IAF SG Dialogue with Lawrence Philbrook - Building Chaordic Confidence

IAF SG is excited to share a Dialogue with Lawrence Philbrook: Building Chaordic Confidence, in partnership with Titansoft Pte Ltd.

This dialogue will be on what it might take to build Chaordic Confidence. Combining the practice of dialogue with the theme shared by Dee Hock, call Chaordic Theory.

The process will be simple

• Introduction: What does a chaordic path mean?
• Check in: How do you experience the Chaordic path in your life and in society today?
• Dialogue: What might acting/living with Chaordic Confidence look like?
• Consider: How, as a facilitator, can I support groups on this journey?

He first ran into the work of Dee W. Hock, founding CEO of Visa International in the mid 90’s with his description of the interface between Chaos and Order. Both the ICA (Institute of Cultural Affairs) and the IAF (International Association of Facilitators) used it in their research, bridging from facilitation as an event to facilitation as a change-making function in organisational change.

Basic presupposition is that the "edge of chaos" is where life innovates, where things are not hard-wired, but are flexible enough for new connections and solutions to occur. New levels of order become possible out of this chaos.

This understanding invited a different perception of facilitation that it could include both order (structure) and openness (chaos) dancing between to free individuals and systems to be creative while staying grounded.

Last month, he ran back into it as the Chaordic Path, a fundamental pattern underlying Art of Hosting practice. Adding or re-emphasising the two outer categories of Chamos and Control.

The world and times we live in are neither predictable nor stable and call for more flexibility, as “more of the same” solutions are not meeting the challenges we face. If we are looking for innovative, new solutions, we will find them in a place between chaos and order — the chaordic path.

** Hock, Dee. 2000. Birth of the Chaordic Age. Oakland: Berrett-Koehler

About the Facilitator:

Lawrence, also known as Larry, is a facilitator who began in community development in the US and then moved to India and Africa to work in participatory community development. He has worked for a sponsoring company while on assignment in Mauritius, and has since split his time between community and corporate work. He has, for the past 30 years, been based in Taiwan while working part of my time in Greater China, Asia and around the world.

He creates tailored events for each group that he works with. He also trains facilitators and leaders to adapt and develop programs fitting their culture and needs. In the process, he has done long-term change processes in more than 100 organisations and communities in over 30 nations.