I agree Alasdair. One problem I perceive is that these kinds of debates the
world over happen at a cerebral level and I want to bring it down to earth
- to where people are living out their lives. I want to explain why this
ordinary human activity explains the use of the explanatory model of a
complex adaptive system.

The "process stuff" could be interpreted as being nice, using specific
models of teambuilding and having a warm room to meaningfully have quality
time together.  Up to a point I would also say this. However to get at the
heart of what this means I prefer so say that what is going on is that
everyone is struggling to develop the "narrative identity" of their own
unique lives (after Alasdair MacIntyre). We are all the lead actors in the
feature film that is my lfe and the support actor in the feature films of
many others. In the interactions I have everyday with others (and with
myself) I develop this film as I develop my identity and culture.  For this
reason I think that Karl Weick is a seminal thinker about complexity, even
though he does not use the word. He talks about "sensemaking".

A complex adaptive system therefore is the appearance that all of this
interactivity takes as each reacts to, and adapts with, others (Stacey
describes "complex responsive processes"). The fractal is that repeatable
pattern in all of this that is to be seen in impossible to reach places (as
in the square root of a negative number oir the swirl of water going down a
plug hole).  We know it is there but can't touch it without altering it.
The fractal might be that point in the present where my past and future
make sense to me and also to "the whole" emerging story - the fractal is
meaning, or love? Plot that on a bar graph!

Happy Christmas.

Paul

At 04:39 PM 8/12/01 +0000, you wrote:
>At an organisational level I think a deep engagement and understanding of
>the 'process stuff' is fundamental to genuine transformation taking place.
>
>This is my bug bear with the work out of the Plexus Institute. There has
>been a considerable amount of work done by organisational development
>practitioners trying to make sense of this stuff and they come along from a
>background of quality assurance and  write and talk with
>Scant reguard to the history or the intellectual integrity of what has
>Become before.
>
>Because of the absence of reflection by the Plexus Group about what they
>Espouse in contrast to what has been enacted (there has been no formal
>evaluation of their work as such) I asked them explicitly about CHRIS
>AGYRIS' work as he has spent most of his career examining this.
>I got complete silence. It is not acknowledged by the Edgeware book either.
>
>I did however get some feedback from them. They (Kurt Zimmerman) suggested
>that I might try to be nice, which I am trying to take to heart. Perhaps
>Ma was right after all:-)
>
>If anyone wants a copy of the Edgware book to  read they are very happy to
>borrow mine. I will send it to the first person that asks (gift culture:-)
>
>Could be a lucky stocking filler
>
>Alasdair
>