I have re-read this beautiful entry @care_save and appreciate your skill with words and phrasing. I have much to learn from you.
Very useful questions. If I was to “claim” the Cafes as my own, as under my “management,” then I would like to introduce the line of thinking that you turned me on to Caroline…Samantha Slade and Horizontal Management. I purchased a copy of her book Going Horizontal and have taken a few insights from her processes.
From the book blurb: Hierarchy in organizations is obsolete. There is a better way: one that increases the engagement of employees and managers alike, reduces micromanaging and other limiting approaches, and promotes organizational and individual success.
Currently, I am managing the Cafes in a semi-vertical fashion. In January 2019, the topics for the Cafe have been “what I say goes” … I decided on the topics, as mentioned above, to get the ball rolling. What I desire is for horizontal management…this will take time…the subtitle of her book is Creating a Non-Hierarchical Organization, One Practice at a Time…obviously we have no "employees and I think the site “managers” would hardly describe themselves with such a term, but we can learn from her business modeling.
A bit of in-sight to the thinking behind proposals (as the Cafe project rolls along); aka Horizontal Snow Reflections on January 2019 & Future Cafes:
Proposals intend to garner a life of their own. These little balls began as a tuft of snow, carefully formed with two tiny hands (and one tiny mind), patiently placed upon the platform (Infinite Conversations), slowly rolled about in our snowy conversations. The tiny hands have formed a few of these little frosty (frothy) spheres and will continue to produce them slowly, with care. The tiny mind has imagined that the balls will take a life of their own, rolling about the grounds, gaining more substance and girth (a few head-nodding likes/hearts; a modest thread of discussion). Other interested minds begin their trek towards the topics.
As a collection of the little balls appear, the tiny little hands would like help to keep the ball rolling. An extra pair of tiny hands producing more tiny balls. A couple of bigger bodies to begin rolling around the bigger balls as they take on more snow, take on a like of their own. Soon, the snowy ground, previously a blank white sheet, becomes a fun factory of tiny minds taking tiny thought-balls into thine hands, forming new thought-spheres as new minds take new ideas (and old) in new directions.
Proposals can be formed by anyone. It only takes a thought. If we go back and observe some of Caroline’s language, we see that a proposal is a sensed bit that has priority, something that holds one’s interest and may hold interest for others, hence the proposal. An article read; a book chapter; a simple thought around a theme of current culture.
The proposal process gauges interest, that which gains steam or that which may melt in our hands. Proposals that others find interesting (either by a comment or a simple heart …which can always be improved…how do we show that we are interested?) If the thought-sphere garners no interest at this time, no matter. Don’t take it personally. Seasons change. Snow —> water may find its flowering flow in a warmer climate as it seeps into the cracks of our collective.
One last thought: the time of the Cafe is not available to all, such as our international participants and those with work or other commitments. Also, having the Cafe set in a specific time, as @johnnydavis54 and I have discussed in other conversations, halts the momentum of keeping the snowballs rolling and forming into beautiful, vibrating snow art.
Thus another proposal (or reminder!): the Cafe may be set in stone, but the Cafe is open at all hours. The zoom link is available to anyone at any time. I do not mind managing the logistics for this, even if I cannot attend. A great example right now is the Pattern Language Cafe Proposal. At least two individuals have difficulty with the Cafe time. Once we all decide on a set time…we can make that Cafe happen!
PS: just a reminder, too, that I am some dude with a little extra time to arrange snow balls and process the recordings of our snow castles built with love. Anyone, with a little extra time, can do this too. If we do produce snow-spheres that roll out of control, and, if you have a little extra time and interest…give learning the process a shot. That is part of how “going horizontal” works…this is a co-op, right?! My reminder is really a call out to any snow creatures who would like to participate. I hardly have any money to give to keep the co-op flowing smoothly as the masteminds continue their background work, so I coin-tribute with time…can you?