Bill Veltrop
The Occupy Wall Street Movement has broken through the media barrier and provoked an international conversation about the problem with a system where less than 1% of the population lay claim to the world's riches and rule with impunity over the 99% whose lives, health, lands, homes, livelihoods are threatened by an unfair economic system. Clearly it is time to change the rules of the current economic game, including the political game where politicians and legislation is written of, by and for powerful corporations siphoning off the rewards and saddling the public with unpayable debts.
Bill Veltrop is a pioneer of The Infinite Games, a resource for those seeking breakthrough approaches to organizational change and leadership development, it draws from the collective experience and wisdom of senior practitioners, thought leaders and organizational change champions spanning over 35 years of innovative organizational design and change work.
As the Occupy Movement struggles with survival, the challenges of police action, meeting the basic needs of the occupiers, communications within constantly expanding and shrinking groups, as well as with the media and between themselves and other groups, the individuals within the movement and the collective groups are faced with the challenge of figuring out how to draw out their collective wisdom, make decisions, improve the quality of their ability to determine and convey their messages effectively. They need to be able to identify and exercise their collective power, and channel it into realizing the changes they want to manifest in the world.
If you've been to one of the General Assembly Meetings or observed one, you will know that half of the early meetings have been devoted to process. Understanding consensus, facilitation skills, are in high demand. I found such a wealth of insights, including Generative Capacity-Building as a Core Organizing Strategy, that could assist those involved in and supporting the Occupy Movement.
In this show, Bill looks at the fatal design flaws of the existing Finite Game System:
1) Myopic, short term view
2) Striving to control, become permanent
3) They are serious
Whereas Infinite Games:
1) Aim for the largest possible picture, the well being of all
2) Co-create, co-operative, designed to evolve and grow with feedback loops
3) They are playful, fun
or
The finite game is played for the purpose of winning,
an infinite game for the purpose of continuing the play,
...and bringing as many persons as possible into the play.