leadership for sustainability evolutionaire begeleiding

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Evolutionary Guidance Systems Evolutionaire Begeleiding: LEADERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABILITY- Evolutionaire Begeleiding LEIDERSCHAP~ DUURZAAMHEID~ Waar ging deze module over? De uitnodiging kwam voorbij om mee te doen aan een project vanuit Saybrook University van Kathia Laszlo. In Januari zijn we daarmee gestart. Met nog 34 anderen Systeem Denkers. Deze week is de laatste actieve week waarin we allemaal ons eindproject inleveren. Het eindproject zelf blijft binnen de Universiteit een actieve deelname en wil wel heel graag de kern en de essentie delen. Heel beknopt gaat het nieuwe leiderschap over de nieuwe samenlevingsvormen, de nieuwe sociale vormen, en die moeten ontworpen worden.

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Page 1: Leadership for sustainability   evolutionaire begeleiding

Evolutionary Guidance Systems

Evolutionaire Begeleiding:

LEADERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABILITY- Evolutionaire Begeleiding

LEIDERSCHAP~

DUURZAAMHEID~

Waar ging deze module over?

De uitnodiging kwam voorbij om mee te doen aan een project vanuit Saybrook University van Kathia Laszlo.

In Januari zijn we daarmee gestart.

Met nog 34 anderen Systeem Denkers.

Deze week is de laatste actieve week waarin we allemaal ons eindproject inleveren.

Het eindproject zelf blijft binnen de Universiteit een actieve deelname en wil wel heel graag de kern en de essentie delen.

Heel beknopt gaat het nieuwe leiderschap over de nieuwe samenlevingsvormen, de nieuwe sociale vormen, en die moeten ontworpen worden.

Deze nieuwe sociale vormen gaan over het hart-hoofd-handen en niet meer over macht of afhankelijkheid van de ander en 1 persoon die leiding of sturing geeft.

Het leren hoe je die zelfsturing kunt vergroten is waar het over gaat in dit experiment, in deze klas. Door eerst een week tijd te krijgen wie we zijn en wat we doen en hoe we leven, ons verhaal te delen, elkaars verhaal

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te lezen, ontstaat er een andere basis dan wanneer je met mensen gaat samenwerken. In alles wat het leven ons brengt vinden we rust en geluk en door gedachten en gevoelens geven we aandacht aan wat ons hoofd activeert. Hoe we in verbinding staan met mensen vanuit ons hart is bepalend voor de sturing die je kunt en durft te geven. Als je de behoefte laat gaan aan controle en anderen te beïnvloeden ga je veel meer rust voelen. Anderen kunnen niet zorgen voor onze behoeften maar ze kunnen we onze behoeften en gevoelens serieus nemen en die zien, dat is empathie.

Het gevaar van materiaal aanleveren dat past bij de systeem denker zelf, bij zijn of haar concepten betekent dat het misschien ook past bij de verwachtingen van die persoon. Dat moet je heel goed bewaken in een leerproces zodat je het onderscheid kunt maken tussen een leider die je zelf sturing leert ontwikkelen je eigen concepten en materiaal leert verzamelen of dat je het materiaal van de leider moet volgen.

Alleen als je je autonoom voelt en je ook zo kunt gedragen kun je ook de ervaring van echte afhankelijkheid voelen, die gaat altijd vooraf aan echte autonomie!

Het is makkelijk om je zo voor te doen als je weet dat de ander dat van je verwacht maar dat is niet lang vol te houden, dat kost energie. In de groep heb ik mijn proces en verhaal gedeeld met deze mensen en daarmee mijn afhankelijkheid laten voelen , laten zien en laten horen, mijn verhaal, wat groot is en een lading heeft.

Hierdoor is er een onderlinge openheid ontstaan, de anderen deelden dit ook hoe hun afhankelijkheidsproces is verlopen en hoe ze allemaal onze ingangen vonden en opvattingen verdedigden als kind. De onbewuste manipulaties zijn de lucht die we allemaal inademden als kind. Die gevaarlijke kwaliteiten van die lucht moet je wel zien als volwassenen.

Als we leren onze kinderlijke gevoelens te beleven en te verhelderen hoeven we niemand te manipuleren met theorieën en kunnen we hen laten worden wie ze zijn!

In de groep hebben sommige die pijnlijke ervaring en aanvaarding van die eigen waarheid gedeeld hoe dat in een persoonlijke reis is verlopen, onze oefeningen daarin gedeeld met de anderen en de theorieën en

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welke personen ons daarin hielpen, de boeken, de video,s hoe wij zelf die innerlijke taal van onszelf hebben leren interpreteren en hebben ontdekt, blootgelegd! We hebben dit niet inhoudelijk gedaan maar wel de vorm met elkaar gedeeld en hoe lang we hier al mee bezig zijn om die innerlijke reis te ontdekken en hoe we die ruimte en die tijd hebben genomen hiervoor. Het is heel erg interessant om te zien wat er allemaal nog meer is en hoeveel mensen en theorieën er zijn waarvan je nog nooit iets gehoord hebt. Je perspectieven gaan verruimen en dat is een heel fijn gevoel van binnen, dat geeft ruimte, meer ruimte om dingen vanuit nog meer perspectieven te zien. Dat is het nieuwe holistische wereldbeeld, het spirituele wat met wetenschap verbonden is. Veel mensen weten dit nog niet en dat zal ook nog wel tot 2020 duren voordat dit in alle rust en in een eigen tempo geïntegreerd is in ons systeem, in de samenleving.

Hierover ga ik nu ook verder niks vertellen want dat is een aparte blog of verhaal.

Het gaat erom dat er niemand in de groep heeft gelachen om mijn gevoeligheid en intensiteit en dit niet als zwak zagen maar juist complimenten bleef ontvangen en dit juist een enorme kracht is. Die boodschappen hebben mij getriggerd tijdens deze afgelopen 3 maanden.

De gevoelens van “spanningen” gezonde spanningen of niet, die zijn dus afkomstig uit de systemen die gaan over het hoofd, de liefdevolle gevoelens van welkom zijn komen uit het hart, en als we dat allemaal van te voren zouden weten dat die ruimte overal zo is dan zouden we geen spanningen meer hoeven voelen. Alles wat uit het hoofd komt en zo is voor een ander beperkt het bewegingsveld van de ander die wel in zijn hart vertrekt. Als we alle drie de systemen leren integreren dan betekent dit dat je zelf je eigen hart leert openen hiervoor en dat durft!

Je gevaar wat je loopt als je jezelf openstelt, en daarover gaat mijn reisje op facebook sinds januari 2012 j.l. Ik ben vanuit niks op facebook gekomen en gaan studeren aan de GBU en omdat ik daar mijn verhaal heel open heb gedeeld en daar een diepe band ontstond met de andere studenten en de professor van deze module is er in mij iets vrijgekomen, iets losgemaakt.

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De liefde, het begrip en de aanvaarding van wat er in mijn systeem leeft en er mag zijn,dat is Systems Being. Dat is waar het nieuwe wereldbeeld over gaat en daarbij gebruiken we ons hoofd en onze handen om dit in een actie om te zetten.

Dit is een totaal nieuwe benadering dan die van de laatste 20 jaar waarin we met allerlei modellen en technieken in communicatie en therapeutische concepten bezig zijn geweest om een verandering te creëren in de wereld. Het was niet genoeg. Dit is uitgesproken tijdens de Global United Day waarin de verenigde naties een summit gaven waar alle grote denkers met hun vraagstellingen met elkaar in dialoog gingen. Dit was 24 oktober 2012. Verschillende platformen gaven helder inzicht in de problemen en oplossingen die zichtbaar zijn in de wereld. Educatie, relationeel, organisatie, culturele vraagstukken werden openlijk met elkaars ideeën daarover uitgewisseld.

De rode draad is de corestone van de nieuwe wereldvisie van de 21e eeuw. Het Quantum bewustzijn als het nieuwe paradigma wat nu voorzichtig in de samenleving geïntroduceerd wordt. Veel mensen , bijna 90 % van de bevolking, kent de nieuwe wetenschap nog niet. Het wereldbeeld is een nivo van bewustzijn waar we naartoe geëvolueerd zijn. Het is de wetenschap die samengaat met spiritualiteit.

In het concept van Spiral Dynamics noemen we dit het holistische wereldbeeld wat alle andere nivo,s omvat. Het wordt nog veel verward met de groene beweging en de stroming zoals uit de tijd met de hippies. Hun visie is niet meer voldoende en heeft niet genoeg impact , er is meer nodig.

Van binnenuit moeten er meer mensen hun waarden gaan veranderen en daarmee hun denken, en daarmee tonen we een Leadership aan die evolutionair is.

In Nederland betekent dit zowel voor links als voor rechts dus baanbrekende inzichten en tools waarmee we met elkaar gaan samenwerken ipv elkaar te bevechten of in discussies te gaan. In dialoog gaan met elkaar is de oplossing en dit faciliteren van dialogen vraagt om een nieuwe sociale vorm. Deze ontwerpen zijn we aan het maken en zijn

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er al en in samenwerking met deze wetenschappers mag ik je die aanreiken en aanbieden om ermee te starten in jouw omgeving.

Een United World View aanreiken is wat iedereen kan doen en waar iedereen in kan participeren. De deuren zijn geopend!

De informatie over deze global United Day is beschikbaar op pfd bestand. Iedereen kan de nieuwste science gaan uitdragen als Leadership, met ons zonder titel.

Evolutionary Leadership is ontwikkeld op verschillende Universiteiten in Amerika. Er is een non profit organisatie die dit binnen haar organisatie geïntegreerd heeft en aanbied aan organisaties omdat het er nog niet is.

De Giordano Bruno University is geopend om change agents opleiding aan te bieden vanuit die nieuwe wereldbeeld. De doelgroep is vooral jongeren en kinderen en volwassenen met een jonge geest die dit willen uitdragen in hun omgeving vooral met jongeren. De lancering was ook einde 2012. De eerste studenten werden via de chat met elkaar verbonden en dit was een enorme ervaring, je kon de energie voelen die ontstaan door het verbinden van zoveel mensen tegelijk op de chat. Alle verschillende landen kwamen bij elkaar.

Ik verheug mij op wat er allemaal nog gaat komen, er is ondertussen veel gebeurd en ontwikkeld, ben met de laatste afwerkingen bezig van mijn project, en kan je uit mijn hart vertellen dat het een prachtige ervaring is. Laat jezelf meenemen in die flow, in die waves of syntony,,,want het opent je hart zoveel meer en geeft je zoveel meer energie als je op die manier in de wereld sturing gaat geven. Met het enorme netwerk wat er nu ligt weet ik dat de komende jaren alleen maar heel innovatief zullen zijn en heb voor Jullie alle netwerkcontacten in een dossier met de juiste namen van mensen die actief aan het ontwerpen zijn hierin. Je hoeft niet alles alleen te onderzoeken en te doen en dat duurt ook veel te lang, het is onmogelijk. Alleen via relaties en verbindingen kun je jouw wereld waarin jij leeft verrijken en daarin kiezen voor die Leadership role..en anderen ook aanreiken hoe er een nieuw wereldbeeld actief is. Meehelpen om dat systeem van binnenuit te gaan veranderen.

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Ik ben er voor jullie, als Ambassador en als Facilitator luister ik diep in de nacht de events en lees alle verslagen en zit overal in de kern. Dit is de reden dat ik zelf niet met opleidingen naar buiten toe kan komen, puur gebrek aan tijd . Ik kan het jullie wel aanreiken en de trainers en wetenschappers onder ons het materiaal en de weg aanwijzen, zodat jullie sneller op pad kunnen en ook dit plezier kunnen voelen.

Ik hoor jullie graag! De eerste afspraken staan al gepland deze lente en zomer, voor de herfst en de winter hoor ik het graag als er een evenement is of nieuw project van het nieuwe wereldbeeld, als er ondersteuning of support nodig is of gewoon een leuk verhaal. Let me know~Liefs Sarah

Vanaf juni kan ik de Projecten gaan aanbieden.

http://www.lumosity.com/landing_pages/188?gclid=CMjC_t7e77YCFYZe3godqA4Abw

Hele leuke plaats om te bezoeken jezelf te testen of je clienten, leerlingen of kinderen ~

Er is zoveel nieuw materiaal gedeeld dat er heel veel energie vrijkwam in mijn systeem, zoveel nieuwe interpretaties, dat je systeem letterlijk gaat groeien en er een explosie komt van energie die je vrijmaakt. Het spelen.

Hierna zijn we met elkaar gaan praten en gevoelens gaan uitwisselen, elkaars mooie creatieve kant gaan versterken en dat nog meer gaan vrijmaken bij elkaar.

De eigen talenten zijn we ook gaan delen en zo wisten we heel snel hoe we bij iemand terecht konden voor extra inzichten in een specifiek gebied. Veranderingen zijn voelbaar in het hoofd want er komen nieuwe gedachten voorbij en zo ontstaat er een verschuiving in je denken, nog meer dan ik zelf al aan het activeren was.

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Het anders denken zorgt voor andere gevoelens en dat geeft rust en plezier in je gedrag, voelbaar. Hierdoor krijg je vanzelf zin om er iets mee te gaan doen.

Ik heb gemerkt dat de meeste mensen uit deze groep allemaal intelligent zijn en waakzaam, opmerkzaam, gevoelig maar hun echte zelf zit niet in de kelder want ook zij weten dat je eigen kinderen en de kinderen om ons heen alleen kunt voeden met je eigen kind in jezelf.

Het echte is wat kinderen voelen. Als kinderen dit niet voelen krijgen ze onbewust de angst van de eigen gevoelens van die ander binnen. Veel volwassenen manipuleren door verdringing van de eigen gevoelens. In het contact met kinderen kun je dit opnieuw leren ,om echt te zien wat je in jouw eigen kamertje verborgen hebt als er dus nieuw leven in dat kamertje komt.

Vrijuit spelen en geen rollen.

De focus ligt voor ons allemaal op de kinderen in de toekomst en op het kind in onszelf of het nu om projecten in het onderwijs gaat of over werk in economische landschappen, er moet een contact zijn vanuit openheid en het hart. Het kind in onszelf.

In de eerste opleidingen die ik volgde in de NLP wereld,ook een eigen landschap, kwamen er veel mensen voorbij die nlp gingen studeren om anderen juist te kunnen manipuleren omdat ze het heerlijk vonden als anderen zo open waren tegen hen. Ik ben hier heel erg van geschrokken en heeft mij ook allert gemaakt. Ik ben daardoor in de Systeem Wetenschappen terecht gekomen. Als je een angst vertelt of gevoel en die ander gaat erom lachen en probeert je gerust te stellen met woorden, en dan ook nog te zeggen dat hij of zij er altijd zal zijn voor je, dan heb je absoluut met manipulatie te maken. De onbewuste angst die doorgegeven wordt is de eigen angst van de eigen kinderjaren en de verwachting van iets griezeligs en de onbeantwoorde vragen, waarom maakt degene van wie ik hou en die van mij houdt, mij zo bang? Iedereen heeft zo,n kamertje voor zichzelf verborgen en die subjectieve wereld ga je wel blootleggen en onderzoeken als je met een innerlijke reis gaat starten.

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Research ArticleEvolution Guided by Design:A Systems Perspective1Bela H. Banathy*International Systems Institute and Saybrook Graduate School, Carmel, CA, USAWe are at a critical juncture of societal evolution where unprecedented human fulfillmentas well as a loss of direction are equally possible. However, we are not at themercy of forces beyond our control but have the potential arid the opportunity to givedirection to our evolution by design and steer it toward a hoped-for future, providedwe: (1) develop evolutionary consciousness (2) engaging iii conscious evolution (3)acquire evolutionary competence by evolutionary learning (4) create evolutionary

images of our future, and (5) bring those images to life by design. © 1998 John Wiley &Sons, Ltd.Syst. Res. 15: 000—000, 1998No. of Figures: 2 No. of Tables: O No. of References: 22Keywords conscious evolution; evolution by design; evolutionary competence; evolutionaryconsciousness; evolutionary guidance systems; evolutionary learning; guided evolution; societalevolution; systems perspective of evolution.ASYSTEMS PERSPECTiVE OF EVOLUTIONA historical view of societal evolution helps us totake a systems perspective of evolution. We canidentify several evolutionary stages. Even thoughthe stages build on each other, they are discontinuous.A description of these stages follows:• Stage one spanned possibly a million years,during which human consciousness evolved,coupled with the greatest human creation:speech. Speech made it possible to expandthe boundaries of human experience intime and space, as oral tradition embracedthe past. Magico-religious myth became theCor~spondc~ce to B. H. Biinathy. International Sy5tems Instituteand Saybrook. Graduate School. 25781 Morse Drive. Cannel.CA 93923. USA‘This article is adapted rn part h~mChapter 7 of Banathy (19%).

all-embracing paradigm of understanding.Hunting—gathering tribes became the integratingcontext of collective human experience.• With stage two, about ten thousand years ago,we entered the agricultural age and created anew mode of communication: writing. Itenabled the further extension of the boundariesof human experience. This stage wasmarked by the flourishing of city states and thephilosophy and logic that emerged in theGreek culture.• Sorne five hundred years ago, the Renaissancebecame the genesis of stage three. With printas the new technology of communication,the boundaries of human experience wereextended into national states. At this stage,

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Newtonian science, the mechanistic/deterrninisticworld view, and the science-basedCCC 1092—7026/98/000000—00 $17.50©1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.RESEARCH ARTICLE Syst. Res.technology of the machine age emerged.culminating in the Industrial Revolution. Itsemerging technologies were often usedunwisely, resulting lit destructive influenceson our habitaL With ‘instant’ global telecommunicationsthe potential of global consciousnessemerged.• Stage four is our current evolutionary stage. Itemerged around the middle of this century. Itsgenesis was marked by: (1) the introduction ofthe greatest destructive force, the atomic bomb;(2) the creation of the United Nations, as anew hope for humanity; and most significantly(3) the emergence of a new mode of communication:cybernetic technology, aided bycomputers. We often call this stage the PostindustrialInformation/knowledge age. Whilethe machine age exploded our physical power,cybernetic technology exploded our cognitivepowers. Systems science has émerged as thenew paradigm for knowledge production,organization and utilization.A review of the evolutionary stages reveals agreat disproportion of their time span. Stage oneevolved about a million years, stage two tenthousand, stage three five hundred, and ourcurrent stage fifty years. The synergic effect ofthe speed and intensity of the development ofthe current stage has resulted in a perilousevolutionary, imbalance. While global communicationat stage three brought forth the potentialof a global human community, our collectiveconsciousness is still locked within ethno-centric,racial and national boundaries; thus creating anevolutionary consciousness gap. Furthermore,during the last several decades, the technologicalrevolution, while giving us earlier urtimaginedand unprecedented power, has accelerated to thepoint wherewe havelost control over it. We havefailed to match the advancement of our technologicalintelligence with an advancement in oursocio-cultural intelligence, and advancement inhuman quality and wisdom. This situation hascreated the second evolutionary gap, an imbalancebetween our technological and socioculturalintelligence.A systems perspective of societal evolutionhelps us to draw some general conclusions from~ 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.the historical review depicted above. It provides

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us with a lens through which we can viewsocietal evolution and capture a comprehensivesystemic vision of evolution. We may come tounderstand evolution as: (a) a phenomenon ofthe constantly expanding boundaries of the spaceand time dimensions of the human experience;(b) the conscious design of new systems oftechnologies of communication which enhancesuch expansion; (c) the continuous unfolding ofnew relationships among human systems, leadingto their reorganization at ever higher levels ofcomplexity; (d) the emergence of new paradigmsof knowledge organization and utilization andnew ways of beliefs and thinking; and, fromthe systemic integration of all the above (e) theemergence of new images of mankind at higherlevels of collective consciousness. Such emergenceis the ultimate hallmark of a particularevolutionary stage.» However, at the current evolutionary stage, asI pointed out earlier, we have yet to createcollective consciousness. Thus, today we areconfronted with an evolutionary crisis, a crisisof consciousness. This crisis is a major source ofthe current societal predicament. This is a crisisthat we created, and we are responsible for actingupon it. We can face the challenge of thisresponsibility by attaining the will and capabilityof conscious and purposeful evolution.FROM EVOLUTIONARY CONSCIOUSNESS TOCONSCIOUS EVOLI.TrIONThe human race has profoundly changed theevolutionary process. Our unlimited capacity forlearning and the explosive rate at which weproduce knowledge and artifacts and createsystems have had an extraordinary impact onevolution. The question that now confronts us is:for what purpose are we going to use thisunlimited capacity and our collective creativepower? We can mobilize this capacity and powerto create a better future and give a hopefuldirection to our evolution. This, however, isdependent upon the development of evolutionaryconsciousness and the attainment of a will ofconscious evolution.Syst. Res., Vol. 15. 000—000 (1998)2 Bela H. BanathySyst. Res. RESEARCH ARTICLEIn evolution the most advanced state of existenceis human consciousness. It is best manifestedin those who are most developed in termsof their relationship to others and in their abilityto interact harmoniously with all else in theirsphere of life. Its highest form is ‘consciousevolution’ which enables us to collaborate

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actively with the evolutionary process. Salk(1983) says that evolutionary consciousness canmotivate action toward ‘conscious evolution’, bywhich we can guide our future. Consciousevolution enables us to use the creative powerto guide our systems and our society toward thefulfillment of their potential. Laszlo (1987) highlightsour evolutionary responsibility as he says:‘The evolution of our societies, and therewith thefuture of our species, is now in our hands. Onlyby becoming conscious of evolution can wemake evolution conscious’ (p. 122). Consciousevolution is enabled by ‘self-reflective consciousness’and it is activated by ‘creating consciousness’(Banathy, 1993a).Self-reflective consciousness is a process bywhich individuals, groups, organizations andsocieties contemplate and make presentations oftheir perceptions of the world, and their understandingof their place in the world, in theirindividual and collective minds. These representationsare developed on the b.asis of values wehold and the ideas we have about how the worldworks, leading to the creation of a cognitive mapof ‘what is’. Cognitive maps are developed,confirmed, elaborated, tested, disconfirmed,changed, and are redrawn. They are ‘alive’.These maps affect our behavior and our behavioraffects the maps.Creating ConsciousnessThe genesis of creating consciousness is selfreflectionthat brings forth aspirations and changeof consciousness. It is a process by whichindividuals, groups, organizations and societiesenvision images of ‘what should be’. Thiscreating thrust is based on the belief, that whilethe future is influenced by the past and present.it is not determined by what was or what is. Itremains open to conscious and purposeful~)1998John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.intervention that can be guided by an evolution-.ary image of the future. A representation of thatimage is the normative cognitive map of adesired future, which we can create individuallyand collectively by design.DEVELOPING EVOLUTiONARYCOMPETENCE THROUGH EVOLUTIONARYLEARNINGConscious evolution is activated as we acquireevolutionary competence through evolutionarylearning. EVolutionary competence enables us togive direction to our individual and collectiveevolution through purposeful design, providedwe individually and collectively learn specificknowledge, ways of thinking, skills and dispositions

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that jointly and interactively constitute thedomain of evolutionary learning. The greatestsource of change in social systems is the processof learning. It is this source that we have toactivate in order to attain conscious evolutionand acquire evolutionary competence throughevolutionary learning. Evolutionary learning isfirst explored here in the context of currentpractices in education. It will be shown that weface a major evolutionary task in education itself,namely, the redesign of the educational agendaso that it can engender the acquisition ofevolutionary competence through evolutionarylearning (Banathy, 1987).Contrasting Maintenance Learning withEvolutionary LearningA major hindrance to the development ofevolutionary competence is inherent in ourcurrent practice of education, which focuses on‘maintenance learning’ (Botnik, 1979). It involvesthe acquisition of fixed outlooks, methods andrules of dealing with known events and recurringsituations. Facing massive societal changesand transformations, today we still promotealready established ways of working and living.Maintenance learning is indispensable for thefunctioning of a society; but it is far from beingadequate at tiznes of turbulence, rapid change,Syst. Res., Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)

Evolution Guided by Design 3RESEARCH ARTICLE Syst. Res.discontinuity and massive transformations —

characteristics of our current era.Our present learning agenda should focus onanother type of learning which is even moreessential at the current evolutionary stage,namely, ‘evolutionary learning’. Evolutionarylearning enables us to cope with change andcomplexity, renew our perspectives, and redesignour systems, often reorganizing them athigher levels of complexity. Evolutionary learningempowers us to anticipate and face unexpectedsituations. It will help us to progress fromunconscious adaptation to our environment toconscious innovation and coevolution with theenvironment and the development of the abilityto direct and manage change.While maintenance learning reinforces alreadylearned ways, it leads to reluctance to change.Evolutionary learning enables us to engage inpurposeful change as we develop the will andcapability to shape change rather than justcoping with it or becoming its victims. Evo]-utionary learning calls upon our creative potentials

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as it empowers us to envision images of thefuture and bring those images to life by design.

The Learning Agenda of EvolutionaryCompetenceThe acquisition of evolutionary competenceenables individuals, families, groups, organizations,communities, and society to createpositive images of the future and based onthose.images steer their evolution by purposefuldesign. A program of evolutionary learning willinclude such domains as:

• The nurturing of evolutionary values, such ascooperation, trust, benevolence, altruism, loveand harmony; and the articulation of a sharedset of values that generate an ever-maturingvision of the future.

• The fostering of evolutionary ethics thatinclude self-realization ethics, social and ecologicalethics.

• The attainment of cooperative group interactionskills by which we can increase ourcapacities for entering into ever-widening

© 1998 .~nWiley & Sons. Ltd.human relationships and managing conflictsin a non-violent manner.The acquisition of competence in systemsthinking, a systems view and systems practice;required for understanding and managingcomplexity, grasping connectedness and interdependence,and perceiving the notion ofwholeness.The development of competence that enablesthe creation of desirable images of the futureand the learning of the skills to generate andevaluate alternatives by which to bring thoseimages to life by design.Creating Conditions for Evolutionary LearningConditions that enhance evolutionary learninginclude providing for. a climate of nurturing,multiple learning types, providing functionalcontexts relevant to the learner, broad-basedlearning resources, opportunities for generatingself-creating meaning, and applying what islearned in the context of real-life situations,which are interesting and important to thelearner.Creating a Climate of NurturingEvolutionary learning can flourish only in aclimate in which nurturing and caring relationshipsare created, and support and trust flows

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both ways between those who learn and thosewho foster learning. As Elise Boulding (1981)noted, our current educational practices expectcompliance, which often engenders insecurity,resistance and even fear. Nurturing buildsconfidence, encourages exploration, and securesconditions for creativity and evolutionary learning.Offering Multiple Learning TypesLearning types that are conducive to evolutionarylearning include: socially supported individuallearning in which the learner is guided byothers; learning by discovery, self-directed learningin which the learner has access to a varietyoflearning resources available in the communityand the larger society; team-learning arrangementsin which learners cooperate and shareSyst. Res.. Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)

4 Bela H. BanathySyst. Res. RESEARCH ARTiCLEexperiences in joint mastery of learning tasks,and learning by travelling on and exploring thevast resources of the information super-highway.Providing Learner-relevant Functional ContextsTo become meaningful to the learner, evolutionarylearning should be provided in the context ofsocial systems, such as the learning group,family, youth groups, organizations, the cornmuriity,etc.; systems in which the learner is aparticipant and which offer actionable taskenvironments for applications of what has beenlearned. Only in such contexts can we expect thedevelopment of knowledge, understanding. dispositionsand skills which enable the emergenceof evolutionary values and competencies bywhich to guide one’s own evolution and makecontribution to the purposeful evolution ofsystems in which one lives and works.Accessing Broad-based Learning ResourcesEducation is much more than schooling, andlearning is much more than education (Banathy,1991). The development of children and youthand continuing development through lifemeshesintricately with learning opportunities availablein all facets of life. Beyond the boundaries ofschooling and formal educational settings, learningopportunities and resources are offered in thehome, in religious organizations, in youth andcivic groups, in cultural and communityagencies, through various media, in high-technetworks, in the world of work, and in a host ofeveryday situations. Apowerful potential residesin the notion of creating an alliance of all thesocietal sectors that have the capability tosupport learning. Evolutionary learning canbecome the focus for creating such an alliance

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that cart tap into a vast reservoir of resources fornurturing evolutionary learning and developingand applying evolutionary competence.Generating Self-created MeaningsWhatever learning task is attended to by thelearner, it can be ‘owned’ by the learner only ifthe learner can self-reflect on it, if the learner canmake sense of it and create meaning from thecontent of the learning experience The learnercan internalize and integrate into his or her© 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ud.cognitive map what is being learned only if he orshe can ‘construct’ from it his or her ownmeaning and understanding.ReflectionsIn the course of our evolutionary journey weadvanced from evolutionary consciousness to thepotential of engaging in conscious evolution. Wecan activate this potential only once we developevolutionary competence that enables us toguide our own evolution individually andcollectively. We recognize, however, that evolutionarycompetence has to be acquired byevolutionary learning. In taking a systemicperspective on evolution, I suggested that weare faced with art evolutionary consciousnessgap and a gap between our technological andsocio-cultural intelligence. I also proposed thatthese gaps can be bridged by conscious andpurposeful evolution which is enabled by evolutionarylearning and the attainment of evolutionarycompetence, Developing evolutionarycompetence will enable us individually andcollectively to engage in the design of evolutionaryguidance systems.EVOLUTIONARY GUIDANCECsikszentmihalyi (1993) sets forth the imperativeof directing evolution. Up to now, he says, oursocietal way of life has been the result of arandom chain of changing events.• And now we suddenly realize that unless wetake things in hand, this process of change willcontinue under the sway of relentless change,entirely blind to human dreams and desiresIf there is a central task for humankind in thenext millennium, it is to start on the right trackin its efforts to control the direction ofevolution. (p. 149)Conscious evolution provides a sense ofdirection for cultural and societal processes byilluminating those processes with guidingimages. And the faster we go, as we do at ourSys. ges., Vol. 15. 000—000 (1998)Evolution Guided by Design 5RESEARCH ARTiCLE Syst. Res.

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current evolutionary stage, the further we have tolook for signs and images to guide our journey(Jantsch, 1980). The core idea of evolutionaryguidance is that evolution, is not the resultof one-sided adaptation and a desperate questfor survival, but is an expression of selftranscendence;the creative reaching out beyondthe system’s own boundaries. ‘We humans arethe integral agents of evolution we spear-head iton our planet and perhaps in our entire solarsystem. We are evolution and we are, to theextent of our power, responsible for it’ (p. 4).Evolutionary guidance implies arrangementsand operations that are built into varioushuman activity systems at all levels of the societyby which these systems are empowered to givedirection to their own evolution arid movetoward the realization of their evolutionaryvision.In what follows, I define evolutionary guidance,propose an example of an image of ageneric Evolutionary Guidance System, exploreits potential, and explain the role of systemsdesign in guided evolution.Evolutionary Guidance: Definitionand PurposeEvolutionary guidance is the process of givingdirection to the conscious evolution of humansystems and developing in these systems theorganizatiorial capacity and human capability to:(1) nurture the physical, mental, emotional andspiritual development and self-realization ethicsof individuals and their systems; (2) extend theboundaries of social and economic justice andgenuine political participation; (3) increasecooperation and integration among societalsystems and manage conflicts in a non-violentmanner; and (4) engage in the creation of societalsystems that can guide their own evolution bypurposeful design.By attaining these capacities and capabilities,we can re-create and empower our socialsystems as Evolutionary Guidance Systems(EGS). This re-creation requires a fundamentalshift in consciousness and a new way ofthinking about perceiving ourselves, our rolein the world, and our relationship with others. It(~)1998 John Wiley & Sons, Litrequires the creation of shared images of ourcollective future while maintaining respect forthe diversity of our many cultures and societalsystems.As a néw evolutionary stage emerges, the useof old images creates more problems than itsolves. On the other hand, when a new image

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leads socio-cultural evolution, it can exert a‘magnetic pull’ toward the future. As a societymoves toward the realization of that image, ‘thecongruence increases between the image and thedevelopment of man arid society’ (Markley andHarmnan, 1982, p.5) and internal consistency andharmony will prevail. Today we are still extrapolatingfrom the old image of an industrialsociety. But it is not working for us any more. Itcauses widespread frustration, alienation andsocial upheavals. We desperately need a newimage. This image shall spring forth from ashared evolutionary vision.

EVOLUTIONARY GUIDANCE SYSTEMSEvolution means ‘unrolling’. It is a process bywhich successive forms arid content unfoldcreatively. This process unfolds our multidimensionallife (Bohm, 1983). Such multi-dimensionalunfolding is the agenda of conscious evolutionand its realization is the task of evolutionaryguidance. If guided evolution is possible, as Isuggest it is, we face three critical questions:

(11.) What kind of systems can enhance thecreative purposeful unfolding of human evolution,from the family on to the global humancommunity, along the multi-dimensions ofhuman experience?

(2) What are those dimensionsthat represent the wholeness of human•experience?

(3) How do we go about designingthose systems?

A possible answer to these questions is proposedhere as I introduce a generic image of anEGS as an arrangement of a set of interactingdimensions that enables purposeful evolutionaryunfolding and propose an approach to designingit.

The set of dimensions is contemplative.Although it has been implemented in a varietyof systems, by no means is it prescriptive. ItSyst. Res., Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)

6 Bela H. BanathySyst. Res. RESEARCH ARTICLEserves as an example.

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This contemplative EGShas the following dimensions:

• a socio-cultural dimension, ensuring socialjustice and an increase in cooperation amongand integration of our societal systems at everhigher levels of complexity;

• a socio-economic dimension with a focus oneconomic justice and integrated and indigen-.•ous development;

• a moral dimension of our lives which is manifestedin actions guided by self-realization,social, and ecological ethics;

• a weliness dimension that nurtures the physical,mental, emotional and spiritual health andwell-being of the individual and society;

• a learning and human dee~elopmentdimension ofnurturing the full development of individualsand social groups and enabling them to attainevolutionary competence.

• a scientific/technological dimension, mobilized forenhancing societal evolution and promotinghuman and social betterment;

• an aesthetic dimension in the pursuit of beauty,cultural and spiritual values, the various formsof arts, all for the enrichment of our innerquality of life;

• a societal/polity dimension of self-deterrnirtation,genuine participation in self-governance, peacedevelopment, and continuous action forhuman betterment and the improvement of

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the human condition.The purposeful design of these dimensions, asinteractive and integrated components of EGS ofour societal systems, will provide a powerfulagenda for the self-directed evolution of ourhuman systems. Figure 1 portrays an image oforganizing the dimensions into a first systemicrepresentation of an EGS.Organizing PerspectivesIn the center of Figure 1 I have placed a set oforganizing perspectives that guide in the design ofthe EGS and have an integrating, systemscreatingeffect. These are as follows:

• Purpose-~the (generic) set of purposes alreadyidentified above coupled with purposes®1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

that are unique to the specific EGS to bedesigned.

• Focus, that is specific to the functional coritextualnature of the system for which wedesign the EGS. For example, a health prevention/maintenance system will have the wellnessand educational dimensions as its focus.The other dimensions are built around thistwo-dimensional focus.

• Underlying values and assumptions, such as the(generic) set of evolutionary values alreadyintroduced earlier as well as values that aresought to be realized in the systems for whichwe design the EGS. In designing the EGS,values are transformed into observablequalities of the EGS. Examples of underlyingassumptions include: each and every individualhas the right to, and is expected to takeresponsibility for, involvement in decisionsaffecting his or her life, and no one has theright to design a social system for someoneelse.

• Integratives have the power to integrate thevarious dimensions into the EGS. Examples:being guided by an ethical stance, seekingbalance among, the dimensions, ensuringharmony, mutual reinforcement, compatibility,arid internal consistency among the dimensions,and ensuring wholeness.Underconceptuali.zationIn considering the design of the EGS we shouldbe particularly concerned about avoiding underconceptualization(UC). The most significant UCis compromising on the ideal and not seeking

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and defining the most promising, the truly idealimage of the EGS. On the other hand, the mostfrequent manifestation of UC is that we work outfrom a ‘dimension-poor’ image. Most of oursocial systems suffer from this.In exploring dimensions, consciously andpurposefully attended by families, I found that,as a rule, families limit attention to considerationof the economic dimension while alsopaying attention to some aspects of weilness.Most systems of science/technology seldomgo beyond their own domains, with someSyst. Res., Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)

Evolution Guided by Design 7RESEARCH ARTICLE Syst. Res.attention to economic and political issues.Most health service systems focus on diseasecontrol (rather than education and weilness)and are concerned with economics and makeuse of the technological/scientific domains, butneglect the others. Our business/productionsystems, even our governance systems, aredriven by economics, mostly disregarding socialjustice, the moral/ethical, the spiritual and theaesthetics.~ 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.ShortcomingsIn addition to the kind of UCs mentioned above,there are several potential shortcomings thatthreaten an adequate creation of images ofEGSs. These include the following: (1) The lackof having internal consistency among the dimensionsof the image of the EGS. This happens, forexample, when the definition of the variousdimensions are not grounded in a shared valueSyst. Res., Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)Figure 1. An image of an evolutionary guidance system8 Bela H. BanathySyst. Res~ RESEARCH ARTICLEsystem or in stated underlying assumptions. (2)The characterization of dimensions are made atvarious levels of resolution: thus, they areincompatible. (3) The disciplined nature of theinquiry, the use of a knowledge base toformulate the image, and the time required tocreate the image are underestimated. (4) Theinvolvement of ‘stakeholders’ is limited. Theseare just a few examples of shortcomings.WHAT IF?What would happen if the idea of EGS becomesreality? What would happen if our humanactivity systems were to engage in purposefulintegration of the (generic) dimensions proposedabove and redesign themselves as evolutionary

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guidance systems? Earlier (Banathy, 1988) Ianswered this ‘if’ question in the context of themost basic human activity system: the family.I explored the creation of a dimension-richevolutionary guidance system that would enablethe family to shape its future and develop alongthe lines of the dimensions described above.What would happen if our organizations, ourcommunities, our social and societal systemswere to purposefully engage in the design ofthe EGS? Such an engagement is the onlyapproach if we are to take charge of our futureand take part in shaping decisions that affect ourlives.The design of EGS was already introduced,tested, and was found to be useful in the contextof a variety of types. In a special issue of WorldFutures (Banathy, 1993b) we reported on thedesign of EGS in a variety of contexts. Includedwere: the design of an EGS for the retirement of acouple (Gougen Frantz, 1993); the design of anEGS for ISSS (Bach, 1993): medical practice forevolutionary learning and the use of EGS(McGee, 1993); EGS for evolutionary systemsmanagement of organizations (Wailand, 1993);and a mediation approach that fosters evolutionaryconsciousness and competence (Pastoririo,1993). Furthermore, Biach (1995) demonstratedthe use of EGS in guiding the evolution of asynagogue community, Blais (1995) created anevolutionary journey from work life to life work,© 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.and Dills (1995) developed an idealized designfor a senior support group.

DESIGNING EVOLUTiONARYGUIDANCE SYSTEMSThe key proposition advanced here is thatsocietal systems are purposeful systems inwhich design cart guide evolution. With theemergence of the process-oriented, sel.f-organization

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paradigm in human systems (Jantsch,1980), evolution became the integral aspect ofself-organization, in which the system reachesout beyond its boundaries and design becomesthe core process of evolution. Thus, in theevolution of societal systems, design is the centralactivity and competence in design is a commodityof the highest value.Design is a creative, decision-oriented, disciplinedinquiry that aims to: formulate expectations,aspirations and requirements of thesystem to be designed; clarify ideas and imagesof alternative representations of the futuresystem; devise criteria by which to evaluatethose alternatives; select and describe or‘model’ the most promising alternative; andprepare a plan for the development of theselected model. The design and description ofalternative EGS enable their conceptual andempirical testing, and the selection of the mostpromising ‘ideal’ modeLDesign inquiry operates in several arenas ordesign spaces. The integration of these spacesprovides us with a design architecture. I describenext the use of this architecture for the creation ofEGS (Figure 2).The Explorationfimage Creation Space (EICS)In the space of EJCS, a social system creates anevolutionary vision for itself, explores inquiryboundaries and design options, articulates itscollective values and core ideas about its desiredfuture, and develops the first systemic representationof that desired future as the image of itsevolutionary guidance system in all of thedimensions of the EGS. The design tasks ofSyst. Res., Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)

Evolution Guided by Design 9RESEARCH ARTiCLE Syst. Res.exploration and image creation are integratedwith evolutionary learning aimed at thedevelopmentof evolutionary competence. This learning isaccomplished lit the functional context of attendingto the exploration/image-creation tasks.The Design Solution Space (DSS)In the DSS we formulate the systemic representation,or systems model of the particularevolutionary guidance system. It is in this spacewhere we transform the image of the EGS into(~)1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.the design of the EGS. Primary tasks that weundertake in this space include formulation ofalternatives solutions to (1) the core definitionand the purposes of the EGS (2) the descriptionof specifications of the evolutionary dimensionsof the EGS (3) the selection and systelitic

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arrangement of functions that enable us to attainthe purposes and meet specifications, (4) thedesign of the enabling systems of the EGS thatwill have the human capability and organizationalcapacity to carry out the functions,and the systemic environment that provides thenecessary resources for the EGS.Syst. Res., Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)Figure 2. A generic design architecturelo Bela H. BanathySyst. Res. RESEARCH ARTiCLEThe Organizid Knowledge Space (OKS)in the OKS we display the informationwe generated in the exploration/image-creationspace as well as collect and organize informationand knowledge we generate pertinent tothe various evolutionary dimensions previouslydescribed. We also continuously seekinformation knowledge required as we carryout the various design tasks.The Evaluation/Experimentation Space (EES)This space is created to enable us to test theemerging solution alternatives both conceptuallyand empirically. Such evaluation (1) collectsevidence for the qualities we seek to realize inthe EGS we design (2) guards against errors,such as urtderconceptualization, and (3) ensuresthe operational/practical implementable qualityof the particular EGS.The Space of the Futuxe System (SFS)it is in this space where we finally, display adescription 9T systems model of the evolutionaryguidance sys.tem we designed. Here we alsodescribe the systemic environment of the EGSthat provides the necessary support of the EGSand formulate a plan for the development andimplementation of the EGS.The Dynamics of DesignDesign is not accomplished in a step-by-step,linear fashion. It is carried out through recurringcycles of several design spirals as we explore,and re-explore, the various spaces of the designarchitecture and integrate aspiration and purpose,information and knowledge, insight andvision in order to create a design that bestenhances and can best guide the evolution of thesocietal system of our interest.(!) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.REFLECTIONSIt is the power of design which enables us toshare in the continuing process of creation. Ourunique gift of creativity enables us to formimages of the future, create designs thatrepresent those images, and then develop thosedesigns in our experiential world. It is the unique

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challenge and responsibility of each of uspersonally and collectively to engage in thepurposeful evolution of o’.ir societal systems.There is no more noble and no more importanttask than meeting this challenge and assumingthis responsibility. Creation continues and wecan become instruments as co-workers of theCreator in designing and building a better futurefor the common good.REFERENCESBach, J. (1993). Evolutionary guidance system inorganizational design. World Futures 36(2—4), 107—128.Banathy, B. H. (1987). The characteristics pf acquisitionof evolutionary competence. World Futures 23(1—2),123-144.Banathy, B. H. (1988). The design of evolutionaryguidance systems. Systems Research 6(4), 299—296.Bartathy, B. H. (1991). Systems Design of Education,Educational Technology Publications, EnglewoodCliffs, NJ.Banathy, B. H. (1993a). The cognitive mapping ofsocial systems. In Laszlo, E. (ed.), The Evolution ofCognitive Maps, Gordon & Breach, New York.Banathy. B. H. (1993b). Evolutionary consciousness.World Futures 36(2—4) (special issue).Banathy, B. H. (1996). Designing Social Systems in aChanging World, Plenum, New York.Biach, (1995). An idealized design of a design to guidethe growth and evolution of a synagogue comxnunity.Progress 4(Surnmer), 41-58.Blais, S. (1995). From work life to life work: creatingthe journey. Progess 4(Surruner), 141—160.Bohrn, D. (1983). VtPholeness and the Implicate Order,Routledge & Kegan Paul, London.Botruk, J. W., and Malti.za, M.. (1979). No Limits toLearning, Pergamon Press, Oxford.Bouldirtg. E. (1981). Evolutionary vision: sociology andthe human life span. In Jantsch, E. (ed.), EvolutionaryVision, Westview Press, Boulder, CO.Csikszerttmihalyi, M. (1993). The Evolving Self A Psychologyfor the Third Millenium, Harper Perennial,New York.Syst. Res.. Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)Evolution Guided by Design 11RESEARCHARTICLE Syst. Res.Dulls, (1995). Idealized design of senior support group.Progess 4(Surnmer), 91-112.Gougen Frarttz, T. (1993). Art idealized designapproach. World Futures 36(2—4), 83—106.Jantsch, E. (1980). The Evolutionary Vision, WestviewPress, Boulder, CO.L.aszlo, E. (1987). Evolution: A Grand Synthesis, NewScience Library, Boston, MA.Markbey, O. W., and Harman, W. (1982). Changing

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Images ofMan, Pergarnon Press, Oxford.C.!) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.McGee, D. (1993). A medical practice as a vehicle forevolutionary learning. World Futures 36(2—4),129—140.Pastorirto, R. E. (1993). A ‘user designed’ mediationapproach: fostering evolutionary learning and competence.World Futures 36(2—4), 155—166.Salk,J. (1983). Anatomy of Reality: Merging of Intentionand Reason, Columbia University Press, New York.Wailand, C. (1993). Evolutionary/systems managementof organizations, World Futures 36(2—4),141—154.Syst. Res., Vol. 15, 000—000 (1998)

12 Bela H. Banathy