The Thump Test. S&S IV

If you thump it on the head will it die? We've been talking a lot of theory and paradigm to this point, so let me pause a moment to ask some questions to put this stuff in our life.

Bill Wilson died and AA continued to thrive, Geronimo was killed and the Apache defeated the Spanish, the Disciples were martyred (for the most part) and the church exploded across the globe. If your organization were to lose its leadership team would it cease to exist? Are there students on campus who are empowered to lead toward the mission without a title or position?

If you take out a unit (movement) is the organization harmed?

What happens if a spider loses a leg? The spider’s mobility is significantly affected, and if it keeps losing legs its survival will be at risk. Separate a company’s accounting department from the rest of the organization and it won’t magically sprout a whole new organization to support. As we’ve seen, when a starfish is cut in half you end up with two starfish. On your campus when a movement grows in numbers does it turn into a spider or a starfish?

Are knowledge and power concentrated or distributed?

In starfish organizations, power is spread throughout. Each member is assumed to be equally capable and has power equal to that of the others. Each AA circle knows about the needs of its members, and each group can decide how to react accordingly. Are members of a movement empowered to innovate and meet the needs of their friends? Do they have access to the core DNA of a movement?

-Ethan