Inside Out

Today, I got a link to an article on Hypergene MediaBlog forwarded from someone on the appreciative inquiry mailing list (Stephanie West Allen). The article is an interview with Karen Stephenson and deals with the tricky question of trust - particularly looking at the whatsit 2.0 world of blogs and so forth. One part of this interview really caught my attention - perhaps because it gets to the heart of what people 2.0 (forgive me) are pining for from their institutions (can I call it institutions 2.0 without getting beaten up?). I would rather call it the authentic institution - where authenticity is basically about being inside out... In any case, I'm sure you know what I mean... So enough of my rambles and on with the quote:

Today, I trust no institutions. But institutions are made up of wonderful people. But often times those wonderful people aren’t the decision makers.

So, if you want me to pay attention to the institution, you let me see inside. Let me see the men and women behind the curtain. Give me their blogs. I want to know who they are. I’ll form my relationships with them thank you very much.

Then if I like what I see. I might trust your institution.

This is part of our evolution. To do this means that we are freeing ourselves of the so many complexes and structures that systemically obstruct our free association and our access to truth and what is right. It enables us to see through the institutional smog, greenwash or straight plain lies and deceit to what is really going on...

Of course, it demands great courage to go inside out and any individual, organisation or institution that is ready to swallow its fear, ego and pride to make this happen is, in my mind nothing less than a hero.

Lets all go inside out!