Open Source Social Enterprise Code

Today I decided that I would finally begin blogging. I had been thinking about it for a bit but it would never make it to the top of my list of priorities.

Maybe my apparent procrastination was because I was not completely clear about why would I write a blog, what would I say, why would anyone read it, and questions of the sort, that were important for me to clarify before embarking in such enterprise.

I was in the pool today and it became clear. Swimming is always a clarifying experience for me. It detaches me from it all, and it allows me to be truly introspective. The urban lifestyle is not always the most conducive environment for introspection. We are in such close proximity to everything and everyone that is hard to find space that is truly apart. I find this space in motion under the water. My thoughts stretch out to the rhythm of my stroke.

In this context, it is clear to me now that my blog is my scrap book. And it comes in extremely handy because I don't have a central space for random thoughts, analyses and ideas. I often jot something down on my iPhone or make a voice memo that later takes me months to transcribe. I'm not sure the lagging memos will come to an end now that I've decided to blog, but at least my transcriptions won't end up in multiple places. Bottom line: this blog is an organizing tool for me. It helps me keep track of the progression of my insights and to better create relationships among them. And as they become better informed, better processed and better structured, I would be composing some sort of "code" that I think is relevant at this stage of the Social Enterprise as a concept and as a movement.

But this is only the internal operational value of this blog. Externally, my vision is also that the information posted has social impact.

Different to the scrap book deal, a blog is not private. In fact, it is everything but - private. It's probably one of the most public intimate spaces (up there with reality TV shows and 24-hour web cams) in our social context.

I decided to take an Open Source approach to my "code" for Social Enterprise.

I have been massaging concepts and ideas that I think now are becoming clearer so I'm better able to explain my perspectives on them. As I reflect on my insights and build and design concepts, systems and strategies in my mind, I hope to inspire others to share their own perceptions in order to gain collective perspective. Hence the importance for my blog being Open Source.

Our collective understanding of "the Social Enterprise thing" will only become clearer as we all contribute with our individual understanding of it. The intention behind this blog is to leverage on the collective intelligence that could result from the individual contributions of our independent thinking.

I very much appreciate diversity. When I think of diversity I feel amazed by how unique and different each of us are. We all have our very own set of values and experiences. We have our own individual perspectives. I believe that by adding our individual perspectives and sharing them with the rest of us, we will all have a better informed, multidimensional view of any particular issue, concept, system, or strategy; and we will be better able to take prompt and appropriate action. The richness of human connections is to create common ground from what makes us different, for the benefit of all included.

An increasing challenge in a society that gets more massified and more global yet more inclusive is how to facilitate these conversations so they 1) include as many relevant perspectives as possible and 2) derive in actions. What is a collaborative method that responds to our current realities? How do we take advantage of the exponential power of collaborative thinking, which could lead to collaborative decision-making and collaborative action.

It is my hope that the sketching and shaping of this Open Source Social Enterprise Code helps facilitate conversations that help advance the Social Enterprise Movement everywhere.

At this point I'm not exactly sure what will be the expression of the "Open Source Social Enterprise Code", but I hope you join me in the adventure of figuring it out.