This is an early draft of work in progress. It can and is likely to change at any time as it gets refined by many minds.
A cluster is here defined broadly and generically as any grouping of individuals, or other clusters, bound by a common interest. Committees, as referred to on this website are clusters. So are Boards, video crews, companies, bridge clubs, and even individuals–you name it.
Clusters can spawn new clusters and join or link with other clusters. Any configuration is possible, and networks can be fluid and adaptive. Typically a startup cluster ("zygote") might spawn subclusters as it evolves and grows new needs and functions. The subclusters would connect representatives to the startup cluster, now a "supercluster," for coordination and collaboration. This may look like a conventional organization chart, and indeed serves some of the same productive purposes, but read on.
Recommended Cluster Formation Requirements:
- All members should have email access and check it daily, or at least regular contact with someone who does.
- At least one member should have an internet connected Mac with a coordination software for easy project tracking, history recording and collaboration and feel motivated to fill the corresponding networking/communications/training role. A tech specialist could fill this role in multiple clusters. Likewise for other specialized roles, like website developers. Such multi-cluster specialists should be paid if possible, spreading the financial burden over all the served clusters, and creating opportunities to design standard templates for standard operations.
- All clusters should register and maintain a profile with the founding startup cluster, lets call it the Big Bang Cluster for now, for access to common resources and information.
Cluster Cell Dynamics:
Founding cells (zygotes) may cleave into offspring cells. Any cell may link with other cells, merge with other cells, go dormant, or disband.
Clustering Process:
Core Principles
- 1st draft: [later: Substitute ‘’cell” for cluster in public literature. It’s a richer more familiar if less precise term. I like the organic metaphor - below then is the core DNA for a single cell embryo, a procaryote, with provisions for evolution by natural selection. The founding cell than needs to design and refine it’s self-replicating, self-organizing processes and spawn the next cell, etc. Eventually, with eons of natural selection for examples, we may end up with organs, circulatory systems, nervous systems, bones, muscles, senses and brains. We could use some brains now days.]Define a generic term, “Cluster,” as any aggregation of players bonded by some common attractive force - may the force be with us. This would include boards, committees, bridge clubs, businesses, etc. Any cluster can spawn sub-clusters and join super-clusters as needed.
Acceptance into a cluster would require players to agree to the following core principles, in addition to the OmniDome Core Values:
- Clusters have no authority over individuals or other clusters. True leadership is by inspiration, not authority.
- Clusters communicate, collaborate, inform, and make recommendations.
- Decisions to act require full consensus of all members, informed by the Consensus cluster whose charter is to explore and recommend consensus procedures. When all members agree, there is no resistance to moving forward.
- A super-cluster includes representatives from all of it’s sub-clusters and may also include additional players, advisory players, and temporary players. Super-custers are typically founding clusters of a given project that spawn sub-clusters for sub-projects, or are founded by multiple projects to combine common resources and achieve economies of scale.
- Individuals may be members of multiple clusters, and clusters of multiple super-clusters.
- Clusters are free to organize in any legal manner consistent with the founding cluster Core Values. This includes procedures for accepting new members and ejecting misfits (see 8.) It is strongly recommended that every cluster create a name and cultivate a proud identity, a trusting, friendly, caring culture that people can identify with and feel some ownership. As the world changes ever more rapidly it is important to learn, adapt, and strive to improve.
- All cluster members must agree to abide by the conflict resolution procedures recommended by the Conflict Resolution cluster.
- Rules with punishments for disobedience require enforcement, which requires surveillance, force, and endless expensive bureaucratic crippling dysfunctional legislative judicial and penal process. None of this is allowed in a cluster in good standing. The only recourse for unresolvable conflicts is banishment, upon which the only cluster that can then be joined is the Remedial Cluster for therapy (not punishment).
Rick King
1-11-15
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