Peggy Holman

I’ve always been happiest when I’m learning, especially when it engages both my head and my heart. That may explain how I ended up with an undergraduate degree in drama and an MBA with an emphasis in finance. I spent the first 17 years of my working life in software. I was a programmer, project manager, and a systems development manager. In 1993, I ran into “emergent change processes”. They engage the people of a system in addressing what matters to them. Working with processes and people appealed to the part of me that found software wasn’t enough. After experimenting with these processes in corporate settings, in 1996, I left organizational life to consult and pursue my quest to understand what made emergent change processes effective. That first foray led to The Change Handbook (1999), co-edited with Tom Devane. The book, considered the “bible” for the field, provided 18 methodologies for engaging whole systems. In addition to corporate clients, my consulting practice attracted government and nonprofits that wanted to engage civil society to find answers to complex questions. In 2001, I joined three journalists to co-found Journalism that Matters (JTM). We bring together pioneers in the throes of emergence, as providing news and information experiences a death and re-birth. Working with such upheaval requires both head and heart! In 2004, with social philosopher, Tom Atlee, and “evolutionary evangelist”, Michael Dowd, I co-hosted an “Evolutionary Salon” – a gathering of scientists, spiritual leaders, and social activists to explore the implications of evolutionary emergence on human systems. After four salons, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation funded Tom and me in developing a model of evolution centered on the role of interaction. It deepened my understanding of emergence and convinced me there was something important to share. Joined by Steven Cady, the second edition of The Change Handbook was published in 2007. Because the field has exploded, the book included over 60 methodologies. That growth inspired me to dive into the deeper patterns of these methods and connect them with a theory of emergence to create my latest book -- Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity.