Need, purpose and intent

[Ria Baeck]

From the emaillist, Sept. '12:

Dear Monica, Toke and AoH Community,

I notice in my work from time to time that I use the words: need, purpose and intent, in a variety of ways and in a variety of contexts; sometimes even interchangeably. As an exercise this morning I set to articulating my understanding of the terms, and without wanting to be too prescriptive or formulaic I thought to share these with you and possibly energise further discourse with those who are interested. I also pose a rider question with each of these to help me from a design perspective.

Need: A felt or recognised desire; a compelling reason for response and/or action

How do I/we assess the need and suspend my/our assumptions or bias?

Purpose: A conscious response to a need; with an outcome, a goal or a direction in mind

How do I/we ensure to begin a process with an openness that has not already decided on the outcome?

Intent: The driving character that fuels the purpose; the nature of where we're coming from

How do I/we check the nature of my/our intent to ascertain that it will be enabling and constructive in support of the purpose and the need?

Most interested in your thoughts.
With love
Martin Challis

--------------------

Quite Interesting...

Need: A felt or recognised desire; a compelling reason for response and/or action

How do I/we assess the need and suspend my/our assumptions or bias

I wonder if it isn't more about being as fully aware and transparent as possible regarding our assumptions and biases?  They are critical fuel and important resource.

Purpose: A conscious response to a need; with an outcome, a goal or a direction in mind

How do I/we ensure to begin a process with an openness that has not already decided on the outcome?

Seems to me we actually need some better language here.  Sometimes with all of our openness we get terribly sloppy.  That's why I am interested with emergence with rigor.  Purpose itself is necessary and insufficient.  It is not a destination, but a journey which requires constant reflection and action.  AND something has to actually get done.  What I discover more and more is also true is that what we think of as Purpose initially is actually only a rough approximation based on what we know right now.  It too changes and evolves.

Intent: The driving character that fuels the purpose; the nature of where we're coming from

I also like to think of this as the guidance system -- the values, principles and beliefs which direct and center our efforts.  

How do I/we check the nature of my/our intent to ascertain that it will be enabling and constructive in support of the purpose and the need?

Seems to me this takes us back to the need for ongoing cycles of action and reflection,

Bob Stilger

------------------

Indeed, thank you for this conversation this morning, dear friends... Right on time! :)

 

Dear Bob, your first point on the Need fully resonates...  "Critical fuel and important resource" and sometimes

even the bias consiste the acute edge of the leadership sword...

It's a "tricky one", though in reference to the diversity and complexity of conditions, context and criteria of assessing need...

 

...What comes to heart is Kahlil Gibran's "Reason & Passion" :

http://www.katsandogz.com/onreason.html

 

"...Among the hills, when you sit in the cool shade of the white poplars, sharing the peace and serenity of distant fields and meadows -- then let your heart say in silence, "God rests in reason."
And when the storm comes, and the mighty wind shakes the forest, and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky -- then let your heart say in awe, "God moves in passion."
And since you are a breath in God's sphere, and a leaf in God's forest, you too should rest in reason and move in passion."

 

Much Love from Greece,

 

Maria

[Cheryl Lyon]

Thanks for the opportunity to reflect more on Need, Intention & Purpose. Here are some additional thoughts:

Need: I like your formulation of it as "the compelling reason for a response"

 

Intent might be: the state we hope will be achieved

 

Purpose might be the particular response to the need at this pont in the journey that may bring us closer to the Intention and to fulfilling the need.

Cheryl