Julie, During the decade I spent developing the Genuine Contact program to assist individuals to learn to develop conscious Open Space Organizations, I experimented with what worked regarding conflict resolution. Please note that my exploration distinguished between mediation, negotiation, and REAL RESOLUTION.
Within the Genuine Contact program, when we look at conflict resolution, we emphasize that the BEST means of conflict resolution is an Open Space Technology meeting dealing with a critical business issue for which all participants have passion (the theme is not about the conflict resolution). Inevitably, as the business issue is getting dealt with, someone eventually begins discussions that lead to raising the topic of the conflict, and then dealing with itno TRAINED facilitators involved in the discussions that emerge within the bigger OST meeting. Within the Genuine Contact program, when we look at conflict resolution, we emphasize that using Whole Person Process Facilitation (in which participants use their intuition to choose who they work with and how they will do the work within a preset agenda) again dealing with a key business issue rather than the conflict itself, allows the conflict to be raised and dealt with. Most frequently, conflict is resolved in either of these processes by the participants themselves, without anyone else needing to be involved. It is not because the people necessarily wanted to resolve the conflict, but because they want to get on with the business opportunities for which they have passion and recognize for themselves that the conflict needs to be resolved to get on with it. Their passion takes them beyond their attachment to victim behavior, their passion takes them beyond their attachment to conflict . And from time to time, the people most involved in the conflict, most affected by it, make it part of their action plans to get assistance after the meeting for conflict resolution. Conflict resolution processes are then in response to their expressed WILL. OST and Whole Person Process Facilitation are wonderful for surfacing that WILL. And I dont know of any successful conflict resolution if the WILL is not there. Within the Genuine Contact program, we offer a two day program in facilitating conflict resolution so that the OST facilitators who are learning skills with the conscious Open Space Organization have a chance to reflect about the use of OST meetings and Whole Person Process Facilitated meetings in conflict resolution. And to equip them with a process for an intentional conflict resolution process if it is asked for. In developing this part of our program, we emphasize Angeles Arriens work with conflict resolution which in turn relies heavily on conflict resolution processes taught at US schools for diplomats. Well researched. Blessings, Birgitt -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]On Behalf Of Julie Smith Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2001 2:03 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Self-Organization is What Consciousness (Spirit) Does Thanks, Ralph! As I was pondering this, I realized I didn't quite hit the nail on the head. It isn't that Open Space allows for expanded consciousness, perhaps, but that it invites us to more fully express our current level of consciousness. (And what a gift that is!) It is unlike many other group processes in that it doesn't erect artificial barriers to our full expression of our present consciousness. (I get it, Harrison.... we are invited to more fully express our Now, our current state of consciousness.... to the extent that we express it and share it, we individually and collectively expand.) The experience might lead us on a spiral of expanding consciousness, and it might not. That part is up to each of us to choose. What Open Space offers is simply the invitation to more fully express who we are in the present moment. Is that closer? This piece about taking another look at how we think about conflict is also important. There is a growing profession developing around this question, of which I am a tiny part. I don't hear OS practitioners talking much about conflict resolution, but I wonder whether there are some important lessons for conflict resolution professionals in the work you're doing. I think the answer is yes, but I haven't quite figured out what the lessons are. Julie -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Ralph Copleman Sent: Saturday, December 29, 2001 6:32 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Self-Organization is What Consciousness (Spirit) Does > By letting go and letting be, OS allows for an expanded consciousness that > results in the natural fading of existing problems (and passionate engagement > in what is important to the group), while most forms of mediation and > facilitation tend to focus on solving problems logically on the existing level > of consciousness. Julie and all, Let us be careful.... The key word in your statement may be "allows". I have seen what you describe happen in OS countless times but expanded consciousness does not *automatically* occur. I also believe that OS is not the only technique (large group or other) that makes expanded consciousness possible. So if we're looking for ways to distinguish OS from other approaches, I'm not sure this is it. But keep at it! -- Ralph Copleman 609-895-1629 * * ========================================================== 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