Next Meeting

Ken Homer — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 03:26:11 +0000

Our next meeting will take place on:

27 January 2012

The Upward Spiral: Bootstrapping Systemic Change
with Elizabeth Doty

As we head into 2012, many of us have a sense of emerging possibility — if we can rise to the occasion. Many systems are at tipping points — from our organizations to our economy, our society and the environment.

In times like these, it matters immensely how each of us shows up.

If we fall into downward spirals of cynicism, distrust, and blame, we threaten our ability to address our most important challenges and act on our visions of a better future.

Yet it is also possible to spark an upward spiral, even in the most difficult situations.

If downward spirals describe deterioration, the upward spiral is a metaphor for growth. In the natural world, many organisms grow via a spiraling pattern. As a metaphor, the upward spiral suggests a way to raise one another’s level of aspiration, commitment and action — even those with whom we most disagree.

If you knew how to spark an upward spiral, what would you attempt? Mobilizing your team around a new mission? Achieving full engagement among your staff? Building more collaboration with peers? Infusing your organization with higher values and integrity? Building a society that works for all?

Please join us as we explore the upward spiral as a guiding metaphor for bootrapping systemic change.

Our intention is that by the end of the session, you will:

Renew your energy and clarity about a change you would like to see
Identify hidden resources for change in any situation
Learn the “action-signal” method and three simple rules for building upward spirals
Plan a 30-day upward spiral experiment, and work with peers to get it started

Elizabeth Doty is the founder of WorkLore, a leadership consulting firm. Organizations such as Cisco, Intuit and Stanford University hire her to help them build cultures of commitment and action. Roy Shapiro of the Harvard Business School says, “No one in the world is better than Elizabeth Doty at creating the conditions for upward spirals of trust, collaboration and excellence.” Elizabeth is the author of The Compromise Trap: How to Thrive at Work without Selling your Soul, which teaches leaders ways of reversing unhealthy workplace pressure. She has given speeches and workshops at The Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, the OD Network, and the Business Ethics Network. She is a board member of the Berrett-Koehler Authors Cooperative, and earned her MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Recommended Reading – What is An Upward Spiral?

Please RSVP by 24 January.

Click here to add yourself to our mailing list

Logistics:

Meetings times are from 10:00AM to 3:00PM

Saybrook is located at 747 Front St in San Francisco. Building is wheelchair accessible and a short walk from the Ferry Building or Embarcadero BART stations. Parking is available in the area and ranges from $15 to $20 per day.

Meeting are free to members and $20 to general public – no one is turned away for lack of funds.

Lunch break is part of day, brown bag or patronize one of the many nearby eateries.

Dialogue and relationship building is encouraged!

General Meeting Information and Logistics

Ken Homer — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 22:39:56 +0000

Where:

BASoL meets at: The Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center located at 747 Front St, in San Francisco. Saybrook is wheelchair accessible and a short walk from the Embarcadero BART station. Parking in the neighborhood ranges from $15 to $20 per day.

When:

Our meeting schedule is somewhat irregular, we average about five meetings a year. If you are interesting in being a presenter please visit the About Presenting page

Our meetings run from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM and are nearly always held on a Friday.

Coffee and tea are provided at each meeting.

We do break for lunch – bring your own or purchase something from the numerous food purveyors nearby. In the Summer months there is park across the street that makes for a lovely place to dine, but the grass can be a bit damp so some ground cover is a good idea.

Who:

Meetings are open to anyone with an interest in organizational and societal learning. BASoL operates as a recognized fractal of Global SoL – an IRS approved not for profit organization.

Membership in BASoL:

Membership in BASoL is $60.00 per year. To join, bring a check to the next meeting made out to Bay Area SoL. We regret that at this time we are not set up for credit cards.

Meeting costs:

Meetings are free to BASoL and Global SoL members. To defray our costs and cover our overhead we request a $20 donation per meeting from non-members. No one is turned away for lack of funds.

Mailing list:

To join our mailing list, please send an email to Worklore with “Subscribe BASoL” in the subject line.

Bay Area Society for Organizational Learning