Funny..I was just thinking the same thing. :-)
Chris On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 18:15:37 -0500, Harrison Owen <hho...@comcast.net> wrote: > Rough translation -- "It just sort of happened" who knows how or why. > > ho > > > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Drive > Potomac, Maryland 20845 > Phone 301-365-2093 > > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org > Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Eva P > Svensson > Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 5:32 PM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: that word again... > > It is the recognition that the watercooler of serendipity said Jack... > > Serendipity - what does that mean? It's neither in my dictionary nor on the > same on my computer. Now I have seen it a couple of times - but what is it?? > Can someone help my curiosity? > > Bästa hälsningar > > Eva P Svensson > ................................................................... > > EPS Human Invest AB > "Verksamhetsutveckling genom människor skapar > långsiktigt välmående företag och organisationer!" > Anåsbergsvägen 22 > 439 34 ONSALA > Tfn: 0300-615 05 > Mobil:0706-89 85 50 > e...@epshumaninvest.se > www.epshumaninvest.se > > -----Ursprungligt meddelande----- > Från: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]För Jack Ricchiuto > Skickat: den 26 november 2004 16:01 > Till: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Ämne: Re: givens > > If I have a personal agenda with the sponsor in > the pre-event meeting(s) it is to help them to understand that the space > already is open, no matter what they may think or do about it. HO > > This is so profoundly important. It is the recognition that the watercooler > of serendipity - the informal organization - is where the conversations are > always open, and often more creative and honest than those in the formal > organization. And that the informal organization is the source of everything > that ultimately happens in the formal organization anyway. > > Helping leaders and managers understand this is step one, I think, in a way > that cultivates their trust with us and our trust with them. The next step > is asking them a question like: what would you do if you could tap into a > power that you couldn't control but that would make you more effective and > happy about yourself in your role as leader/manager? If they express > interest in the power, my role is to then to help them discover just that.I > become their trusted guide in a new land. > > jack > > jack ricchiuto > two.one.six/three.seven.three/seven.four.seven.five > www.designinglife.com / www.appreciativeleadership.org > > > ------------Original Message------------ > > From: Harrison Owen <hho...@comcast.net> > > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > Date: Fri, Nov-26-2004 9:00 AM > > Subject: Re: givens > > > > I think I am becoming clearer about my point of discomfort with > > "Givens." > > Real Givens (as opposed to apparent) are truly immutable, or as close > > to it > > as such things go on Planet Earth. And for me that would include > > Gravity and > > the force of Self-organization, and maybe a few others which do not > > spring > > immediately to mind. Everything else is up for grabs, if not now then > > later. > > I absolutely concur with the notion that we must have serious and > > probing > > discussions with sponsors prior to an OS -- but the focus should not > > (probably) be about immutable Givens, but rather about what I might > > call > > "existential conditions as they see them." For me this conversation > > usually > > starts with two questions. 1) Why do you want to do this gathering? And > > 2) > > If it all "worked," what would have happened? > > > > My focus is on a critical issue (for me). How open is the space? If all > > we > > are talking about is "motivating the troops" to implement the new > > marketing > > plan, for example -- it doesn't seem to me that the space is really > > open, > > and doing an open space would probably be counter-productive, if only > > because the troops might just start to take it seriously and change the > > plan, no matter what had been said about The Plan being a sacred Given. > > > > Most of the Givens I have heard people talking about are not truly > > immutable. It may be the case that nobody wants to force the issue, but > > the > > fact remains that all budgets change, all procedures mutate, all > > structures > > evolve, transform, or die. If I have a personal agenda with the sponsor > > in > > the pre-event meeting(s) it is to help them to understand that the > > space > > already is open, no matter what they may think or do about it. Their > > ultimate success will depend upon recognition of that fact, and a > > willingness to involve everybody who cares in the navigation of that > > space. > > If they go for less, they will get less. And for sure I will not have > > done > > anybody a favor if I create the (false) impression that someone has the > > power to keep certain things off the agenda and away from the Wall. Of > > course we all have our foibles and blind spots -- and for some period > > of > > time, maybe even a long time -- we can get away with it. But I believe > > it to > > be true that a clear eyed view of things as they actually are is > > useful. > > > > Harrison > > > > > > > > Harrison Owen > > 7808 River Falls Drive > > Potomac, Maryland 20845 > > Phone 301-365-2093 > > > > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com > > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org > > Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm > > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives > > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Larry > > Peterson > > Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 5:52 PM > > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > Subject: Re: givens > > > > Jeff: I think you are on to something. > > > > "Container" or "Givens" or things that are not intended to be on the > > table by the sponsor of an event are both social constructions and > > acknowledgement of "something" that is there. If I sit on a chair, > > that > > is gone, I will fall on my ass (or some other part of my anatomy) - I > > take that as given. If there is a business plan that requires board > > approval for change - that is usually taken as a "given". It does not > > mean that it cannot be changed, but it is there now - just like Human > > Rights Codes and others thing are likely there. Of course, in Canada, > > these things may be a little less open for immediate negotiation as > > they > > are in the US. I don't think George saw anything in Iraq that should > > be > > taken a given, other than his socially constructed vision for its > > future. > > > > I think it also relates to levels of awareness. At one level there are > > no givens, every moment comes into being with the opportunity for > > novelty. However, most rocks don't decide to decompose in a few days > > -- granite takes a little longer. Some of my clients, from their > > perspective, have some real givens that they construct. I think naming > > and reducing the number of them is helpful as part of planning to open > > space or deciding whether or not to open space in this situation with > > this client. Helping them consciously reduce the number of givens is > > useful learning, I think. Will open space work if that is not done - > > yes. > > > > However, I am seeing the consequences over this two week period. One > > client I'm working with now on a series of 14 OS has had some real > > variability in how she has set the context - how clearly she has told > > people what this part of the government is wanting to do, to engage > > them > > in and the fact that it will not commit resources to the > > self-organization it wants to seed in the community. The quality and > > energy of the events have been worse when she was not clear or > > passionate (she got a cold). People were more combatitive when she was > > not honest with them from the beginning about the situation. The OST > > has worked every time to engage people and energy around the theme. > > The > > issues emerge in the convergence and next steps when the context is not > > clearly and honestly set by the sponsor. > > > > Larry > > > > Larry Peterson > > Associates in Transformation > > Toronto, ON, Canada > > 416.653.4829 > > > > la...@spiritedorg.com > > www.spiritedorg.com > > > > * > > * > > ========================================================== > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > * > * > ========================================================== > 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 > > * > * > ========================================================== > 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 > -- ------------------------- CHRIS CORRIGAN Consultation - Facilitation Open Space Technology Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com * * ========================================================== 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
