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Expert
Committee on the Transpersonal Vision in Management and Government.
The following have been members of this group at times during the last two years:
Evgueny
Faidych - Russia
Please add your name if you wish to be on this list as a number of others contributed but were not present all the time and may or may not wish to be associated with this report. The intention is to provide a backdrop for further work so please make your comments to support this aim.
The expert committee last year agreed that management is part of government activity, of political activity and of profit and not-for -profit organizations both large and small. The transpersonal vision in management covers all of these. In this second meeting there was considerable discussion about whether we could divide the transpersonal in management from the transpersonal in everyday life. After all most people are managing something nearly all the time and it perhaps invidious to divide up decision taking in government or business from taking decisions in everyday life.
There was a view that the transpersonal was to do with identity and leadership and that we should look at models of organisations and organisational development. We soon came back to the fact that there is perhaps very little difference from a transpersonal point of view between decisions taken in the home or the domestic economy from those taken at a nuclear power plant or at a strategic business meeting of a multi-national company.
Transpersonal teaching takes place in the " soft" rather than the "hard" management disciplines. It is more allied to subjects such as personal development, communication, creativity and group interaction than finance, marketing and business strategy
If we are to talk about the transpersonal to managers, the words we use are vitally important. It will be necessary to show how and why the transpersonal is important. We shall need to make statements like: The transpersonal is a kind of common " language" or non-verbal communication which is more intuitive than spoken, - perhaps a different state of consciousness, which enables people from different races, religions, economic and social organizations across the world to understand that beyond the individual, there is a deep rooted experience common to everyone and that through going back to one's grounding, it may be possible to see how below everyday concerns to do with economics or cultures or religions, there is a commonality among people based on a shared concept of spirituality which transcends national and societal and cultural boundaries. There is a link too with some basic ethical issues, which may be common, to all.
We discussed globalization, global awareness and the international manager as a global nomad. We noted the contradictions and similarities between globalization issues on the one hand and the very real demand for micro-financial initiatives, such as community supported agricultural groups and local currency systems on the other. We found that problems of managing are the problems of managing irrespective of the level.
We talked in depth about the new economic paradigm, of the new world order as it is called politically and at length about "psychic manipulation" by the media. Very different views of what was happening in the former Yugoslavia were discussed. In the new geo-economic paradigm, it will be vitally necessary for global management to understand and work with local traditions and cultures, which are often deep, rooted psychologically. This awareness does not exist much at the moment. Similarly, from the local perspective, expatriate managers or consultants living in local communities and working on local micro-financial initiatives, need to understand these traditions and cultures. This understanding too does not exist much at present
As well as the profound problems of culture and tradition at every level of society, there is the dramatic influence of technology, which is changing the world fundamentally in the space of a few decades. One of the most important issues is mind/computer interaction. Recent research indicates that the computer is not just an information device, but has a profound effect on consciousness and the unconscious in ways not yet well understood.
What could a transpersonal approach bring to these major issues? The transpersonal approach articulated by Karl Gustav Jung shows that different cultural and ethnic groups may have common deep rooted " symbolic languages" or " information banks" which can probably only be accessed by deeper awareness on the part of individuals and organizations. The second committee distinguished between teaching, preaching, investigating and researching in organisations and groups. The shift in mass culture in the last 50 years was discussed at this second meeting and the destruction of the family and other reference groups for ethical and spiritual living, whether in established religions, the family, the peer group, the university or school - all had suffered setbacks. Was the role of the transpersonal approach to radiate new thinking or to act as a magnet and attract others to its philosophy? An active prophet or a role model which enthuses others just by existing?
What might this radiating or magnetism involve and what would be the benefits? In the first of the two meetings we saw that the benefits are inestimable because they could lead to individuals and organizations worldwide understanding traditions and cultures and their profound impact on global economics and local communities and the development of satisfying lives for individuals who can benefit from the advantages and be protected from the disadvantages of globalization. It involves an act of faith and understanding of complex but well researched and scientifically validated concepts such as:
- Development of symbols (archetype language)
- Altered states of consciousness
- The emerging global citizen
- The effect of virtual computer reality on the conscious and unconscious mind
- New tools including meditative techniques, quantum, synergetic and fractal approaches for developing the potentiality of the human mind
The diversity of the group at the second meeting and differing views on the way ahead made for difficult conversations and meetings.
It was agreed that further research and workshop meetings would be required to study the new paradigm.
It was also agreed in the second group as constituted that there were some more interested in the transpersonal in society as a whole rather than in management. This was perhaps because of the diversity of backgrounds of the group who came to the study of the issue from very different angles.
It was agreed at the two meetings that there was a need for:
• Identification of people in different countries interested in contributing to the transpersonal in management at two levels - that of people working in different cultures across the world and that of the man/machine relationship, particularly the effect of computers on the human brain.
• Research to determine how other parts of the world look at the New Economic Order.
• More experts in management if we were to pursue this Committee.
• At the final session at Bad Kissingen, that the way ahead was to look as the manager as creator and the transpersonal in leadership in all economic, political and social fields.
• We would need to teach by being, learn by doing and walk the talk.
• We should look at the transpersonal in terms of radiation and attraction.
• There was a need either to bring in more experts in management per se or to blend the Committee for next year into a study of consciousness (a word well understood these days) and society.
The view at the final plenary session in Bad Kissingen was therefore that the follow on Committee next year should be entitled " Consciousness and Society. " Some of those present were happy with this, especially Alfred Groff who agreed to chair this Committee. John Drew, Andrei Gostev and Evgueny Faidych who were members during the last two years said they would support the new initiative.
2 August 2000 First Draft
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