Meandering Mind - Eva Dillner [48]
There has been hoards written about vision statements in other books and I won't try to do it justice here. In chapter five I talked about puzzle pieces as a metaphor for vision. Where are you going and what is it you see when you get there? You will find the companion exercise at the end of Chapter twenty-three. Use it as an exercise in vision statement, if you wish.
From control to networks
There are many examples of traditional organizations based on control and rigid procedures. One obvious one is the Swedish social security administration, where everything is organized to follow a set routine. Heaven help you if you ask for something where they have no procedure to follow. I needed a statement for the IRS that I pay social taxes in Sweden. There is no form for that. They could not fulfill my simple request. This kind of bureaucratic government agency exists everywhere. They seem bent on not allowing people to think for themselves or in any way encourage a problem-solving attitude.
Lest you think the rigid organizations only exist in the government sphere, think again. I recently tried to do business with a new age distributor of books. They were as hard to get in with as Fort Knox. Makes me wonder how long they will be in business.
My original publisher is a new type of company. Using modern print-on-demand technology and the power of the internet, they are poised to change the nature of the publishing industry. Instead of editors deciding what will be available to read, the buying public decides. Anyone can publish and it becomes very democratic what is sold. Traditional self-publishing houses have focused on selling the production package. Author services companies work with the authors to make sure that those who want to be successful have all the tools and help they need and want to market, distribute, sell and promote their books.
Traditional publishing houses will be around for a long time I'm sure. The access they have to distribution channels is considerable and their marketing can't be beat. Yet of all the books written, they can only publish a few. Instead of still focusing on getting my first book published traditionally, I'm now writing my third book. I have grown enormously and I can see that my writing has improved a lot. Many times the really good book comes after we've been writing a while. How many people write a best seller the first time out? Not many.
Another inkling of the network structure of the future can be seen with Vedic Art. It has no membership lists and no requirements. The principles are taught, groups come together, and teachers are trained. There are no dues. If you wish to subscribe to their email news you may. If you are trained as a teacher, you may ask to be listed on the Vedic Art website. Information is spread by word of mouth. There is no advertising or traditional marketing. It is simple. It is a network of people who share an interest in painting from inside out, coming from the place of I am. The network is not restricted by national boundaries or political affiliations. It is free.
I see evidence that we will have more and more of these loose networks. We join together for a common cause or interest, we share experience and thoughts, we exchange, we work together, for a short or long time, across the globe. The internet is an important tool in this transformation.
When the Shen therapy organization split, I had hoped a network would form, of therapists who shared an interest in emotional