A Releasing Your Unlimited Creativity discussion topic

Copyright 2008 by K. Ferlic,   All Rights Reserved

Any organization is a collective manifesting a creation. A collective manifesting a creation can be done one of two ways. One way is that a single individual holds a vision and the organization follows their direction. This is the more traditional and normal way it is done. The second way is the individuals within the organization hold a shared vision and the each of the individuals in the organization are playing a role in manifesting the creation. There is profound difference in what can be expected to occur between these two ways. Holding a shared vision is uncommon and is different that sharing a common goal or a common desire for a particular new idea or concept. Most of the organizational change and organizational transformation one encounters will be based on a single individual holding a vision for the organizational transformation and that vision is shared through common goals and/or something like an organizational mission statement.

The collective manifesting the vision of an individual

Most organizational transformations are propelled by a single individual holding a vision and then directing the organization to move according to how and what that individual thinks. This is been the traditional way organizations function. These organizations tend to be very hierarchal and highly structured. Everyone in the organization is expected to follow the lead of the individual holding the vision.

In these cases the transformation only last as long as the individual hold the vision. If anything happens to the individual or the individual becomes distracted, the vision is lost. Here it is often helpful to use the assistance of some who is described as the "keeper of the flame" to keep the individual accountable to what they desire to create. Similarly, if the individual is poor at dealing with the unknown as required by a true creative endeavor, the transformation will become thwarted. It is here a visionary leader or an individual who has been through a true creative endeavor provide the best guidance to the organization.

The normal way of going about manifesting a vision within a collective is that the individual holding the vision translates as much of the vision as possible into an organizational mission or objective and the individual roles are assigned to help manifest the vision. The problem encountered here is the proverbial "putting new wine in a old wine skin." That is, we end up recreating the past in a new way. The reason for this is since the individuals who are assigned roles do not hold the vision, they will do what they think needs to be done based on the role that they have been given arising from organizational mission/objective arising from the vision. To not recreate the past in a new way, the vision holder must be aware of how they assign roles and what they ask individuals do to.

There needs to be the realization that in a true creative endeavor what we think needs to be done will not be correct. In any true creative endeavor there will be learning experiences as to what does and doesn’t work until the minimum set of experience is gained by mind to know what to do. If the individual holding the vision creates the mission/goals, assigns roles and then walks away putting the effort on automatic, the vision will never be properly manifested. The one holding he vision must continually watch and ensure things are going according to the vision and not the way any mind thinks it should go. In many ways it will look at micromanagement at is worst, and it is. But that is what a true vision requires.

Managing the manifesting of a vision within an organization, is very difficult for the individuals within an organization. They can only do so much based on their past experiences and must wait for direction of the vision holder. There is little freedom of movement unless the individuals have been brought into the vision in some way. Since the vision is unique to the vision holder, often it is very difficult to communicate the vision to another until it is manifested to some degree. The more the individual within the organization share common experiences with the vision hold, the easier it is to communicate the vision. The less they share experiences, the greater the difficulty.

This is the advantage of having teams of individuals who work together. For example, a research and development staff, that share a set of common experiences could be such a group. When one of the individual gets the equivalent of a vision, the common shared experiences of the team allow for that vision to effectively shared with others. If no such team is available either the vision holder must lead by themselves or take the time to communicate the basic understanding of the vision so that others can being to see it.

Relative to manifesting a vision within a collective the potential for scattering the organizational energy and conflicting intentions becomes very high. Since a vision is a step into the unknown, the occasion is presented to cause fear to arise in many individual and all the different opinions as to what individuals think need to be done will arise. The more a group of individuals argue and squabble that confusion and chaos becomes an intention itself in that there arises the need to argue and defend one’s position and get it addressed in the final result. Here it needs to be realized that argument and squabble is based on a deeper intentions that get carried into any manifestation. This, in turn, only creates more bizarre and distorted creations yet any creations only reflect the starting intentions that lies within the individual themselves. There needs to be a great trust in the individual who lead is the vision is going to be manifest true to itself.

Probably a good example of what is meant in this last paragraph is that we say we all desire peace and we all should allows others the freedom to be true to who they are. Yet we live and accept war and rules that requires people to become the same rather than being free to live their uniqueness. We must begin to realize the deeper intentions we carry that are creating what we are actually experiencing if we really want to change what we experience. If we truly wanted peace we would find it. It must be remembered, a huge brainless bureaucracy is only result of the deep intentions collectively manifested by it participants. It is to their advantage and meets their individual intentions in some way. Otherwise, they would change it. It could just as easily be a vibrant and dynamic organization if the individuals truly intended it to be so.

Probably the single greatest obstacle a vision holder will face in manifesting a vision with an organization is the resistance of the organizational collective to remain the same. Only when all the individuals choose to change does the collective change. One individual in the right place can stop any organizational change. To change an organization the individual who holds he vision will either need to be an inspiriting leader or they have an individual who can be that inspiring individual for the vision holder. Of course, if the organization is failing and everyone knows there is the need to find a new way, the task of manifesting a vision within the organization is much easier. Pain and/or fear of what may happen are great motivators or individuals rallying behind a new vision.

The collective manifesting a vision collectively held

The first issue with a collective manifesting a vision held collectively is that it is difficult for a collective to hold a common vision. Holding a shared intention or a common goal or mission is not the same a holding a common vision. It needs to be remembered, a common intention, common goal or common mission is from the mind. The mind can use what it knows to communicate what it desires in holding that common intention, goal or mission. The issue with a vision is that it is of something not manifested. Mind does not have the experience to manifest a vision nor doe it have the experience to explain what must be done to manifest it. If it did, it would not be a vision. It would simply be another idea of the mind.

Visions are normally held by single individuals. However, when a group of people work closely with each other and share a common set of experiences, beliefs and understanding about a topic, it is possible to have a shared vision. It is usually one individual gets the vision and as they being to explain what they see, others too see it. It is as thought it become obvious to the group. It is here an interesting phenomenon occurs.

To manifest a common mission or goal, the individuals in the group or organization are seen working together to manifest that goal. They are see to be routinely interacting, comparing progress and the like. We can see the group working together to manifest that mission or goal. However, that may or may not be the case of a commonly held vision.

We need to remember, a vision is a creative endeavor. It is to bring into existence something not seen or previously experienced. Exactly how that vision will manifest is unknown to the mind of the individuals and as with any creative endeavor, the individuals must surrender to the energy manifesting the vision. Surrendering to that energy may cause the group to split and go off in different directions. To the mind it looks as though the group no longer works together but all are going off doing their own thing. But, on a deeper level, if the vision is held, one will find all the pieces are working together to manifest that vision and the vision itself will manifest. Whether or not the group comes back together as a visible collective may or may not happen.

Here is a problem for many. Many form close to the equivalent of a common vision with another or others. The preferences of mind interferes with what needs to occur and the individuals separate. Yet each still long for what was collectively held. In continuing to hold that vision, the individuals, although not working together as perceived by the mind are actually working to a common end. As some point in the future what is desired does manifest but it seems independent of the original group of individuals.

What is important to understand about a shared vision is that it can and will manifest without a leader. Rather, each individual works seemingly independent on what needs to be done In many ways it is parallel process rather than a series process.

For those who work with a group of individuals or within an organization and desire to manifest a particular end with a deep conviction, they may want to consider binding aka cords. The term "binding aka cords" comes from the ancient Hawaiian Huna tradition and is really about binding together spiritual power. It was a technique used in the ancient Hawaii traditions where individuals would tie two dreams or two prayers together. From the creativity perspective where energy and consciousness are equivalent forms of the same thing and where Creation unfolds from a oneness and interconnectedness, binding aka cords is about accessing and joining creative power. As used here, the concept of binding aka cords goes will beyond what was envisioned in the original use of the term in the Hawaiian tradition.

Binding aka cords is about making a conscious, clear and mutually agreed upon joint intention that address the deepest level of our being. We each can carry only so much energy. Binding aka cords is like increase the size of a rope or a wire by increasing the gage of the wire. This is done by entwining several thin pieces of twine or wire into a on a large entwined bundle so more overall energy is carried. Although each individual only can carry so much power, the total sum of the parts is greater than the individual parts. The goal of binding aka cords is about getting individuals to set the same common jointly held intention at each and every level of being and each of the member going to the source/Source of their being to direct their energy into that jointly held intention. Of course, there is a spectrum here of remaining very shallow or going very deep.

If a group of individuals choose to binding aka cords, they must understand that they will not necessarily stay together. As they each surrender to the energy from jointly held intention, they will be lead as appropriate as to who they are to manifest the intention/vision. Here one must rely on and trust the creative process to deliver what is intended.

Related topics
Binding aka cords
Aligning individual and organizational performance

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