North Seattle Community College
Beginnings, Fall 2010
Small Groups as Living Systems
and the Important Role of Conflict in Small Groups
Living organisms or systems (versus static mechanistic systems) were discovered to be
dynamic, self correcting, and able to adjust constantly to their environment. Chaos was
discovered to be not random or purposeless but potentially self organizing and incredibly
powerful and energetic.
When we give everyone in a group the opportunity to define the vision, mission and goals of the
group as well as determine the norms, values and processes needed to achieve the ”product”,
we give each person in a group an important role to play in an interdependent system.
The role of “consent”: Consent means there are no argued and paramount objections to a
proposed policy decision. The principle of consent is not about the right to veto but about the
right to argue. Everyone has the right – and even the obligation – to raise argued and
paramount objects to a proposal.
When we realize that paramount objections are important to the continued functioning of the
organization, it becomes clear that the principle of consent and recognition of everyone’s equal
value is an extremely practical way of addressing resources and abilities.
Continuous Feedback Loops (of critical importance in dynamic living systems):
leading/doing/evaluation (or measurement) – feed-back and feed-forward loops of information –
allow for a circle (organism) to self adapt quickly and effectively to its internal and external
environments.
Laws of Thermodynamics: energy transforms in only one direction—from usable to unusable.
Dissipation is the inevitable movement in linear leadership structures. For an organism to stay
alive, it must constantly be renewing itself which means it is dependent on feedback loops for
new and self correcting information.
Role of Conflict: If someone in your group has an issue with the way your group is working, or
you have new information as to how your group might operate more effectively or efficient, your
argument needs to be put into the form of a proposal that the group can interact with and
ultimate absorb into its operation and newly defined understanding of group process and
principles necessary to meet the agreed upon goals of the group.
Above information adapted from We the People: Consenting to a Deeper Democracy by John
Buck and Sharone Villines (2007).