Definition should better emphasize the role of trust

[semioticrobotic]

The Open Organization Ambassadors have undertaken a lengthy discussion of the role "trust" plays in open organizations. Guiding that conversation is a document summarizing what's at stake in the matter (from @jenkelchner and MaryJo Burchard of LDR21).

That document lists several avenues for better incorporating "trust" into the Open Organization Definition:

"Trust" could become an open organization principle, something on par with the current five (transparency, inclusivity, adaptability, collaboration, and community). Situating trust this way would mean treating it like something of an "input," something people can infuse into their organizations to realize greater and better openness. From a procedural standpoint, this would compel our community to develop (as we have for the current five open organization principles): A working definition of "trust" as a high-level value, descriptions of "what trust looks like" as manifest in the behaviors of organizational members/actors, and concrete language regarding levels of maturity surrounding these attitudes and behaviors (so we could update the Open Organization Maturity Model). In short, we will need to "operationalize" trust as we have the other principles.

"Trust" could become a featured characteristic elaborated in the preface of the Open Organization Definition. Situating it this way would mean treating it like something of an "output," something that occurs when people concertedly practice open principles in the organization (something that results from the application of open principles, in other words ). It would therefore be on par with concepts like agility, innovation, and engagement—concepts we’ve already identified in the Definition as desirable outcomes of working openly. From a procedural standpoint, this would mean re-writing the preface to the Open Organization Definition to place stronger emphasis on trust as a result of working openly. In short, we would need to review both the Definition and our other materials to determine how we’re emphasizing the role openness plays in fostering high-trust contexts.

Trust could become something that "sits" or operates at an altogether different level of abstraction (neither "input" nor "output"). As LDR21’s research (described above) seems to indicate, trust might be something more foundational, something that facilitates the current five open organization principles.

At issue here is the specific role we'd like "trust" to play in future iterations of the Definition.