Giving people permission to be creative together in groups, that’s what Scrum Masters do. On the receiving end, it can feel like a challenge or an invitation, depending on a host of ephemeral factors. The important thing is for the Scrum Master to have trust in the power of self-organization to come up with solutions that are far better than any one mind in isolation is capable of generating.
Catalyzing group intelligence is my mission this evening in Hartford, CT, where I will present to the board of directors of Hartford 2000, a coalition of the City of Hartford and its 13 Neighyborhood Revitalization Zones. The topic? Staff and Board Roles in Nonprofit Fundraising. We are not following cookie-cutter plans, we are being artful, and that requires a bit more thought and engagement than the average meeting attender is likely to expect. HINT: color coded gumdrops are involved.
Self-organization takes getting used to, for sure. However, it is the pattern and flow that best matches today’s thoughtwork and helps us grow beyond an industrial mind-set. We’ve been post-industrial long enough, time to trigger what’s next!
In my view, that’s a matter for self-organized teams – supported in working creatively and collaboratively – to decide.
Verge Arts Group 