4XP

TIME TO STOP AND REFLECT

2006-09-11T12:34:00.000+01:00

Having chanced upon this reflective piece [author unknown], written just after 9/11, it seemed appropriate to post it on this blog today.

The Paradox of Life Today

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

You can choose whether to share these insights or just hit delete. The reactions, as cited on the discussion forum where it was found were mixed with some stating that this is an “..example of overgeneralization leading to an unwarranted negative view on life.”

Make up your own mind!

JUST WHAT BUCKINGHAMSHIRE BUSINESSES NEED!

2006-06-17T16:42:00.000+01:00

Turn up the volume on your computer and 'listen' to the latest news from our unique Buckinghamshire 'Community of Partnership '

And do visit our website for more information about our Partners

WELL WE ARE UP AND RUNNING!

2006-05-14T19:22:00.000+01:00

Well, it has been a couple of months since our last posting and we have been busy!

The photos are taken (courtesy of Claudia) the website has its own search engine (courtesy of David) and we have a wonderful set of Partners all ready to launch their services into the business economy of Buckinghamshire.

Use the key words that relate to the services that might be needed and enter these into our new search engine, what pops up should be the most relevant 4XP Partner for that job.

Our next meeting of the Partners will take place at our new virtual office at:

The Environment Centre
Wednesday 17th May
18.00 - 20.30hrs

Main agenda item: How we can let prospective clients know about us and potential Buckinghamshire wide launch activity.

See you all there.

4XP [Bucks] INAUGURAL MEETING DATE

2006-02-06T08:29:00.000Z

Well, we are at last able to get this unique partnership off the ground and can announce our first meeting of the Partners on Thursday 23rd February 2006.

Venue: The Royal Standard Pub
Wooburn Common Road

Time: 18.00hrs - 20.30hrs

Agenda: Plans and future growth of 4XP

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Józefa

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM ETIENNE WENGER

2005-09-28T10:16:00.000+01:00

Dear Jozefa,

Greetings from Fiji where I am catching up on my e-mail backlog and sorry for the delay in responding. Well, better late than never.

I guess by replacing 'practice' with 'partnership', you mean to emphasize the building of working partnerships rather than mutual learning among practitioners.

I am sure that I am the wrong person to ask for advice on an endeavor like yours as I am personally terribly inept at this sort of thing. My own forays into this territory have ranged from struggling to stumbling. But there are successful models such as the Tapestry Network in the Boston area. I think their success depends on having someone with a flair for the right business model that can sustain the process beyond the enthusiasm of the early stages.

So I wish you well.

All the best,

Etienne

***********************************************************
My new research agenda is available at www.ewenger.com/research
Check out our community of practice at www.cpsquare.org
For on-line workshops on communities of practice, check www.cpsquare.org/edu
A study on community-oriented technology is available at www.ewenger.com/tech ***********************************************************
Etienne Wenger
P.O. Box 810
North San Juan, CA 95960
U.S.A.
Tel. (530) 292-9222
E-mail: etienne@ewenger.com
Website: http://www.ewenger.com/

4XP AND THE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT NETWORK

2005-08-20T09:49:00.000+01:00

4XP have recently joined the Business Improvement Network (BIN) and hope to get involved in the future by hosting one of their local Open Space events on a subject that reflects the network members' needs.

For more information about BIN go to their website

4XP (Bucks) - FINDS A PLACE TO BEE!

2005-07-03T20:02:00.000+01:00

The Environment Centre

The physical home and meeting place of any community is very important, as it needs to exude the atmosphere that will encourage its members to relax, speak openly and freely, engage in knowledge-sharing activities and debate and ultimately help them 'spin for growth and success'.

We at 4XP (Bucks) have found just the right place to promote and develop our Community of Partnerships, The Environment Centre on Holywell Mead, High Wycombe.

The Centre is a focal point for the local community to raise awareness about local environmental issues and provide opportunities to discover ways of ensuring a sustainable future. It focuses on human impact and supports other local groups. One of their key principles is to create change and sustainable development to meet today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs - a true zero sum economic approach if ever we heard it!

The only drawback will be the background hum of the worker bees who, as part of the environmental public display, will share our discussion space, however they will be getting on with their own business development while we get on with ours!

Meeting dates will be published here on our blog very soon, but in the meantime, if you are interested in joining 4XP in either Bucks or Kent, send an e-mail to Józefa on 4XP@thepolexperience.com

ZERO SUM ECONOMICS

2005-06-02T11:56:00.000+01:00

What exactly is zero-sum economic development and sustainability?

There is an ever increasing band of people around the world interested in economic world growth and development but not at the expense of others in the system.

Rather than creating more, and in some cases exploiting others in this endeavour, many are now establishing projects that build upon what is already in place offering transparent and open communications, operating in an ethical and trustworthy manner with a view to support and join up local communities. Such projects look to use existing resources more prudently, to enable innovative solutions for sustainable living and to invest in local social and natural capital.

4XP (which is based upon a CoPart) operates in an eclectic way by utilising aspects of this thinking so as to support local businesses and in so doing better utilise the wealth of expertise already living and working locally.

You can apply to join the CoPart by sending an e-mail to Józefa on 4XP@thepolexperience.com

Come and get involved in early discussions about Zero-Sum economics at any of these online forums:

www.disruptive-mice.org/forums/100/ShowPost.aspx

http://www.knowledgeboard.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=140075&d=pnd

WHAT IS A CoPART? (here comes the theoretical bit)

2005-05-23T08:51:00.000+01:00

The concept behind 4XP is loosely based upon a blend of three popular models: Communities of Practice (influenced by KM principles, Complexity & Chaos theory and Open Space methodology) ; Organisational Development (originator Warren Bennis, organisational transformation and change) and Business Networking (eg. BNI, LinkedIn, BRE, BraveBrains, Ryze, Orkut, Ecademy etc..) but without a trading profit-making company at the centre of the network.

Using original thinking from Internationally renowned authors such as Etienne Wenger, Verna Allee, George Pór, Dave Snowden, Karl-Erik Sveiby, Nonaka and Takeuchi et al, and their elements of knowledge-sharing, valuing intangibles, storytelling, tacit knowledge and building communities, Józefa has created a new adaptation entitled - Community of Partnership™ (CoPart)

Key requirements of a Community of Partnership™ (CoPart)
© Józefa Fawcett, 2005

Open Space: Not merely a network of business people or social entrepreneurs, it has an identity defined by the space within which they live and work. The CoPart therefore implies a certain expectation of commitment to the named space and a high level of quality and competence that distinguishes partners from others in the same professional fields.

Community: In pursuing their interest in the named space, partners look for ways to help each other, and share both information and knowledge. They build relationships that enable them to learn from and about each other [Interprofessional Learning] offering other partners practical support without monetary involvement; this is based upon the centuries-old system of ‘bartering’ for services. Thereby, the nature of the CoPart will be self-organising and self-sustaining with built in Quality Assurance and CPD frameworks.

Partnership: A collective of local independent practitioners and small business or social units providing products, services, information, advice and guidance (IAG) to the local economy. The choice of partners is underpinned by the ‘OD Umbrella’ (Fawcett, 2003), an Organisational Development model that addresses the key areas needed to drive forward private or public sector improvements. The CoPart demands equal status for all – irrespective of profession, free access, and willingness to share a repertoire of resources and experiences. Partners also work together to support and market each others professional practice – no matter how diverse – with a view to benefiting themselves individually through the strength of the whole.

This ambitious local initiative benefits not only the partners who are successful in joining the CoPart, but also the local businesses that commission their services, who will get motivated high quality professionals working in an ethical business manner to recognised standards of performance.

Watch out for the first identified group of CoPart professionals coming soon to the 4XP website.

4XP EXPANDS ITS REACH

2005-04-20T20:52:00.000+01:00

4XP has been fortunate in securing sponsorship and support from one of the most successful independent training providers in Kent, SCA Learning Solutions.

Sheila Caulfield of SCA has agreed to become the 4XP Co-ordinating Partner for Kent.

She will start identifying potential partners from across the Kent area and set up an inaugural meeting late 2005 to be held in the SCA Learning Solutions offices in Sittingbourne

If you are a sole trader, independent or small business unit and wish to be considered as a potential partner in 4XP (Kent) then contact Sheila direct on sheilacaulfieldassociates@btconnect.com highlighting what you provide and why you think you would be a valuable asset to 4XP

If you are a business in the Kent area come back soon to see how 4XP - might be able to provide you with experienced, flexible Interim Support across a wide range of Organisational Development areas with the sole purpose of helping you to implement your business development plans

Requests for presentations about 4XP and the Communities of Partnership™ (CoPart) concept, can be made by contacting Józefa on 4XP@thepolexperience.com

WELCOME TO OUR 4XP BLOG

2005-03-14T16:29:00.000Z

We are Józefa Fawcett and David Moroz - the Founding Partners of 4XP

You can see from our profile that we have established a local Community of Partnership™ (CoPart)* bringing together a small yet select group of professional locally-based independent sole traders and small business units who wish to provide business products, services and support to the local business community in Buckinghamshire and the surrounding overlap areas just insideBerkshire, Oxfordshire and Uxbridge.

If you are a business in our area come back soon to see how 4XP - which is more than just an online network or f2f communication group - can support you and your business development plans

If you are a provider of services or products, operate as a sole trader or small business and wish to achieve sustainable growth, then consider becoming a partner in 4XP (Bucks) . Our first inaugural meeting of potential partners is due to take place in the Autumn 2005 - more details will be posted on the website and this weblog soon, but if you can't wait, then contact Józefa on 4XP@thepolexperience.com highlighting what you provide and why you think you would be a valuable asset to 4XP

* Community of Partnership™ (CoPart) is a term coined by Józefa @ The POL Experience, and based upon the conceptual models of working in communities by Etienne Wenger as well as George Pór, Verna Allee and others. Due credit is given to all of these for their independent thinking and extensive writings.