In the Spirit of Sankofa and Update! GroupThink Project-Group...Keeping us focused on the goal The below is directly connected to the Prototype issue of this project, Consensus Based Resolutions. Hopefully, the answer is realized in the fruition/completion of BAMN:By Any Means Necessary...Peace In, Are we Collective-Solution Oriented? As Black men? http://destee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=692171&postcount=33 AFRICAN MANAGEMENT METHODS http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/A-Ar/African-Management-Methods.html THE TIMELESSNESS PRINCIPLE African decision making is actually based on three interwoven management methods: timelessness, consultation, and consensus. Unfortunately, these three principles clash with three of our own managerial expectations. We seek individual decision makers, especially within commercial settings. Americans admire the ability to make decisions individually, and thus seek that same capacity in those with whom we trade. We dismiss decisions made collectively as vague. or too difficult to achieve, preferring the swiftness of either authoritarian decisiveness or majority rule. We also seek timeliness. Americans admire swift decisions, even in unstructured situations. In U.S. slang, we "wing it," "think on our feet," and "take off." Finally, we admire individual risk-takers. Instead of asking, "why" when faced with hard decisions, we often ask "why not," assuming that each misstep will be correctable. In contrast, most Africans prefer decisions to emerge through timeless consultation, until participants can reach consensus. To be sure, an African executive can make snap judgements as swiftly as Americans can. Nonetheless, he is likely to remain aware of obligations to his extended family or clan. By acting alone, he flaunts that clan's collective wisdom. By consulting, he honors it. An American businessman once phoned an African friend, seeking the translation of a single word from his native language into English. He was put on hold, then heard ten minutes of happy, shouted conversation with others in the background. With everyone in agreement, the African triumphantly gave the caller the translation. When asked why he didn't just translate instantly, he loftily informed the American that he needed to consult his comrades "to guarantee the best phrasing." That thought would never have entered the American's mind. The time the Africans took to reach consensus was irrelevant; they enjoyed the process. This incident illustrates all three aspects of African decision making. Most Africans find it psychologically more satisfying to reach decisions by ignoring Western time frames, consulting one another, and attaining consensus. Nonetheless, African timelessness causes American anxiety. We don't mind moving slowly as long as we know there is a deadline. Africa's collective decision-making bothers us too. We never know exactly when it will end, because they don't know either. We also don't know how the whole process works, or even what goes on. One way to learn is to break it into stages, then examine each in detail. The model suggested here is both idealized and simplified. Nonetheless, it reflects all three of the principles that drive the decision-making process: timelessness, consultation, and consensus. Consider the Zulu method of decision-making. They call it ndaba (consulting). Read more: African Management Methods - benefits http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/A-Ar/African-Management-Methods.html#ixzz198vyTFVN
In the Spirit of Sankofa and Update! GroupThink Project-Group...Keeping us focused on the goal This sounds like something we need for the exposure of BAMN: By Any Means Necessary: Black literary magazine needs submissions http://destee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=692415&postcount=1 http://destee.com/forums/showthread.php?p=692421&posted=1#post692421
In the Spirit of Sankofa and Update! GroupThink Project-Group...Keeping us focused on the goal .......Below is a snapshot of shesfab's site with direct link following below: * o Home o Current Issue o Archives o Submissions o About o Contact * Newsletter Subscription >> Subscribe to our free newsletter << * Twitter Updates o Started off 2011 by reading thru the 1st batch...It will be a great year if all our submissions are this good! http://bit.ly/eiBUbT 4 days ago o The domain should be up and working for everyone, go check out the site, especially if you're a writer or artist: http://literallyblack.com 1 week ago o Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #austin_tx #writer #editor #literarymagazine #art #literar 2 weeks ago o Writers, photographers and digital artists, submit your work for the inaugural issue of Literally Black! Details here: http://wp.me/P1g0tS-g 2 weeks ago Submissions By Marie Dockett Submit your written work or art for consideration via the link below the submission guidelines. All submissions are taken via Submishmash; there are no costs to submit your work. We do not accept submissions via fax or postal mail, only online. Submissions received by the 10th of each month (with the exception of the inaugural issue, which has a deadline of January 20, 2011) will be considered for the following month’s publication. Example: all work received by June 10th would be eligible for inclusion in the July issue of Literally Black. ————————– What We Want Literally Black welcomes the submission of creative non-fiction, essays, fictional short stories, poetry, interviews, books reviews, photography and digitized art, as long as the work is a) written/created by a Black American (yes…bi-racial folks count), b) reflective of life as a Black American. A note to those reviewing books: it is highly unlikely that we will publish a review about an urban fiction, urban romance, or tell-all type book. The tone and subject matter are up to you. Your piece can be dark, humorous, leaning towards academic, satirical…it’s really up to you. We do not currently do “theme issues”, so get creative as you’d like. Word Counts (maximum) Creative Non-Fiction, Short Stories, Essays: 4,000 Interviews, Book Reviews: 1,000 Poetry: submit up to 3 poems per issue Art/Photography: submit up to 5 pieces of art per issue Previously Published Pieces We do accept previously published work, as long as it was published on your own personal blog, website or social network; do not submit work that has already been published in another literary magazine or journal. Of course, only submit pieces which were created by you, and which you have the right to distribute. Editing and Acceptance When we accept a piece to be published, we will check for correct grammar and spelling, but will make no other changes to your work; if we have to edit it to death, we simply won’t choose it for publication. We’re fine with simultaneous submissions, but please let us know if your piece is published elsewhere before we get to it. Rights Once your work is accepted for publication in Literally Black, you will retain full rights to it. We will retain non-exclusive, one-time anthology rights. In other words, you can publish your work anywhere else you want to after it appears in Literally Black, and we may include it in a future online or print anthology we publish, with your acknowledgment. http://literallyblack.wordpress.com/submissions/
In the Spirit of Sankofa and Update! .......Yet another relevant Forum Thread, with the focus on dropping our religious differences and setting aside those issues that keep us from becoming comrades in arms against our common enemy: The Emotional Challenge for Black Folks and a Diary of Thoughts http://destee.com/forums/showpost.php?p=697544&postcount=1
In the Spirit of Sankofa and Update! GroupThink Project-Group...Keeping us focused on the goal .......This forum thread certainly explains and provides a fine example of why GroupThink adopted a formula, through consensus based resolution, to simply table certain topics: "As discussed in the 9th meeting, December 11, 2008, topics such as (Religion, Barack Obama, Meat Eaters vs. Vegetarians, Matriarchal vs. Patriarchal), etc…need not hit the table, because they are irreconcilable and will only divide us at this time. As a group of people, we are nowhere near coming to a consensus on any of the above-related subjects. When we come together, topics such as these should be put on the back burner, as issues that divide us." i was wrong about obama http://destee.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67983 At this time, this thread has 194 replies and has been viewed 2783 times; with no resolution, compromise nor agreements in sight...Peace In Family