Many thanks to Arizona State University for a memorable conference in 1997. Dr. Eileen Kelly Aranda, Ph.D. and President of Aranda and Associates, Inc. examined some of the prickly issues that face organizations and explored the concept of organizations as living systems. Living systems never perform the way they are designed. Living systems need variation. Living systems cannot be forced to do anything.
Living systems are self-organizing.
Order does not necessarily mean consistency. Summer session administrators long have understood how important it is to go with the flow and to remain as flexible as possible. However, Dr. Aranda challenged participants to learn to feel comfortable when they don't know what is going on, to respect and value models with which they don't necessarily agree, and to use discussion and dialogue as models of communication rather than debate. Hereby Resolve The Resolutions Committee presented a change to the assembled annual meeting attendees at the Sunday morning business meeting. The resolution was passed.