A guide to key moments

04:00 Why This Book Matters

"I decided to write this book because I was so frustrated with how futile the transformation efforts are in our communities."

• Peter explains how traditional transformation approaches fail to create fundamental change and expresses desire to normalize relational practices beyond retreats and special events.

• The primary aim of the book: Making the common good central, with market economy as "an interesting side venture".

BetaCodex Connection: Law 4: "All-around success" a shift from mono-maximization of business metrics (i.e. “shareholder value”) to comprehensive fitness across multiple dimensions of wellbeing.

08:00 Cause and Effect: From Consumers to Producers

"This is about the difference between purchasing a solution and producing a solution… consuming versus creating… [or the mindset of], “I need the social services to fix me. I'm not good enough, I'm poor." - Rijon

• Peter and Rijon articulate the distinction between "purchasing a solution versus producing a solution"and how professionalization creates dependency on external expertise as opposed to local knowledge.

• How the shift from a consumer to a producer mindset creates agency.

BetaCodex Connection: Law 1: "Team autonomy" and the concept of Social Density - creating conditions where people choose shared accountability, becoming the "cause” of value creation, rather than an “effect” of managerial control.

12:00 The Business Perspective vs. The Common Good Narrative

"We have way overstretched the business or commercial mindset and are trying to solve problems with this. That kind of thinking that cannot be solved with that… [It] can only be solved with the common good mindset." - Niels

• Niels articulates how the business perspective has invaded domains where it doesn't belong.

• Peter uses his "Uncle Gene" metaphor to illustrate proper place of business thinking.

• How education, healthcare, and other social domains require a different frame

BetaCodex Connection: Law 11: "Resource discipline" - a shift from on status-oriented control to value-based expedience, better serving the collective wellbeing.

16:00 Peter's Vision of Relational Activism

"Traditional activism is thinking legislation will do it. Policy will do it. A change in leadership will do it. The relational activism - let's pay attention to our peers, my neighbors..."

• Peter describes attending a poverty conference where 250 passionate people never engaged with each other.

• Rijon connects this to the idea of moving from spectators to initators of change. Be the player on stage, rather than a member of the audience.

BetaCodex Connection: Law 12: "Flow coordination" - creating value through dynamic relationships rather than static allocations of resources and responsibility.

27:30 The Power of Language

"To call somebody poor is to declare them broken... call them economically isolated. Now I know what to do. I need to end their isolation."

• Niels praises Peter's precise language and down-to-earth approach in the book

• Rijon highlights the Sigmund Freud quote: "The person who first hurled a word founded civilization" - from Peter’s A Small Group project - and it’s related booklet.

• Peter shares how reframing "poverty" as "economic isolation" can fundamentally transform our intervention approach.

BetaCodex Connection: Parallels the differences in BetaCodex language choices (like "leaderships" vs. "leadership") that create new possibilities for organizing.

39:40 Block and the BetaCodex

"Almost every one of the... it is such an alignment between Peter, between your work and the 12 principles. I mean, I could read them off. And you could speak that they, each of one, each one of them speaks to, to about agency and confronting freedom and account shared accountability." - Rijon

• Rijon articulates in detail how Peter's work aligns with several of the BetaCodex principles, as well as a specific explanation of "mono-maximization versus all-around success" principle.

• How both consulting approaches embody a holistic (whole-system) approach as opposed to a single-point optimization focus.

BetaCodex Connection: Law 4: All-around success vs. mono-maximization- how holistic approaches like BetaConsulting and Flawless Consulting can fundamentally reshape organizational behaviors and performance systems.

45:00 Finding a Third Way

"I really think, you know, and I do think that, uh, that's why I'm looking for a third way is another way to put it. These books are about a third way."

• Peter discusses creating alternatives beyond traditional left-right political approaches

• Niels shares perspective as a European/German about different social contexts

• Rijon notes this relates to being "a creator capitalist, not a knowledge worker"

BetaCodex Connection: Resonates with OpenSpace Beta approach of inviting emergence rather than imposing solutions - creating conditions for new possibilities to appear.

51:00 "Honored but Ignored"

"I had a guy, David Kaley (sp?) once told me... 'you guys are well honored, but you're ignored.' And I thought that captures it, honored and ignored."

• Rijon references management heretics and Art Kleiner's work

• Niels connects this to W. Edwards Deming, Mary Parker Follett, and other marginalized thinkers

• Why transformative ideas remain “fringe” despite intellectual recognition

BetaCodex Connection: How integrating Relative Targets in organizations is intellectually appreciated but encounters systemic resistance because it fundamentally challenges how fixed performance contracts impact power structures.

57:00 Organization Design as the Fifth Field

"… it's this fifth perspective that we talk about... What's the organizational perspective and that bridge between the four fields (journalism, architecture, religion, and neighborhood) that are so important and… how do organizations embody the common good in those four fields?" - Rijon

• Rijon introduces organizations (firms, businesses) as a crucial "fifth field" for activating the common good

• How an organizational design perspective bridges Peter's four domains (architecture, journalism, neighborhood, religious/associational life)

• How decentralization, federalization, and democratization are key connecting principles

BetaCodex Connection: Directly connects to Cell Structure Design - creating functionally integrated, market-oriented organizational units that embody common good principles.

62:00 Doing the Work That Matters in Real Life

"If the shift from the command-and-control paternalistic (Alpha) frame that we've been with since Enclosure moves toward the common good frame and the organizations we seek to intervene with, embodies those principles and the laws and in those fields, I think that's work worth doing. That's work that matters." Rijon

• Rijon emphasizes practical implementation through organizational transformation

• Peter discusses concrete examples of jubilee conferences and dividend housing

• Final thoughts on bringing these principles into everyday practice instead of relegating them to special events

BetaCodex Connection: Law 8: "Presence of mind" - a focus on preparation and awareness rather than planning and control as the key to effective action in complex environments.

1. Intro

Rijon welcomes Peggy Holman and establishes their prior connections and shared interests.

• Rijon introduces himself and Peggy Holman to the audience

• References to Marv Weisbord (organizational development pioneer and jazz pianist)

• Discovery of Peggy's work on journalism in Peter Block's "Activating the Common Good"

2. Journalism Origins and Evolution (03:00 - 10:00)

Peggy explains how a racially-motivated shooting in 1999 sparked her entry into journalism transformation work.

• Connection between storytelling, appreciative inquiry, and journalism as cultural storytelling

• Influence of Harrison Owen and Ann Stadler (Open Space methodology founders)

• Development of the pivotal question: "How do we do journalism that matters in a world gone mad?"

3. Journalism That Matters Organization (10:00 - 17:00)

The evolution from informal gatherings to a structured organization bringing diverse journalism stakeholders together.

• Expansion from print-only to including broadcast and digital media journalists

• Introduction of the "journalism ecosystem" concept from community feedback

• Growth of "engaged journalism" at the intersection of journalism and community

4. From "Spitting in the Wind" to Spreading Seeds (17:00 - 19:00)

Peggy describes how their work evolved from feeling ineffective to seeing widespread influence.

• Partnership with Agora Journalism Center on "Experience Engagement" conference

• Transition from isolation to connection through collaborative initiatives

• The dandelion clock metaphor for how their ideas spread throughout journalism

5. Open Space Methodology and Diversity (19:00 - 27:30)

Discussion of how Open Space methodology created environments for authentic connection and addressing diversity in journalism.

• Importance of crafting meaningful themes and invitations for gatherings

• Story about confronting racial homogeneity in journalism conferences

• The "Create or Die" convening with 75% participants of color to shift perspective

6. Community-Based Journalism Examples (28:00 - 32:30)

Exploration of innovative organizations putting community-centered journalism into practice.

• City Bureau and the Documenters Project training community members as civic reporters

• Growth of the Documenters model to over 20 locations nationwide

• News Futures organization developing principles for local journalism transformation

7. First Amendment and Evolution of Journalism (32:30 - 36:00)

Peggy's framework connecting First Amendment freedoms to evolving journalistic practices.

• Overlay of modern journalism practices onto constitutional freedoms

• Shift from monocultural to multicultural approaches to news gathering

• Fundamental transitions: from lecturing to listening, problems to possibilities

8. Open Letter to Journalism (36:00 - 41:00)

Discussion of a transformative document and the challenges of reaching modern audiences.

• Origins of the Open Letter at the Pointer conference gathering

• Examples of cross-generational collaboration between traditional and digital journalists

• Challenges of diminishing attention spans and changing media consumption habits

9. Journalism Innovation and Orthodoxy (41:00 - 47:00)

Examination of how journalists are breaking from traditional practices to reach new audiences.

• Journalists working with influencers to engage younger audiences

• Challenging journalistic orthodoxy around objectivity and detachment

• Solutions Journalism Network focusing on responses to problems, not just problems

10. Local Media and Citizenship (47:00 - 52:00)

Exploration of how local journalism can foster community connection and democratic participation.

• NPR in Texas as an example of applying Open Space in challenging environments

• Connecting short-form media to citizenship and local engagement

• "Conversational literacy as a birthright" as a fundamental concept

11. Closing Thoughts (52:00 - 57:10)

The conversation concludes with a powerful question and mutual appreciation.

• "What's a dangerous question to ask?" as a prompt for deeper reflection

• Reaffirmation of "What is journalism that matters in a world gone mad?" as still relevant

• Final appreciations and closing remarks between Rijon and Peggy

Watch the whole session on YouTube here.

Click below to watch the uncut version.

Clips, shorts and articles to come!

TL;DR the results were inconclusive.

This episode was inspired by the following LinkedIn post.

Watch Episode 61 of BetaCodex LIVE: “Organizational Healthcare - Healing, Hygiene and HEART”

EPISODE GUIDE:

00:00 Introduction

03:09 Organizational Health vs Healthcare - Key Distinctions

10:23 Organizations as Living Systems

14:30 Communication & Relationships in Healthy Organizations

26:45 Social Density & Team Health

35:20 Organizational Birth, Death & Renewal

42:15 Healing Trust and Remote Work

49:30 Change as "Pouring Milk into Coffee" vs "Freeze-Unfreeze-Refreeze"

54:10 Integration of Authority, Responsibility & Accountability

FEATURED WORKS

• Mary Parker Follett's "Creative Experience" on circular response & integration

• Kurt Lewin's Field Theory & systems thinking

• William Bridges' "Managing Transitions"

• Harrison Owen "Spirit" & "Practice of Peace"

• Peter Block's "Community", "Stewardship" and "Confronting Our Freedom" (with Peter Koestenbaum)

• https://betacodex.org

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• How to distinguish between mechanical and living system approaches to organization

• Why treating organizational change as "health" transforms our intervention strategies

• Understanding the role of relationships and communication in organizational healing

• How to approach transformation through the lens of chosen accountability

• Ways to build trust and social density in hybrid/remote environments

• The connection between organizational death and renewal in transformation

Watch Episode 61 of BetaCodex LIVE: “Organizational Healthcare - Healing, Hygiene and HEART” to find out how!

RELATED EPISODES:

Episode 60 “Confronting Our Freedom” - with Drew Weilage

Episode 42 “Optimize or Transform” - with Drew Weilage

Episode 43 “Transform or Else”

Episode 47 “Social Density & Organization”

For more on organizational transformation with the BetaCodex visit https://www.redforty2.com

Subscribe to Riffing with Rijon on YouTube

The Icarus Deception - The Part of the Icarus Myth You Weren't Told

A few “tunes” from our set:

The Book: The backstory of Christof’s book "The Power of Music Thinking," discusses how musical concepts can transform organizational collaboration and innovation

Cue the Framework: The JASPER framework - an acronym for the six “cues” of Jamming, Agility, Score, Personality, Empathy, and Remix that frame conversations that help organizations think and work more harmoniously.

The Style Council: How different musical styles (classical, jazz, etc.) can serve as analogies for different organizational dynamics.

Open Your Ears: Using music listening techniques as a fundamental skill for helping people understand one another and help them connect across differences.

Here are some more tasty licks:

"Money should be an outcome, not a goal. If you only focus on the money, you will collectively change everything outside our environment."

“Sometimes words don't help, but sounds can."

"We can only hear what we know. We can't hear what we don't know."

"In music, there is no right or wrong, it's only different. And that's why music, in my experience, always works."

"If a certain person that you might not like...coincidentally likes the same music as you, there is something that besides being human is connecting you in a different way."

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IF YOU LISTEN TO THE WHOLE EPISODE:

1. What is Music Thinking and how did it develop?

2. How do the practical tools work?

3. What makes this approach unique?

4. What kinds of organizational challenges can it address?

5. What does a practical implementation look like?

6. What is the JASPER framework?

7. What role does listening play?

8. How does this connect to larger organizational transformation?

9. What resources are available?

What does GUILT have to do with accountability? Everything.

Just like “anxiety”, in the world of existential philosophy, the word “guilt” has two distinct flavors. Existential and neurotic. One is natural, one isn’t. Take a guess which is which, and where each one comes from.

And why which one you choose to embrace has everything to do with accountability.

Niels Pflaeging and I will dive into the organizational implications of all this tomorrow at 10:00 AM EST (15:00 GMT).

Watch live on YouTube or LinkedIn.

Continue reading for excerpts of “Confronting Our Freedom”

From Peter Koestenbaum:

"An important revelation of existential anxiety is the understanding of two kinds of guilt. ... In brief, existential guilt is guilt about unfulfilled potential, about self-betrayal, and anger at one's weakness. Neurotic guilt has two layers: the denial of the existence of existential guilt altogether, and the internalization of external and essentially irrelevant rules and values."

— Peter Koestenbaum (1978)

Peter Block on Neurotic Guilt:

If you can accept this idea for a moment and look at our modern organizations, you get a sense of how powerful our organizations are in reinforcing our neurotic guilt. And you see how difficult they (and we) make it to act on our existential guilt and choose to bring our full selves into our place of work.

Peter Block on Existential Guilt:

It is the existence of existential guilt that makes the dream of creating cultures of freedom and accountability possible. I am guilty because I choose to live, choose to say no to certain people and choices. To say yes to pursuing deeper purpose in whatever requirements are required for the whole system to succeed, I, along with peers, decide how to make this moment, this meeting, the way of occupying this room examples of the world we want to inhabit. This is what freedom looks like.

More from Peter Block:

Guilty as chosen and guilty as charged

One of the major shifts in my own thinking about accountability has to with guilt. This was the recognition that much of the guilt I have lived with has been well founded – that to be human is to live with the experience of a particular kind of guilt, that which arises from acts of self-betraval and becoming the person that others wish us to be.

That the origin story of accountability has to do with being accountable to ourselves, as individuals and as members of a community or institution.”

The philosophic insight distinguishes between two kinds of guilt: the existential guilt of betraying our own capacity to be fully ourselves and fully human, and the neurotic guilt of adapting ourselves to what we believe the world expects of us.

Final Thoughts on Guilt from Peter Block:

Last time about guilt

What is interesting about the philosophic insight is that it proposes that we are going to feel guilty, no matter what. It is a feature, if not a benefit, of being alive and human. So the questions become: What kind of guilt do we choose for ourselves? And what do we believe best supports others?

If we believe that an accountable culture comes from the experience of freedom, we would look for ways to support people to be more of themselves. We would adopt strategies of invitation and consent. It would entail stronger listening, deeper and more personal dialogue, self-defined learning goals, and a focus on strengths rather than deficiencies.

The specifics could take a hundred forms, but the simple question of how an institution confronts people with their freedom and asks them to bring all of themselves to work would form the basis of a new conversation. This would begin a shift toward a liberating experience of membership. This brings questions of deeper purpose and community wellbeing to the center of institutional life. These are most often relegated to special occasions and lean on consultants to tell us what our peer groups are doing.

According to existential philosophy (stay with me here), there are TWO kinds of anxiety, and it’s critical to understand the distinction between them.

Existential anxiety is the natural feeling you feel when moving from a state of safety to one of vulnerability. That’s healthy. 

That feeling you feel when you’re afraid of how others see you? The fear of public shaming? That’s NEUROTIC anxiety. That’s the disease.

Neurotic anxiety is a dysfunctional derivative of existential anxiety. It’s the DENIAL of existential anxiety.

Here’s what “the Peters” have to say about this:

“If we could learn to live with anxiety and see it as a positive key to our own well-being and not something erasable or caused by others, we could then drop our defensive routines. Drop the narrative that does not work that well anyway. We could begin to trust ourselves more and to trust each other. We would be less fearful of people in power, for we would realize that the grief we thought they brought us was in reality unavoidably self-inflicted.”

— Peter Block (2023)

"When anxiety is denied, our nature is denied. ...As a result, the price we pay for the denial of existential anxiety is severe. The dominant consequence is to restrict our life."

— Peter Koestenbaum (1978)

Existential anxiety is like complexity - it just is. Don’t deny it. Embrace it.

What precisely does this all have to do with organizational behavior? Everything. Watch Niels and me on BetaCodex LIVE this Friday on YouTube to learn how.

“Confronting Our Freedom: Leading a Culture of Chosen Accountability and Belonging”

Watch live on YouTube here

If you must, you can also watch on LinkedIn.

To watch any of the previous 59 episodes of BetaCodex LIVE, watch here.