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the_castle_and_the_village_square [2023/06/16 13:25] – created davidpjonkerthe_castle_and_the_village_square [2023/06/16 13:40] (current) – davidpjonker
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- name of page  
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 ======The Castle and the Village Square====== ======The Castle and the Village Square======
-(Or The Three Laws of Open Foresight)+And The Three Laws of Open Foresight
  
-David Jonker, davidpjonker@gmail.com  +David Jonker (davidpjonker)
 June 20, 2023 June 20, 2023
 +
  
 Foresight is often conducted behind an organization’s castle walls. But that’s the wrong approach. To truly succeed in the coming decades, organizations need foresight to be conducted openly, collaboratively in the village square. Foresight is often conducted behind an organization’s castle walls. But that’s the wrong approach. To truly succeed in the coming decades, organizations need foresight to be conducted openly, collaboratively in the village square.
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 We can’t fault leaders for this wrongheaded thinking. After all, bookshelves are full of titles claiming strategy is about ‘playing to win’. Where we need to ‘differentiate or die’. And ‘eat their lunch’. Why? Because ‘only winners take all’. And all these strategy experts are simply feeding our primal brains, wired with brute survival skills and to focus on the different and unexpected, while ignoring everything else. We can’t fault leaders for this wrongheaded thinking. After all, bookshelves are full of titles claiming strategy is about ‘playing to win’. Where we need to ‘differentiate or die’. And ‘eat their lunch’. Why? Because ‘only winners take all’. And all these strategy experts are simply feeding our primal brains, wired with brute survival skills and to focus on the different and unexpected, while ignoring everything else.
  
-The Yin Yang of Strategy+===The Yin Yang of Strategy===
 The problem is this primeval response causes us to focus on the Yin of business (covert, hidden) while ignoring the Yang (open, integrative). We easily forget that in business you cannot compete if you do not cooperate. And you cannot differentiate if you do not assimilate. These opposite yet complementary elements are fundamental to every organization’s success.  The problem is this primeval response causes us to focus on the Yin of business (covert, hidden) while ignoring the Yang (open, integrative). We easily forget that in business you cannot compete if you do not cooperate. And you cannot differentiate if you do not assimilate. These opposite yet complementary elements are fundamental to every organization’s success. 
  
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 And while every superfan focuses on what makes their team different, in reality teams assimilate and cooperate far more than they differentiate and compete. Our first law of Open Foresight explains why:  And while every superfan focuses on what makes their team different, in reality teams assimilate and cooperate far more than they differentiate and compete. Our first law of Open Foresight explains why: 
  
-It takes more than one to compete and differentiate;  +<span #highlight_quote>It takes more than one to compete and differentiate; \\ 
-it takes at least two, who cooperate and assimilate. +it takes at least two, who cooperate and assimilate.</span>
  
 Yin Yang in harmony. Yin Yang in harmony.
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 In other words, we need to play a new “game”. And before organizations focus on the Yin of differentiation and competition, we need to come together on the Yang of cooperation and assimilation. We need to create shared images of the game, its rules, player positions, uniforms, stadiums, revenue models, and so on and so forth.  In other words, we need to play a new “game”. And before organizations focus on the Yin of differentiation and competition, we need to come together on the Yang of cooperation and assimilation. We need to create shared images of the game, its rules, player positions, uniforms, stadiums, revenue models, and so on and so forth. 
  
-Foresight Builds Strategy Yang+===Foresight Builds Strategy Yang===
 Enter foresight. Not traditional foresight done in private, behind castle walls. Rather, a new form of foresight, open and collaborative, conducted in the village square. One that creates images of prosperous and sustainable futures assimilated by every organization; cooperatively imagined and realized.  Enter foresight. Not traditional foresight done in private, behind castle walls. Rather, a new form of foresight, open and collaborative, conducted in the village square. One that creates images of prosperous and sustainable futures assimilated by every organization; cooperatively imagined and realized. 
  
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 Creating shared images begins with many people sharing their own images of a better tomorrow. It’s the same concept behind open source software: “given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.” (Raymond 1999) This leads to better software. In a similar way, many eyeballs lead to better futures. This gives us the second law of Open Foresight: Creating shared images begins with many people sharing their own images of a better tomorrow. It’s the same concept behind open source software: “given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.” (Raymond 1999) This leads to better software. In a similar way, many eyeballs lead to better futures. This gives us the second law of Open Foresight:
  
-Given enough perspectives, all futures are clear.+<span #highlight_quote>Given enough perspectives, all futures are clear.</span>
  
 Assimilating many perspectives about better futures, in an inclusive and collaborative way, makes them, well, better. It also means more people will in turn assimilate those better futures and cooperate to realize them. Assimilating many perspectives about better futures, in an inclusive and collaborative way, makes them, well, better. It also means more people will in turn assimilate those better futures and cooperate to realize them.
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 All three levels of foresight are required. Without crowd-level foresight we will not understand how to collectively work to save our shared planet. Without consortium-level foresight we will not collaboratively imagine the systems that can realize our shared futures. And without corporate-level foresight organizations will not easily see their place in the world. This leads to our third law of Open Foresight: All three levels of foresight are required. Without crowd-level foresight we will not understand how to collectively work to save our shared planet. Without consortium-level foresight we will not collaboratively imagine the systems that can realize our shared futures. And without corporate-level foresight organizations will not easily see their place in the world. This leads to our third law of Open Foresight:
  
-Futures are best realized when organizations collaboratively assimilate with, and differentiate from, the crowd and the consortium. +<span #highlight_quote>Futures are best realized when organizations collaboratively\\  
- +assimilate with, and differentiate from, the crowd and the consortium.</span>
- +
-Now is the time to create shared images of tomorrow’s global village, prosperous and sustainable. +
  
-Now is the time to step outside the castle; to participate in the village square.+Now is the time to create shared images of tomorrow’s global village, prosperous and sustainable. Now is the time to step outside the castle; to participate in the village square.
  
Last modified: 2023/06/16 13:25 by davidpjonker