Some OD Experiments at Stanford University Medical Center — I
Introducing a new paradigm into an organization is itself a journey. The key, as with any journey, is how to organically move it along the three stages so that there is a culmination in some kind of flower possibility. For the flower always has its hidden treasures, and sooner or later the seeds contained within it will sprout, and start a thousand new journeys.
The following journey highlights some developments with fractals and the Flower Chronicles that took place over the course of 3 years at Stanford University Medical Center. Starting from the very first event that was very much like the seed, through various experimentations as in the stalk phase, and culminating in a flower, that also marked the end of an adventurous cycle.
Formation Of The Seed
A former client, Todd Prigge, became the new Director for Organizational Development at Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC) some years ago. About 5 years ago he invited me to become part of his team. I found his invitation compelling, primarily because he offered me an opportunity to experiment with the organizational development models and software I was in process of developing.
Soon after I joined his team my book Connecting Inner Power with Global Change was released. Todd was more than supportive and as things worked out we began a regular study circle with his team to discuss the book. Shortly after that I was invited to host a radio show on the same book (iTunes 2013), and Todd and another member of his team Laura Gottlieb, became permanent members of the 13-week panel on the radio show.
This allowed us to explore the fractal and flower concepts in the book in some detail, and subsequently Todd and I developed a field guide related to the same book.
This was the formation of the seed, and was to lead to a number of related events ranging from the offering of Flower Chronicles courses, working with leadership teams to improve team and departmental performance, and incorporating some team mirroring software I had developed, over the next 3 years.
(To be continued…)
