of tags of the same with different spelling
doh. my bad. i've corrected it :)