“We shape our buildings. Thereafter they shape us.” This is equally true of organizational structures. We create our organizations out of our vision, values and relationships, and thereafter, they shape us in our development. So how does one work within an organization to create and sustain healthy development? A first step in understanding this process requires developing an imagination about living organizations.
There are two major challenges to the ongoing creative activity of an evolving organization. These two challenges are similar to the two elements we must deal with in managing our individual lives. We must deal within each moment and each day with what is living, growing and evolving immediately before us and widely around us. […]
Ch. 2 from Partnerships of Hope, Building Waldorf School Communities by Christopher Schaefer Underlying this description of the life cycle of Waldorf schools are a number of principles. The first is that all institutions are human creations; they are created by people with an idea in response to a perceived need. In the case of […]
by Rea Gill As modern human beings we have an opportunity—maybe even a responsibility—to find sustainable ways to exist in and be in relationship with our environment . This is just as true in the social realm as it is in relationship to our physical environment, and we need to invent, discover and utilize socially […]
Organizational Integrity: How to apply the wisdom of the body to develop healthy organizations by Torin Finser All around us, we see living systems in plants, animals, and human beings. Our environment is alive, vibrant, and full of innate wisdom. Even the stars and planets speak in the language of ancient folklore to those who […]
Here are a few more interesting resources related to Living Organizations: Organizations as Living Organisms by Magda Lissau which looks at a school in light of life processes and the elements. School as a Living Entity by Rea Gill, an ebook exploring the story of Rea's work in Vancouver and the dynamics of creating a school as […]
In order for an independent non-profit educational organization to become financially sustainable in a culture and environment that is highly consumer driven, leaders in schools will need to become increasingly creative in how they view and work with finances and the resource landscape (economic) in which they are embedded. Here are seven keys that every […]
Waldorf schools have three primary challenges as they move into the future: To keep the education vibrant; To maintain healthy relationships throughout the organization; To create financial stability through creative relationships to the greater culture The sustainability of our organizations depends upon how we face these challenges. In the same way that we need to […]
In order for an independent non-profit educational organization to become financially sustainable in a culture and environment that is highly consumer driven, leaders in schools will need to become increasingly creative in how they view and work with finances and the resource landscape (economic) in which they are embedded. Here are seven keys that every […]
Resources for Sustainability Dear Colleagues, This month’s newsletter focuses on the theme of Sustainability and explores the question, “How can our schools become more sustainable in an economic environment that is growing more competitive and uncertain?” The lead article is a survey of the question and the second article, Seven Keys to Sustainability, outlines areas […]