Jamming for System Change: Towards Wellbeing and Flourishing for All

Abstract

This paper uses the metaphor of the musical jam to identify a working set of holistic core guidelines and norms useful for transformation catalysts—and participants in transformation systems who are collectively stewarding organizing purposeful, whole system transformative change. Since purposeful whole system change involves bringing together actors and initiatives outside the context of conventional hierarchical organizations, it requires a set of skills and design guidelines associated with musical jams. Jams are musical sessions that enable musicians who do not necessarily play together as a formal group to produce good music over significant periods of time when certain norms are followed. Similarly, system change makers, operate in systems where change agents and initiatives voluntarily come together around (emergent) shared aspirations and actions. Doing that well means that transformation catalysts need to employ a constellation of key skills synthesized here as improvisation, stewardship, pattern recognition, collaboration, connection, generativity, and presence.