Article
- Using Emergence to Take Social Innovation to Scale
Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze
©2006
http://www.evolutionarynexus.org/node/620
Despite current ads and slogans, the
world doesn’t change one person at
a time. It changes when networks of relationships form among people
who share
a common cause and vision of what’s possible. This is good
news for those of us
intent on creating a positive future. Rather than worry about
critical mass, our
work is to foster critical connections. We don’t need to
convince large numbers of
people to change; instead, we need to connect with kindred spirits.
Through
these relationships, we will develop the new knowledge, practices,
courage and
commitment that lead to broad-based change.
But networks aren’t the whole story. As networks grow and
transform into
active, collaborative communities, we discover how Life truly
changes, which is
through emergence. When separate, local efforts connect with each
other as
networks, then strengthen as communities of practice, suddenly
and surprisingly
a new system emerges at a greater level of scale. This system
of influence
possesses qualities and capacities that were unknown in the individuals.
It isn’t
that they were hidden; they simply don’t exist until the
system emerges. They
are properties of the system, not the individual, but once there,
individuals
possess them. And the system that emerges always possesses greater
power
and influence than is possible through planned, incremental change.
Emergence
is how Life creates radical change and takes things to scale.
Since its inception in 1992, The Berkana Institute has been experimenting
with the lifecycle of emergence: how living systems begin as networks,
shift to
intentional communities of practice, and evolve into powerful
systems capable of
global influence. Two years ago, we created the Berkana Exchange
to learn how
local social innovation can be taken to scale and provide solutions
to many of the
world’s most intractable issues—such as community health,
ecological
sustainability and economic self-reliance. The Exchange connects
leadership
learning centers around the globe, in such places as Brazil, Canada,
India,
Mexico, Pakistan, South Africa, the United States and Zimbabwe.
A learning
center is a local initiative committed to strengthening a community’s
leadership
capacity and self-reliance by working with the wisdom and wealth
already
present in its people, traditions and environment. The purpose
of the Berkana
Exchange is to support and sustain a vibrant “trans-local”
learning community—a
network that connects local action so that global influence can
emerge. By
applying the lessons of living systems and working intentionally
with emergence
and its lifecycle, we are learning how to create the conditions
for networks of all
kinds to evolve into systems of influence that spread social innovation
throughout
the world.
Why we need to understand networks
Researchers and social activists are beginning to discover the
power of
networks and networking. And there is a growing recognition that
networks are
the new form of organizing. Evidence of self-organized networks
is everywhere:
social activists, web-based interest groups, terrorist groups,
street gangs.
Yet much of the current work on networks displays old paradigm
bias. We
repeat our habitual pattern of looking for hierarchy and control
mechanisms in the
belief that organization only happens through human will and intervention.
We
see this in social network analysis, when physical representations
of the network
are created by mapping relationships—thereby depicting the
form that has
emerged, but saying nothing about why it formed. Other network
analysts identify
roles played by network members, such as “expert” and
“lurker,” or make
distinctions between different parts of the network, such as “core”
and
“periphery.” Most of these distinctions hark back to
our mechanical
understanding of organization—its shape, roles and physical
manifestation.
Although It may not be the intent of these researchers, their
work is often used
by leaders to find ways to manipulate the network, to use it in
a traditional and
controlling way.
What’s missing in these analyses is an exploration of the
dynamics of
networks. As the only form of organization used by living systems
on this planet,
networks result from self-organization, where individuals or species
recognize
their interdependence and organize in ways that support the diversity
and
viability of all. Because networks are the first stage in emergence,
it is essential
that we understand their dynamics by exploring such questions
as:
! Why do networks form? What are the conditions that support their
creation?
! What keeps a network alive and growing? What keeps members
connected?
! What type of leadership is required? Why do people become leaders?
! What type of leadership interferes with or destroys the network?
! What happens after a healthy network forms? What’s next?
! If we understand these dynamics and the lifecycle of emergence,
what
can we do as leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs to
intentionally foster emergence?
What is Emergence?
Emergence violates so many of our Western assumptions of how change
happens that it often takes quite a while to understand it. In
nature, change
never happens as a result of top-down, pre-conceived strategic
plans, or from the
mandate of any single individual or boss. Change begins as local
actions spring
up simultaneously in many different areas. If these changes remain
disconnected, nothing happens beyond each locale. However, when
they
become connected, local actions can emerge as a powerful system
with
influence at a more global or comprehensive level. (Global here
means a larger
scale, not necessarily the entire planet.)
These powerful emergent phenomena appear suddenly and surprisingly.
Think about how the Berlin Wall suddenly came down, how the Soviet
Union
ended, how corporate power quickly came to dominate globally.
In each case,
there were many local actions and decisions, most of which were
invisible and
unknown to each other, and none of which was powerful enough by
itself to
create change. But when these local changes coalesced, new power
emerged.
What could not be accomplished by diplomacy, politics, protests,
or strategy
suddenly happened. And when each materialized, most were surprised.
Emergent phenomena always have these characteristics: They exert
much more
power than the sum of their parts; they always possess new capacities
different
than the local actions that engendered them; they always surprise
us by their
appearance.
It is important to note that emergence always results in a powerful
system
that has many more capacities than could ever be predicted by
analyzing the
individual parts. We see this in the behavior of hive insects
such as bees and
termites. Individual ants possess none of the intelligence or
skills that are in the
hive. No matter how intently scientists study the behavior of
individual ants, they
can never see the behavior of the hive. Yet once the hive forms,
each ant acts
with the intelligence and skillfulness of the whole. And over
time, even though the
individual ants die off, the hive develops greater intelligence.
This aspect of emergence has profound implications for social
entrepreneurs. Instead of developing them individually as leaders
and skillful
practitioners, we would do better to connect them to like-minded
others and
create the conditions for emergence. The skills and capacities
needed by them
will be found in the system that emerges, not in better training
programs.
Because emergence only happens through connections, Berkana has
developed a four stage model that catalyzes connections as the
means to
achieve global level change. Our philosophy is to “Act locally,
connect regionally,
learn globally.” We focus on discovering pioneering efforts
and naming them as
such. We then connect these efforts to other similar work globally.
We nourish
this network in many ways, but most essentially through creating
opportunities for
learning and sharing of experiences and shifting into communities
of practice.
We also illuminate the work of these pioneering efforts so that
many more people
will learn from them. We are attempting to work intentionally
with emergence so
that small, local efforts can become a global force for change.
The Life-Cycle of
Emergence
Stage One: Networks.
We live in a time when coalitions, alliances and
networks are forming as the means to create societal change. There
are ever more networks and now, networks of networks. These networks
are
essential for people finding likeminded others, the first stage
in the life-cycle of emergence. It’s important to note that
networks are only the beginning. They are based on self-interest--people
usually network together for their own benefit and to develop
their own work. Networks tend to have fluid membership; people
move in and out of them based on how much they personally benefit
from participating.
Stage Two: Communities of Practice.
Networks make it possible for people
to find others engaged in similar work. The second stage of emergence
is the development of communities of practice (CoPs). Many such
smaller, individuated communities can spring from a robust network.
CoPs are a self-organized. People share a common work and realize
there is great benefit to being in relationship. They use this
community to share what they know, to support one another, and
to intentionally create new knowledge for their field of practice.
These CoPs differ from networks in significant ways. They are
communities, which means that people make a commitment to be there
for each other; they participate not only for their own needs,
but to serve the needs of others.
In a community of practice, the focus extends beyond the needs
of the group. There is an intentional commitment to advance the
field of practice, and to share those discoveries with a wider
audience. They make their resources and
knowledge available to anyone, especially those doing related
work.
The speed with which people learn and grow in a community of practice
is noteworthy. Good ideas move rapidly amongst members. New knowledge
and practices are implemented quickly. The speed at which knowledge
development and exchange happens is crucial, because local regions
and the world need this knowledge and wisdom now.
Stage Three: Systems of Influence.
The third stage in emergence can never
be predicted. It is the sudden appearance of a system that has
real power and influence. Pioneering efforts that hovered at the
periphery suddenly become the norm. The practices developed by
courageous communities become the
accepted standard. People no longer hesitate about adopting these
approaches and methods and they learn them easily. Policy and
funding debates now include the perspectives and experiences of
these pioneers. They become leaders in the field and are acknowledged
as the wisdom keepers for their particular issue. And critics
who said it could never be done suddenly become chief supporters
(often saying they knew it all along.)
Emergence is the fundamental scientific explanation for how local
changes can materialize as global systems of influence. As a change
theory, it offers methods and practices to accomplish the systems-wide
changes that are so needed at this time. As leaders and communities
of concerned people, we need to intentionally work with emergence
so that our efforts will result in a truly hopeful future. No
matter what other change strategies we have learned or
favored, emergence is the only way change really happens on this
planet. And that is very good news.
