Swarm Speed

http://falkvinge.net/2011/08/01/swarmwise-what-is-a-swarm/

Insightful article on the learning that we can get from the speed, accuracy and inter-dependency of swarms and shoals that have the capability of moving large objects (made up of small autonomous parts) very quickly.

Nurture Nature

Earlier this year, after too many months of 'I'll get around to it' procrastination, I finally made a sourdough leaven or starter, and became a simpler, happier breadmaker, able to dispense with sugars and fats whilst making the most delightful sourdough breads. 

A spell of work away coincided with hot weather at home, and in forgetting to ask my family to nuture my leaven and keep it tended, all of the natural yeast cells died and it was starter no more. 

From scratch, the process of growing a starter is simple and straightforward. The recipe I used included a spoonful of yoghurt and a few raisins for sugar, flour and water. Each day, throwing half of the small mix to make room for more ingredients. By day five or so, the fermentation process starts, and in the space of another 48 or 72 hours, turns a gloopy, soupy mixture into a vibrant, fragrant sourdough starter that can be mixed with nothing more than flour ( 200g starter to 500g flour), water and a little salt, to make a bread that stays fresh and usable for days.

The process reminded me that you can't rush what happens in nature. It's nurture that's needed, not speed, when building new life.

Improv & biomimicry

Colleague in change Paul Z Jackson, founder of the Applied Improvision Network, defines these seven characteristics as central to the making the idea of improv into a working, living artform that's as relevant in business and organisational life as it is in play. I'd been introduced to Paul and BCI's Belina Raffy by Neil Mullarkey (Comedy Store Players), and since then have enjoyed making the connections between improv's practice of dealing with emergence, biomimicry and the rapid change needed for transformation to a sustainable future.

The seven principles are:

Here and now - respond to what is happening right now, noticing the present.

Yes...and - learn to build others' ideas rather than fall into the familia yes...but

Commit; move the story forwards - action creates learning, information and opportunity

The power of the obvious - be prepared to work with what's staring you in the face

Disposability; letting go - acknowledge the redundancy of your own ideas and actions as well as of others

Taking turns - building a story or process in collaboration, together builds diversity as well as potency

Make your partner look good

The Sun shapes the World

You know when the world is changing when the UK's Sun newspaper, our most famous red top, runs a feature on biomimicry. Bring it on.

Click here to read the article

Act Naturally

Later this month, there's an interesting three day Applied Improv Network conference in Amsterdam that my colleague Belina Raffy and I are lucky enough to be speaking at, with a workshop that combines biomimicry and improv skills to look at the way that we can find new behaviours and techniques to embed emergence in organisations.

One thing seems certain going forwards - whatever comes down the line won't be at the same speed or scale as we expected, and the more that we're able to deal with the unexpected in positive ways, the better.

Improv provides a framework for working in the moment with a set of skills that build on whatever happens as opportunity, not threat.