[Ailist] Re: Connecting with Others

[Rob Voyle]

Hi Bruce

I think we are on the same page.  There are hierarchies in nature and clearly the 
notion of inquiring deeper to a common value suggests hierarchy.  I think what I 
am most interested in is helping people have conversation with themelves and 
others in ways that explore the relationship between these components and not 
in imposing one level on another.  Or how does one level give life to another 
levels. In that regard it is interesting to look at levels on a hierarchy and ask 
whether it takes or gives life to other levels.  And then ask the question how can 
we do more life giving.

Rob
  
Robert J. Voyle, Psy.D.
Director, Clergy Leadership Institute
For Coaching and Training in Appreciative Inquiry
Author: Core Elements of the Appreciative Way 
http://www.clergyleadership.com/
503-647-2378 or 503-647-2382 



On 13 Mar 2008 at 11:19, Bruce Elkin wrote:

> Rob, 
> OEIn your piece you state that hierarchies are linear and limited. 
> That is
> not completely accurate.  The human body, indeed all of nature, is
> organized
> in complex interactive hierarchies.  Wanna test this?  Go outside in
> the
> rockies for a long time in the cold and see what gets chilly first,
> your
> toes, fingers, ears, nose, or your heart, gut and brain.
> 
> Naturally, it¹s the little appendages.  In the body¹s hierarchy,
> they are
> expandable.  The gut, heart, and brain are not.  So the body makes
> hierarchical decisions to protect those organs, shutting down blood
> flow to
> the fingers and shunting it to the brain.
> 
> Even your statements about hierarchy imply a hierarchy.  Non-linear,
> imposed
> hierarchies not good, open flowing conversations good.  We work in
> hierarchies of value all the time.
> 
> And a heterarchy is a form of hierarchy. A much better form, IMO,
> than a
> dominator hierarchy but nonetheless a hierarchy.
> 
> This example you gave is very much like the dilemma the French faced
> after
> the revolution:
> 
> > I place a high value on personal freedom, I also
> > highly value community.  Can I have one without the other, does
> having one
> > mean I can't have the other. It is not an either or but how these
> two values,
> > and 
> > other values as well, interact.
> 
> Indeed, and the French resolved the potential conflict between the
> two by
> invoking a higher-order value ­compassion.  So both freedom and
> equality
> (community) were to be guided by the value of compassion
> (Fraternité).  More
> useful hierarchy!
> 
> Finally the creative space Fredrickson refers to that includes the
> past and
> the present and the future also has a hidden hierarchy.  In
> creating, the
> creation, the result drives the action, not the past, and not the
> present.
> Always, what we want to create drives the action.  If not, we
> devolve into
> problem solving, dealing with ³issues² of the moment or from the
> past.
> 
> So hierarchies are very useful structures.  Rianne Eisler talks
> about how if
> we could all master our own growth or ³actualisation² hierarchies,
> there
> would be fare less need for dominator hierarchies.  I agree.
> 
> Great to have this opportunity to swap ideas and perspectives with
> you.