Virtual Conference

[Jeff Bedolla]

We tend to work as individuals, and then share what we create with others.  But why can't work be produced through the group process? I'm interested in exploring this, because there is so much that I would like to do and a group can accomplish more.  I've sent out some feelers already, but since this is a call to form a group, the idea of it should be open to the potential members of the group at the outset.  This is an interrupt to my initial approach of directly contacting individuals.  Since I'm here too, I thought I should invite myself.  That's a good way to get the ball rolling!  Over the years, I've found that whenever I return to Follett it spurs me onto adventure.  I want to stay with it.  I can say more, but would prefer a group context in which to go into greater detail.  I would like to hear what thoughts occur to others with respect to this project proposal.

[Joe Aragon]

Count me curious!

[Jeff Bedolla]

Hi Joe,

Do you want to try an exchange? I think it's good to see where new developments might lead.

Jeff

[Fleur FALLON]

Hi Jeff, I am new to this network and new to Mary PF, and astounded that I have not come across her before. 

I teach Organisational Behaviour and wanted to add more women's voices to influences on OB.

Her writing on both management and education resonate strongly with me. 

I am currently teaching in the School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University Zhuhai China. You can check my profile on Linked In, and an embryonic website lingdao8.com. I wrote a recent post on Mary: http://www.lingdao8.com/1/post/2014/02/teaching-as-leadingcreating-...

Back in my home state of Tasmania (Australia), I was involved in a Community of Practice for EfS = Educating for Sustainability. Interested people got together virtually  and within a short time, set up special interest groups. With four other colleagues, we wrote a  paper on our experience, presented a virtual paper at an international conference on sustainability in Japan, and had the paper published. The remarkable thing was that we came from different study areas- medicine, life sciences, geography and regional development, and based in four different locations. We had all met each other, but never all together face-to-face at the same time!

So collaboration across boundaries is possible to connect with like-minded individuals...who knows what might happen...adventure, yes!

My skype address is barnaby-james

[Jeff Bedolla]

Thanks for sharing your paper. I remember learning about Mary Parker Follett near the beginning of my exploration of intellectual interests. I became immersed and, since I joined this Network, I am exploring the context of her life and thought.

Entering into the spirit of a favorite author is a great help, I find. Joan Tonn's biography is great, and John Kaag's paper, which is also on this Network archive, I think was a breakthrough study for the Network.  I think the biographical method is a very good way to develop sympathetic insight, as are the original works.

The paper you referenced on education is a very good one. Mary Follett wrote a paper titled "Expectant Attention" that is also very suggestive, and  "Community is a Process" .  Both papers are in the Network archive!

The difficulty with conferencing needs to be discussed. The challenge is staying within proper bounds, while stretching out and sharing. I suppose gathering these papers together is a plum waiting to be picked, but this brings up the issue of the complexity of the conferencing process. Active collaboration is the key to bringing out the plusvalents in a project; and so the principle of proper acknowledgement naturally follows. I think the Harvard Business School book disappointed for the reason of not having the advantage of Networking that we now have, if only we use it. 

We'd have to communicate on this Network, openly, for this to work. Then a sub-committee could be officially created, through the Network Administration. I don't have access to the use of any of those social media platforms.

On the issue of adding women's voices, I have to laugh. Yesterday at the San Jose City Council meeting, I actually presented an opinion in Open Forum on the Women's Movement. There was an item on the Consent Calendar celebrating women in the military, called When Women Come Marching Home.

By the way, that's me at the Ansel Adams Wilderness, on a hiking trip in 2006.