Periodically, I like most of you, get introduced to other professionals through or by trusted colleagues.This past week Jimmy P. connected as a consequence of just such an introduction. After a brief email exchange it became clear that Jimmy was a true professional and superbly intentional about where the direction of the connection might go. Teal email Jimmy Parker
Jimmy,
Thank you for setting the context. As you've surmised my work is primarily with smaller organizations and would not be presumed to be Organization Development work in the traditional sense. Therefore everything I've learned about what and how to move organizations in the self-led direction is anecdotal and sorry to confess mostly intuitive.
That said my sense is that we are really onto something such that I/we are currently facing the proverbial fork in the road. In a nutshell, I believe, that what we've learned is significantly useful to others. How and what to do about that is like, I suppose, Hamlet's "to be or not to be". Clearly, most of this is beyond me.
To my way of thinking, "Teal" (I'll use that word for now) is not an Organization Development issue in the traditional sense. This is a people issue, one person at a time. I've described my work as the "Ground Game of Teal".
It starts with the belief in the intrinsic worth of each of us and as Lee Thayer has said, "that good work superbly done in connection with each other, is the richest form of human dignity and quality of life”.
All of this informs my personal mission to walk, as a good friend might, along that path with the dear friends who will walk along.
That said, it is my experience that some version of Teal is already occurring every minute of every day, in all organizations. And that almost without exception everyone is desperate for more of this.
Happy to talk if you feel it will be useful for your purposes. Up to you. I'll certainly understand if all this does not serve your immediate cause.
My best,
Bruce
For those of you who are not "Jimmy" and not in this conversation directly, how about joining us in the next FLP Session that starts on the April 17th
