I find this fascinating - and agree that (mostly) real change will come when a "behaviour rule change" comes from outside the group. This is exactly the definition of 2nd order change or transformational change "changes to the body of rules governing their structure or internal order". [For you scholarly types - this last quote is from an older work "CHANGE - Principles of Problem Formation and Resolution, by Watzlawick, Weakland and Fisch, Morton & Co, 1974", that a seasoned OD practitioner put me onto some time ago. It talks about group theory and the theory of logical types.]
This is why OS works; for those new to it, it proposes a new way of working - one they haven't conceived of before. For those used to it, the process is just a new set of assumptions, and they get on with the tasks they care about. There are other sources of transformational change too - sometimes it could be in the form of a leader/teacher who embodies and role models a different set of assumptions. Sometimes, it could be in technology (ie Internet communication) that sweeps away old infrastructures. But in mysterious and wondrous ways, the true change does seem to come from outside the group. And is that just our role? To embody a new set of assumptions- both in the rules and Law of OS, and in how we behave and BE with the group? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joelle Lyons Everett" <jleshel...@aol.com> To: <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 12:11 AM Subject: Re: Participant Driven Open Space Principles and Laws > For a long time I've been interested in how changing the rules changes the > game. It seems that any time you re-define "the Laws" or the group norms, it > encourages behavior change, whether the new rules be dialogue principles, > Open Space laws, or something as simple as brainstorming "rules." > > It also seems to me that such a rule change is more likely to originate > outside than inside the group. Having the group decide on group norms, which > I have done many times, brings forward best practices from participants' > experience. It isn't likely to result in a paradigm shift. > > If I, as an outside facilitator, propose such a shift, the participants have > a relatively low-risk setting to test new behaviors and see what happens. > And what happens is often dramatic and effective. > > I think the really powerful place for participants to define what the rules > should be is after they have experienced a new way of being together. For > example, after a weekend work session when we operated under brainstorming > rules, a group of clients realized that their habit of putdown humor was > discouraging on-the-job creativity. And an Open Space meeting in an > organization often leads to discussion about what elements should carry over > into their everyday experience. > > I don't think there's one right answer to this question--I'd love to hear > about your experience. > > Joelle Everett > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > =========================================================== > osl...@egroups.com > To subscribe, > 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist > 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, > and choose a login ID and password > 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions > > To unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: > 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist > 2. Sign in and Proceed > * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html =========================================================== osl...@egroups.com To subscribe, 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, and choose a login ID and password 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions To unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign in and Proceed