MessageInteresting observation. I would put forth that in my world view the outcomes are not what needs to be considered. It is the motivation that matters. There is no such thing as an exclusively self-serving or self-less act, only self-serving or selfless motivation.
There are countless cases of truly wonderful outcomes resulting from very self-serving actions and much harm has been done in the name of compassion. So, to me, deciding what assignments i am willing to be involved with is based upon how those assignments resonate with my own ethics and standards. This means the whole picture; the ethics of the participants; the intent of the assignment, etc. It is impossible to predict outcomes so, in reality the only thing we can base our actions upon is the ethics of the act itself. duff ----- Original Message ----- From: Henri Lipmanowicz To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 6:54 PM Subject: Re: OS and ethics I am intrigued by the observation that, during the process of discussing/thinking whether to accept or not an assignment, it seems to be unavoidable to include explicit or implicit assumptions about what will happen and/or what one's contribution will generate. In other words future outcomes are part of the considerations. What would happen if one started from the premise that future outcomes cannot be predicted? How would that affect one's reasoning and decision? Henri -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Lisa Heft Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 1:20 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: OS and ethics Great conversation, all. I agree with Harrison that this is about not just OS but - whatever the methods we use - our own individual thoughts and decisions about who we can choose to serve and when we draw the line for reasons of conscience and our own values. I think for any facilitation job, it is important that we see if this is the right fit for us as well as the client, and if it is not we can refer that job to someone else or just say no. And that for me, this is a case-by-case decision. I know that there are amazing, healthy people in every institution or corporation that we see all too easily as a big block of sameness. We have the lucky part: the leaders who ask for Open Space - to me - are the visionaries. They are the people who say 'I am not in control - I do not know the answer - we are greater if we tap the wisdom, passion and responsibility of the greater group'. So here I am imagining: some tobacco company supervisor who wishes to call all the employees of a manufacturing facility together to do an Open Space on how to re-design their work and their facility so they will have less on-the-job injuries and a healthier workplace. That sounds good to me. Within a weapons manufacturing facility I would like to think that there are supervisors who might see that their staff is (let us pretend) grieving a massive layoff - and that Open Space might help them process that griefwork. That (though personally I would like there to be less use for weapons manufacturers and I would like them to close down) as a service to humans trying to do their best in a very sad environment, also sounds good to me. Would I take a job for those companies? I'm not sure. I don't like the products and I think they are doing harm. But maybe - as in any contact with a prospective client, as I am getting an intuitive sense for who they are personally and if I feel it's a 'fit' between us (as much as whether Open Space would or would not be appropriate as together we clarify their needs and situation) - just maybe I feel they are one of those jewels inside a massive organization who are doing a really good thing with their staff or the surrounding community. And that facilitation might help them stay healthier and appreciate each other more. I did have a great series of conversations with someone within a huge organization where we (you and I) might not have agreed with that organization's product or what we perceive to be their values. And what they were doing was something the local residents were not happy with. But legislation had already occurred allowing it to happen and so it was a 'done deal' as they say in the States (for you folks who do not have English as a first language: it could not be fixed; it was going to happen anyway). However, there was an amazing guy who worked within this organization who wanted to hold Open Spaces with the community and with people in his organization who cared about the community anyway, so they could have a space for anger and grief, for frustration and hopes, and maybe, just maybe, provide some insight into how things could work better the next time. Would you consider doing an Open Space with this guy and this community? Actually, he was for other reasons unable to go ahead with this Open Space. But I was going to say yes. And my greatest concern is what others would assume about me if they saw that company on my list of clients. I wondered if I would lose some potential work from one organization who might look at my client list and not like another organization they saw there. So really this particular facilitation situation felt good and clean to me but I knew I would wrestle afterwards with whether to list that organization on my client list or simply omit it because of what *others* would think about me. And that's a whole *other* conversation we could have here. At one point in an earlier conversation on this list, I said that I might even facilitate an Open Space for a gang. Because I have worked a bit with gangs, and gee if they wanted to have an Open Space on making peace with another gang I'd like to help. Or if they wanted to figure out how to get more education even though they are not in school, I would like to help with that, too. Because in doing an Open Space I also think I'd help people see each other in new ways, breathe a little bit in a nutrient-rich environment, experience passion, difference or even rage in a way that says its okay to have feelings, and so on. Which I think would be glorious for individuals in that life to be able to feel. Would I do an Open Space to help a gang figure out how to obliterate another gang? Or a tobacco company how to make secret chemicals in candy addict children to cigarettes before they ever smoked one? Or a weapons company to build a mine that looks like a candy wrapper so it could be picked up by a child? Absolutely not. But I also wouldn't help a peace organization do an Open Space on how to burn down a military base. So it is case by case which would let me know where to draw my line. Interesting stuff, Lisa ________________________________ L i s a H e f t Consultant, Facilitator, Educator O p e n i n g S p a c e 2325 Oregon Berkeley, California 94705-1106 USA +01 510 548-8449 lisah...@openingspace.net www.openingspace.net * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. 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