Asian influences on collective intelligence facilitation

Asian influences on collective intelligence training, coaching and facilitation practices are rich and diverse, albeit mostly indirect. They have occurred through travel, translation of works, adoption of body practices and intellectual exchanges. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we can distinguish between classical Asian authors, Chinese or Japanese, whose ideas have found their way into entrepreneurial and pedagogical thinking.

Secondly, contemporary and then Western authors have seized upon these notions and concepts and "acclimatized" them, with varying degrees of success, to Western mentalities. From these authors, a whole panoply of practices was enriched.

Some classical Chinese authors

Among the classical Chinese authors, Lao Tzu and the Tao Te King are the great classics that promote the philosophy of "Taoism" and a vision of the unity and diversity of living beings. Lao Tseu was partially translated in 1772 by the French Jesuit Jean Baptiste du Halde. Similarly, the work of Confucius is regularly referred to; it has been known in the West since 1687 through a Latin translation by another French Jesuit, Prospero Intorcetta, who was probably interested in a model of harmony and social justice.

Buddhism has been in contact with the West since late antiquity on the borders of India and the Roman Empire, but it was during the colonial era that texts such as the Dhammapada, a collection of verses attributed to Gautama Buddha, and the Tibetan Book of the Dead were made widely accessible. The teachings of prominent Buddhist masters such as the Dalai Lama have helped to spread these teachings. These philosophical and religious currents paved the way for concepts taken up in business and training.

Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism provide food for thought: conscious, non-judgmental attention to the present moment, collaboration, harmony and balance, active listening, adaptability and flexibility in the face of life's changes and challenges.

More recent Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese authors

Japanese thinking has also been a vehicle for cross-fertilization. The Toyota company in particular has been compared with the Ford company, and Taichi Ohno 's principles have been contrasted with those of Taylor. As a result, approaches such as total quality, ringi-sho participative management, kaizen and 5S have penetrated the engineering and professional communities.

Thich Nhat Hanh (1975, 2010), a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, popularized the practice of mindfulness in the Western context. His work has focused on the application of mindfulness in everyday life, including business and organizations. Ohmae (1991), a Japanese business strategy consultant, has developed strategic approaches inspired by Japanese thought and culture. In particular, he has promoted the idea of holistic vision in strategic decision-making. Japanese management researchers Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) developed the theory of organizational knowledge creation. Their model, known as the "knowledge spiral", is inspired by the tacit wisdom and learning culture of Japanese companies.

Suzuki (1970), a Japanese Zen monk, helped popularize Zen practice in the Western context. His work emphasized the importance of present attention, simplicity and the integration of Zen into daily life and work. Daisaku Ikeda (1989 and 2007) is a Japanese philosopher and educator who has developed management approaches inspired by Nichiren Buddhism. He emphasized values such as human dignity, compassion and the pursuit of sustainable happiness in management practices. These authors have borrowed directly from Asian concepts and practices in their work, and adapted them to the Western context of management and business. Their writings provide practical applications of these Asian concepts in the business world. Many practices have also spread through alternative medicine (acupuncture, tuina massage), all the internal energy arts (Qi Gong, Tai Chi) and even martial arts such as Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido and inspiration for Wendy Palmer and embodiment leadership.

Some Western authors

It's worth mentioning a few authors who have endeavored to make Chinese and more broadly Asian thought such as Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism accessible, but this time directly from a Western prism. In this respect, it's worth mentioning the works of sinologist François Jullien or François Cheng, Cyrille Javary 's translation of the Tao Te King, which has also been a resource for understanding the more subtle aspects of this major book, or philosopher Herrigel's work on Zen in the art of archery.

Western authors, coaches and consultants have taken their inspiration from Taoism, Confucianism and, as a general rule, Zen, as well as from the cultural traits that have had the greatest influence on them, perhaps with a less holistic aim and a more practical scope. Buddhism, for example, with monk Matthieu Ricard, psychotherapist Christophe André and Jon Kabat-Zinn , has popularized meditation as part of a variety of personal development courses, or in a quest for quietude in a hyper-stressed world. Capra (1975) explored the links between modern science and Eastern thought, highlighting the similarities between the principles of quantum physics and Asian philosophies, notably Taoism and Buddhism.

David Bohm's work on dialogue is directly inspired by his spiritual quest with Krishnamurth and his links with Tibetan Buddhism and the Dalai Lama. Peter Senge's work (1990) is inspired by Taoism with its 5 disciplines, one of which, the mental models, refers directly to the work on oneself so prized in the Taoist quest for a certain perfection. MIT researcher Otto Scharmer, meanwhile, is interested in processes of deep listening and sustained attention to social forces. Scharmer (1993) also developed the concept of Theory U, which promotes a leadership approach based on presence, deep listening and expanded awareness; concepts that align with meditation and presence practices in Asian traditions and a close link with the work of Arawana Hayashi's Social Presencing Theater, which seeks to make the invisible visible through gesture. Goleman (1995, 2013 ) introduced the concept of emotional intelligence to the field of management, which includes skills such as self-awareness, emotion management and empathy valued in Asian personal development practices.

Geographer Auhustin Berque 's (1997 ) work on Japan also has an influence on the way we think about space, landscapes and the associated gaze, and above all the co-extensive emergence of the individual and the environment. Barrett (1998) developed the values-based corporate culture model and integrated concepts such as consciousness, spirituality and social responsibility, which find parallels in certain Asian philosophical and spiritual traditions, notably Confucianism.

These Western authors have integrated Asian concepts into their work, adapting and combining them with Western frameworks of thought, sometimes to challenge them, sometimes to offer new perspectives and practices in the field of management and business, and in particular in training, coaching and facilitation.

The figure and practice of the facilitator gain much fluidity and flexibility by drawing on this immense resource of concepts, ideas and practices.

Sources

Suzuki (1970) "Zen mind, new mind".

Ueshiba, M. (1992). The Art of Peace. Shambhala. Aikido Journal(https://aikidojournal.com/ )

Thich Nhat Hanh (1975): "The Miracle of Mindfulness" (2010), "The Power of the Present Moment"(https://www.thichnhathanh.com/miracle-of-mindfulness/ )

Reference site: Plum Village(https://plumvillage.org/)

Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) "Creative Knowledge".

Kenichi Ohmae (1991) "Le Bord de l'abîme" (1993), "Le Problème du Japon" (The Problem of Japan)

Daisaku Ikeda (1989) "The Courage of Creation" (2007), "Peace, Our Common Mission" (2007)

Peter Senge (1990) "The Fifth Discipline" https://www.decitre.fr/ebooks/la-cinquieme-discipline-9782212312904_9782212312904_11.html

Scharmer, O (2007) "Theory U", (2013) "Emerging Future Leadership".

Daniel Goleman:(1995) "Emotional Intelligence" https://www.decitre.fr/livres/l-intelligence-emotionnelle-9782290100653.html,"The Conscious Leader" (2013)

Fritjof Capra (1975) "The Tao of Physics" (1975) https://www.decitre.fr/livres/le-tao-de-la-physique-9782290151150.html,"The Science of Wisdom"

Richard Barrett (1998) "The Liberated Company" (1998), "Liberating the Corporate Soul".

Chödrön, P. (2003). The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times. Shambhala.

Confucius (2000). The Analects. Translated by David Hinton. Counterpoint. https://www.decitre.fr/ebooks/the-analects-9781529080117_9781529080117_10011.html

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Confucius (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/ )

Echoes. Taiichi Ohno. The just-in-time revolution https://www.lesechos.fr/2016/07/taiichi-ohno-la-revolution-du-juste-a-temps-1112071

Augustin Berque https://www.cairn.info/publications-de-Augustin-Berque--1653.htm

Wikipedia Cyrille Javary https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrille_Javary

Wikipedia Jon Kabat zinn https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-Zinn

Herrigel, E., & Suzuki, D. T. (2016). Zen in the chivalric art of archery. Dervy. https://www.decitre.fr/livres/le-zen-dans-l-art-chevaleresque-du-tir-a-l-arc-9782850769313.html