ELM I RA I N TEG RA L P R O J EC T

E L M I RA , N E W YO R KW E L IV E IN A SP E C IA L PL ACE

Here we are!

O U R W O N D E R F U L C I T YLE T 'S T H INK F O R A M INU T E A BO U T

W H AT A R E E L M I RA ' S G I FT S ?• Friendly people

• Manageable size

• Rich, progressive history

• Affordable living

• Natural beauty

• Cultural opportunities

• College town

• Wegmans!

Can you think of more?

WHAT ARE E L M I RA ' S CHAL L E NGE S?

• Poverty, crime, prison families

• Limited opportunities

• Low morale, low esteem, hopelessness

• Entrenched leadership lacking in VISION

• Crappy weather (for some)

• Few good eating establishments

What else makes you sad, angry or cynical

about Elmira?

– A N D R EW C OHEN

“Cynicism is the post-modern disease. Cynicism means you already know.

What is it that you know? That it is not possible. What's not possible?

EVERYTHING.In my thinking, cynicism is merely an excuse

not to change.”

YOU WOU L D N OT B E H E RE T ON I G HT I F YOU WE RE

CYN I C A L A BOU T E L M IRA A N D HE R FU TU RE : )

W H AT A R E S O ME O F T H E WAY S W E PA RT I C I PAT E I N T H I S R E N A I S S A N C E ?

E LM IRA I S E ME R G ING O U T O F DE CA DE S O F R E S I GNAT IO N

G O O N , B R A G A L I T T L E !

A N D I D E A S A R E E M E R G I N G .

T H IS I S A LL A B I G E XPE R I ME NT.

– HOWA R D THUR M A N

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because

what the world needs is people who have come alive."

O T H E R I D E A S M AY I N S P I R E B U T E N D U P FE E L I N G N A Ï V E

S OM E I D EA S A R E P RAC T I C AL AND C ONS ERVAT I VE , YET U N I NS P I R I NG

Some projects bring in a lot of money, and we all agree money can be a

good thing.

But at what cost?

And how will it move culture forward?

E L M I RA 'S PR OBL E M S , AND TH E WOR L D 'S

PR OBL E MS AR E A CR I S I S OF CON S C I OU S N E S S

WORL DV I E WS DE VE LOP HOL ARCH I CAL LY

• INFRARED is physiological survival.

• MAGENTA is tribal with a magical world view.

• RED is warrior-like and egocentric.

• AMBER is traditional conformist.

• ORANGE is modernist and rational-scientific.

• GREEN is postmodern, sensitive and world-centric.

• TEAL is integral, flexible, and can hold multiple perspectives. The Spiral Wizard.

I N T E G RA L I S P R A C T I C A L

• Organizational styles REFLECT the prevailing worldview of the founders and board members

• Each emergent worldview has its natural style of organization

• Integral organizations make room for people to show up fully

MAG E NTA - T R I BAL ORG AN I Z AT I ON

• Family bonds

• Up to a few hundred people

• Only the immediate clan falls in the scope of moral consideration

• Our group is the center of the universe, though unconsciously so

G I FT S : C R EAT ES R I C HN ES S OF C OM M UN I TY OUT OF T HE C HAOS

OF J US T S TAY I N G A L I V E

I M P U L S I V E - R E D O R G A N I Z AT I O N S

• Thrives in chaotic environments

• Constant exercise of power by chief to keep troops in line

• Fear is the glue

• Highly reactive, short-term focus

• Breakthroughs: division of labor, command authority

• Metaphor: wolf pack

• Mafia, street gangs, militias

G I FT S : S T R ON G S EN S E OF S ELF , I N D I V I D UA L R I G HTS

BA S ED ON S T R EN GTH

L I M I TAT I ON S : I N A B I L I T Y T O OR G A N I ZE BEYON D 3 -4 D EG R EES

OF P OW ER , H I G H RATES OF M UR D ER ; T HR I V ES ON I N S TA B I L I T Y

CONF ORMI ST AMBE R ORG AN I Z AT I ONS

• Formal roles in hierarchical pyramid

• Top-down command and control

• Stability valued above all

• Long-term perspectives

• Catholic Church, military, most government agencies, public school systems

• Metaphor: army

G I FT S : TRA N S C EN D EN T A UT HOR I T Y , S A F ETY , C A PAC I T Y T O C R EATE

W OR LD -W I D E OR G A N I ZAT I ON S

C HA LLEN G ES : I N F LEX I BLE ,

ET HN OC EN TR I C , F EA R S I N N OVAT I ON

ACH I E VE ME NT ORANG E ORG AN I Z AT I ONS

• Beat the competition

• Achieve profit and growth

• Innovation is the key to staying on top

• Management by objectives (command and control on what; freedom on the how)

• Accountability

• Meritocracy

• Multinational companies

• Metaphor: machine

G I FT S : UN P R EC ED EN T ED A BUN DA N C E , S C I EN T I F I C

C UR I OS I TY & I N N OVAT I ON , THE OP T I M I S M T O R I S K

P R OBLEM S : M ATER I A L I S T I C , I N D I F F ER EN T TO N AT UR E ,

S OC I A L I N EQUA L I TY , LOS S OF C OM M UN I TY , UN HA P P I N ES S

AT THE BOTT OM OF THE PY RA M I D

PLU RAL I ST I C G RE E N ORG AN I Z AT I ONS

• Still a pyramid structure

• Focus on culture and empowerment to achieve extraordinary motivation

• Values driven culture

• Stakeholder model

• Worldcentric and socially responsible

• Ben & Jerry's, Southwest Airlines, Google

• Metaphor: family

G I FT S : HA P PY I N C LUS I ON , I N S P I R ED W OR K , HUM BLE

LEA D ER S H I P , BEN EF I TS THE W OR LD

I S S UES : C ON S EN S US T RA P S , I N D I F F ER EN C E T O

C OM PA RAT I V E EXC ELLEN C E , OV ER- S EN S I T I V E , FEA R OF

P OW ER , I N EF F EC T I V E

– J OHN N A I S B I TT

“The most exciting breakthroughs of the twenty-first century will not occur because of

technology, but because of an expanding concept of what it means to be human.”

E VOLU T I ONARY T E AL ORG AN I Z AT I ONS

• Organizations as living systems

• Self-management, based on peer relationships

• Reclaim wholeness, bring all of who you are to work

• Organization has a life and direction of its own, and we can listen in

• Egos claimed and tamed

• Trust vs. control

• Roles, not job titles

G I FT S : C OM PA S S I ON F OR A LL W OR LDV I EW S , S C I EN T I F I C

A N D HOL I S T I C , A UTHEN T I C , S YS TEM S TH I N K I N G

P OTEN T I A L PAT HOLOG I ES : A LOOFN ES S ,

I N S EN S I T I V I T Y , EL I T I S M , L AC K OF PAT I EN C E

N O, I T ' S N O T C O N S E N S U S

• Peer advice process

• Consensus gets mired in endless discussion and often ends in exasperated defeat

• No consensus, because it dilutes responsibility

• Formal processes for internal communications

BA S I C A S S U M PT I ONS • People are creative, thoughtful,

trustworthy adults

• People are accountable and responsible for their decisions and actions

• People are fallible and make mistakes, sometimes on purpose

• We are unique

• We want to use our talents and skills to make a positive contribution to the organization and to the world

MI SPE RCE PT I ONSOF I NT E G RAL ORG AN I Z AT I ONS

• There is no structure, no management, no leadership

• Everyone is equal

• It's about empowerment

• It's still experimental

W E L C O ME T O T H E L E A D I N GE D G E O F C U LT U R E .

I T ' S PR E TT Y CRA ZY , R I GH T ?

A very special event in Elmira

Tuesday, August 5th at 6:30pm

Grace Episcopal Church

375 W Church Street

T H A NK S F O R YO U R LOV I NG L I S TE N I NG A ND PA RT I C I PAT I O N T O N I G H T. . . . .

W E A R E SO V E RY GRAT E F U L F O R YO U R ATT E NT IO N A ND INP U T

Look for our Facebook pageLook for our website

And especially, look for events and gatherings in the

future!