“Why did you guys name yourself Đom Đóm (Fireflies)?”
A new friend asked me across the dinner table. She and her husband have a sustainable agriculture project also named Đom Đóm. I hesitated and then answered: “Because when the fireflies are in a swarm, there will come a time when they flash together.”
The whole table erupted with questions: “What?” “Really?” “I’ve never seen that before!” “Where is your source?” my friend asked.
I laughed. “I forgot where I heard it, but I’ve always said it without anyone questioning me.” Later I learned that this phenomenon really does exist. Of the more than two thousand species of fireflies in the world, only a few have been recorded as being able to flash together.
“There’s actually another reason for the name Dom Dom,” I said when everyone had quieted down. “But we realized this after we had chosen the name. A few years ago we learned a theory of change called the Two Loop Model.
“The first loop, like an upside-down U,” I said, waving my arms, “represents a system on its way developing, to its peak, and then declining. And in that decline, gradually other options emerge. That’s the beginning of the second loop, an upright U. This emerging system needs to be nurtured and gradually it grows to replace the old system.”
I continued. “And scattered across these two loops are different roles. On the right side of the second loop is the role of the Illuminator, who creates a bridge between loops one and two so that others can move into the new system. And fireflies make their own light, so we named our company after that.”
Everyone was silent for a few seconds. Then my friend turned to her husband: “Let’s use that explanation from now on.”
Two loops model by Daryl Cook
The more people shed light on new ways, the happier I am. Perhaps for that couple, they illuminate regenerative agriculture instead of purely extractive agriculture. As for us, focusing on organizational management, we see the decline of cumbersome management machines, and we promote leadership practices based on the innate human capacity for self-management.
I was once an employee of a large corporation; a cog in a giant machine whose sole mission was profit. I couldn’t, and didn’t want to, stay there for long. When I left that machine, I was fortunate to meet like-minded friends. We learned different ways of collaboration such as the Teal organization model, Horizontal leadership approach, and co-creative dialogue practice. Although they have different names, they all aim to build more human collaborative environments.
We learned all of these theories and practices from our foreign uncles, aunts, and brothers and sisters. And with the desire to spread the practice in Vietnam, we established Dom Dom Lab. This is where we experiment and hone our self-management skills, such as efficient meeting practices, or decision making methods. We also consult and accompany organizations that are also looking to transform their models.
Like fireflies flickering together, we hope to illuminate a future where our children and grandchildren are free to contribute and develop in self-managed working environments.