Much of my work involves creating self-organising groups. When we create self-organisation we release energy in the people within the system to find their passion and take responsibility. I believe in this way of working so much that I’ve even integrated it into my personal life – here’s an example…
In my pre-children era I used to spend Boxing Day with friends at Kempton Park horse races. It was always a fun, albeit usually cold and windy, day out – a chance to catch up with friends, blow the cobwebs away, and enjoy the competitive spirit of horse racing.
Race meets aren’t much fun with small children so, with the birth of my children came the birth of a new idea: “Why not have a day at the races from home!?” It started with two families getting together and has evolved over the years to its most recent format with 40 people. What I love about the way this event has changed is that everyone can bring their families, with at least three generations mingling together. It grows each year with new families joining us, and everyone has a great time, including me.
So, here is my formula for a great Boxing Day Races party –
- Each family that’s invited can bring their relatives along, as long as they bring enough leftovers to feed them!
- I provide tables for the food, plates and cutlery and I cook baked potatoes to accompany them.
- When people arrive they put out their offerings and everyone shares what they have brought to the party.
- Each person places £10 into a sweepstake for the race.
- Each person then bets on one horse per race and gets three points for first place, two points for second and one point for third.
- The races are televised, so, in between eating and drinking, we watch the races. It’s very noisy as people really get into supporting the horses they bet on.
- At the end of the race meet we tot up the scores and award prizes.
- This year we reached a new level of self-organisation – one of my friends created an app! Everyone placed their bets from their phones before they arrived, or on arrival, and the scores popped up on the app as the day unfolded.
So here are the principles of self-organisation demonstrated here
- a common purpose – to have a good time
- a leader who is willing to let go of control – I am always happy to eat drink and be merry!
- ways of working, including decision making, that are understood by all – in the rules of the betting and the roles everyone takes
- an effective induction and integration of new people. I love the way that each year the core partygoers explain the format to the newcomers.
- the space for people to take the initiative and improve the system – the app!
My experience is that self-organisation appeals to the core of human nature, for people to take control of their environments. It inspires passion and responsibility in those involved, and releases the leader from the constraints of needing to control, so that she can be free to lead the fun. So, as we enter 2017, a fresh new year, have a think about which elements of self-organisation you might want to integrate into your life.
Happy New 2017!