Finding Joy in dispersed work teams

Capitalism flagI was just thinking how cutting edge the NLRBE movement is. That Copiosis is a vibrant part of that work is thrilling most of the time. What can possibly be more challenging, thrilling and engaging than creating a whole new future?  I think that’s one reason why when I tell fellow entrepreneurs what I’m doing, they are rapt in attention.

It’s not often you hear someone is making headway towards making capitalism obsolete.

There are less glamorous, but no less important aspects to this movement that make it pretty cool. One is finding our way through challenges working in dispersed, volunteer teams brings. There are dozens of people around the world, operating on the principle of Stigmergy, to make Copiosis a reality.  There are millions doing the same thing for the NLRBE.  At Copiosis, we’re in talks to include the lovely people of Brisbane, Australia to our ranks now making it an accurate statement that people on almost every continent are doing whatever they can to make Copiosis – and by extension the NLRBE – a reality. Casey is the National Coordinator for TZM in Australia. That she is interested in our work is pretty cool. I think her group and Copiosis can help each other greatly. She sees something intriguing in Copiosis. Maybe that’s why she has invited Copiosis to present for the second time at the Global Z-Day event, being held in Australia in 2017.

When you meet people of the same mindset, focused on the same big hairy ass goal (BHAG) that you’re focused on, it’s fun, joyful even, thinking about the possibilities.

I’m familiar with working in and leading disbursed teams.  As a Marine journalist, I worked as part of a dispersed team of reporters in California and Okinawa. My last tour in Japan saw me working as the editor of the Marine Corps newspaper there. Part of my role included managing a team of reporters spread up and down the Japanese island. Having people who are independent self-starters goes a long way to making coordinating and leading easier. Discipline, an integral component of Marine Corps training, helped a lot too. Since the Marines I worked with were self-leading, I was left to focus more on coordinating their work output than actually “leading” them.

Much later, while working at Intel, I lead a small team of people around the world working together to find ways to use Intel technology to make the world a better place. Team members were self starters working in a highly ambiguous environment (what we were doing was brand new). Facilitating their success wasn’t always easy. For some, having what I call a “blue sky” role (i.e. you’re free to do whatever you want to be successful, so long as it’s legal and fits our mission) was unnerving. Some folks prefer the familiarity and certainty of clearly-defined roles nestled in a clear, straightforward and traditional mission. I don’t think that’s going to change, even when capitalism’s cubicle farms are history.

Copiosis is decidedly not straightforward or traditional. Talking with Casey and Zac on Skype, I can tell they aren’t up for the traditional and straightforward. They are right at home with what Copiosis is doing.  And that’s what makes what we’re all doing so thrilling. When you meet people of the same mindset, focused on the same big hairy ass goal (BHAG) that you’re focused on, it’s fun, joyful even, thinking about the possibilities.

And while you’re focused on the joy and fun, the challenges recede into the background.

 

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