The document discusses approaches to facilitating co-evolution in heterogeneous tribal networks, emphasizing the importance of social capital theory, collective intelligence, and cultural evolution. It highlights the role of common language and understanding in fostering innovation and collaboration among diverse communities. Multiple perspectives and methodologies are suggested as essential for navigating the complexity and dynamics of contemporary social challenges.

1. Multidisciplinary perspectives for knowledge hub projects (multi-tribal context)
Social Capital
Theory
(Putnam)
Collective
Intelligence
&
Innovation
Cultural &
Organisational
Evolution
Social Cognition,
Semantics & Knowledge
Management
Context: How to facilitate
sustaining co-evolution in
heterogenous/tribal networks?
Willi Schroll, Berlin – August 2019
Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

2. Multidisciplinary perspectives for knowledge hub projects (multi-tribal context)
Social Capital
Theory
(Putnam)
Collective
Intelligence
&
Innovation
Cultural &
Organisational
Evolution
Folksonomy
Common Language
Contextuality of
expressions
Knowledge Tribes
Bonding
Bridging
Linking
Create attractors
Meet &
create trust &
interest
Find protégé
Activate next level
resources
Access power structures
Whirlpool of
resources, creativity
Organize open
& safe space
Social Cognition,
Semantics & Knowledge
Management
Evolvability
Taming tensions &
complexity
Communities of
Practice
Connect to new
perspecitves
Connect with „strangers“
Attract with the adventure of
the unique co-evolution journey
Instant benefits of
community/cooperation Embrace difference &
accept divergence
Create consensus &
useful standards
Knowledge flow for
creativity & innovation
Structured Knowledge
Living Knowledge
Cultivate curiosity
Mapping plural
perspectives
Context: How to facilitate
sustaining co-evolution in
heterogenous/tribal networks?
Willi Schroll, Berlin – August 2019
Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
Complexity surfing
Appreciation of Wisdom
Learn, facilitate, lead with
evolutionary patience
Next Edge
Connect with pioneers, radicals, misfits
Love the the unknown & sacred
Accept mutants & selection, divorce & death
Reflect selection mode/roles

3. Multidisciplinary perspectives for knowledge hub projects (multi-tribal context)
Context: How to facilitate
sustaining co-evolution in
heterogenous/tribal networks?
Willi Schroll, Berlin – August 2019
Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
Perspectives for innovation and knowledge hub projects (complex,
wicked)
Our global, local and even corporate challenges get more dynamic
and complex. Happily so do our tools and media to design, facilitate
and govern the structures and processes. Many models, theories
and practices from different disciplines are involved.
Truism: You cannot unravel a knot in dimension n in a space of lower
dimension n-1.
Consequence: A successful path might involve at least a handful of
approaches.
(1) Cultural Evolution, Organisational Development and Evolution
… to have a perspective of progress and the momentum of „learning
from failures“
(2) Social Cognition, Semantics & Knowledge Management
… understanding is at the core, finding a common language is a
must.
(3) Social Capital Theory (Putnam)
… to raise the social and communicative energies of teams and
communities
(4) Collective Intelligence & Social Innovation
… wisdom of crowds, creativity methods, open space approaches,
the Appreciative Inquiry stance etc
A lot of the steering is about finding common language and
connected perspectives, common goals; accept cultural differences
without the trap of indifference. Putnam’s approach teaches how to
grow dynamics in communities, use active bridging and linking to
create access to new resources.
Culture, values and virtues are key of course. If a certain culture
level is not part of the setting in the beginning they have to be
created, curated and stabilized first.
Evolution allows for disruptions, leaps and surprises, but also
comprises a certain path dependency.
BACKGROUND:
Starting point: Innovation and knowledge management in complex
social settings is tricky and often fails when there is not a good level
of systems thinking involved. That happens for projects in civil
society as well as in corporate settings which strive to facilitate
innovation culture and meaningful conversations.
Kudos to many unnamed, but, esp. to Otto Scharmer (Presencing
Institute, Theory U).