Hey there! I thought I'd step out of the shadows and say that I am thoroughly enjoying this dialog. Absolutely delicious and thought provoking. Thank you all for your contributions so far. Alan
_____ From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 12:30 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Keepin' Busy Hello Wonderer! What you are describing with the analogy to gravity, in my perspective, is not self organizing, but self organizing within universal laws (givens). Great philosophers and others have attempted to understand and write about such laws. Law of gravity, law of attraction, law of allowing. I suppose where I come out is that in addition to the other universal forces that we recognize; we are now learning about yet another one, which for lack of better words is being called "self-organization." Or you might call it the lifestyle of a Complex Adaptive System - which would include all of us individually and collectively, along with everything else. And it would seem, if people like Stuart Kauffmann and others at the Santa Fe Institute are correct - that Complex Adaptive Systems come into being in response to certain very simple pre-conditions, which if present lead naturally to order, organization, and systems. This, as I understand it, constitutes the matrix or environment in which just about everything takes place. So - while it is quite true that we as individuals may make best effort to "organize" something (business, social system, whatever) we always do that in the environment of self organization. To the extent that we understand, cooperate with, and leverage the phenomenon of self-organization, our work will work well. To the extent that we try to swim against the stream, we are likely to end up on the rocks. And should we ever think that there are no forces in the world but our own effort (I am in charge and do all the organizing - after all it is MY organization!) we are basically deluding ourselves. In this context, Open Space (Technology) becomes a wonderful training ground in which to learn how to do what we do anyhow - just better. I am wondering about your opinion of the relationship of these universal laws and Open Space. Are they in the open space, do they govern the open space, do they create a boundary for the open space. I think I just dealt with this one above. Open Space, and our experience in Open Space is, at one level just same old, same old (self-organization). What is different, or can be different, is that in Open Space we learn to do consciously (and maybe better) what we are doing all the time anyhow. I am wondering about your opinion of the necessity of a facilitator for an Open Space Technology meeting. If we are self organizing, it seems to me we don't need a facilitator. And yet, the presence of a facilitator (even if off taking a walk) even though he/she might 'do' nothing, appears to be essential throughout the event. I would agree that the facilitator is helpful, but by no means necessary. After all, we have been getting along for about 14 billion years without a facilitator in sight. And all sorts of highly complex organizations emerge and do their business every day, thanks to self-organization - and with no facilitators. For example the "feeding organizations" in human communities, even very large ones like New York City emerged with out a planning group, executive committee, or CEO. Nobody created them, and nobody is in charge. Some folks try, and they may help around the edges (Health Depts. limit food poisoning) - but at the end of the day, the system (as a total complex organism) runs pretty much by itself. But facilitators can be helpful - in general and in Open Space. However, I think it is important to notice what they actually do, and don't do. They don't organize anything, or at least not much of anything. What they do is to remind us of what we already knew but tend to forget (Four Principles and One Law) and then (under the heading of Holding Space) stand as a (usually) silent witness to the focus and intent of the group. Actually, it may go a little deeper than that. I think they stand as a silent witness to the integrity of the group, reminding everybody (without a word) that they must be true to themselves, follow what has heart and meaning, connect their passion to responsibility - and then it will probably occur that the group will get where it needs to go, even if nobody had a clue in the beginning where the destination was. Or something. And finally, I am wondering about your opinion of why we do not have world peace if we are self organizing I truly believe that the process of self-organization drives towards Peace (under the heading of Searching for Fitness with ourselves and our environment). The fact that we have some bumps along the road usually come from very natural causes, all of which are essential parts of the process. Things like Chaos, Confusion and Conflict. However, there are also very natural, built in mechanisms which enable us to deal with the painful aspects of Chaos, Confusion, and conflict - all called Griefwork. Where we get in trouble, and the cart heads for the canyon is when we think we are in charge and attempt to gain control as in My Plan, My Way. And should MY Plan, and My Way take over, space shuts down, and life ceases. Just runs out of room. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute <http://www.openspaceworld.org/> www.openspaceworld.org Personal website <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html> www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: Birgitt Williams [mailto:birg...@dalarinternational.com] Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 9:34 AM To: hho...@verizon.net Subject: RE: Keepin' Busy Harrison, What you are describing with the analogy to gravity, in my perspective, is not self organizing, but self organizing within universal laws (givens). Great philosophers and others have attempted to understand and write about such laws. Law of gravity, law of attraction, law of allowing. I am wondering about your opinion of the relationship of these universal laws and Open Space. Are they in the open space, do they govern the open space, do they create a boundary for the open space. I am wondering about your opinion of the necessity of a facilitator for an Open Space Technology meeting. If we are self organizing, it seems to me we don't need a facilitator. And yet, the presence of a facilitator (even if off taking a walk) even though he/she might 'do' nothing, appears to be essential throughout the event. And finally, I am wondering about your opinion of why we do not have world peace if we are self organizing. No need to answer any of this if you don't care to. These are just my wonderings. Birgitt -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: Saturday, January 14, 2006 8:36 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Keepin' Busy Marie - I can understand your feeling that my conversation about self-organization may seem a tad technical, and that for some of us (most of us?) the experience of Open Space is intensely personal. But I guess where I am coming from is a (growing) conclusion that we live in a self-organizing world which has certain operative forces and mechanisms - and how we feel about all that is to some extent a different issue. The analogy for me would be the force of gravity, which effects, in one way or another, just about everything we do (at least in this physical realm). If I see a beautiful woman and run towards her, that probably has a lot to do with my heart, but the fact that I am running and not flying (like a bird) has everything to do with gravity. To me it is important to understand that much of what we take to be wonderful and magic in Open Space is still magic and truly wondrous - AND is all very much part of a larger process which was here long before Open Space and would continue to exist were Open Space (Technology) to vanish. This thought also extends the magic to every day life, or if you like, makes it very clear (to me) that Open Space is a 24X7X365 business. Yes it is true that we may intensify/focus the experience when we "do" an Open Space - but we could "do" the same thing every day of our life. In dealing with clients and other such people, I start from the position that doing an Open Space is nothing strange, new, or different. It is all Open Space. It is all self organization - the problem is that we ordinarily just don't do it very well. What happens in an OS event, I think, is that we do what we always do, but now with clearer focus and intention and so it works a lot better and feels a lot better. As for where my heart is relative to my client, I guess the answer is that I am of two hearts (two minds) - and I will let you know when I figure it out. It is also true that this particular client situation will demand everything I have and a lot more. The good news is that I will grow with the occasion. The other side is that there will doubtless be moments of pure terror and no small amount of pain. The thought has occurred to me that maybe at the age of 70, I don't need to take that sort of trip any more. But I have never been very good at avoiding such "opportunities" before, and I see no reason to expect that prudence and sanity will suddenly be mine. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute <http://www.openspaceworld.org/> www.openspaceworld.org Personal website <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html> www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Marei Kiele Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 7:27 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Keepin' Busy "Harrison Owen" <hho...@verizon.net> schrieb: The operative power (as I see it) is the power of self organization, and I am therefore led to the conclusion that what you see in Open Space is the well functioning self-organizing system - which in turn is naturally productive of an appreciative approach, dialogue, and real community. Since some time I got a taste of "but that's not the essence - that is to technical" when reading about "the power is because of the self-organization. To me the essence of and the beauty of open space is based on the freedom and the total acceptance. "I am okay, you are okay" ~ whatever interest's or not interests me ~ I am okay. No need to pretend, no need to fake, no need to try to find out what is being expected from me. When I am in Open Space (or when I create my life in an Open Space way) I can honestly and fully be me. And by honestly and truly and fully being me, so much energy which in another environment would be spend on hiding, covering, protecting, self-controlling, justifying, argueing, fighting and fearing is being liberated. And all that energy is being used FOR something instead of AGAINST something. And all the energy being alive in me is aligned with who I am. Very powerful! AND by following the law, or in other words following what has heart and meaning for me, I get out of the mode of being thinking driven (mind) into feeling or intuitive mode ~ and by that acess whatever fits with you belief-system, calling it my higher self, my intuition, my inner wisdom. And together with other participants experiencing the same, following the same path, we all together reach another level of consciousness. THIS for me is the operative power of Open Space. Don't know if this works as an explanation for every client but I will try and share. And regarding your question, Harrison: "And what are our obligations to the client and the participants? And to our selves?" My personal answer: There are no obligations. If we do what we really (= in our hearts) want to do, everything is fine. You wrote: "Part of me just can't wait to get on with this show. And there is another significant part of me that desperately wishes that they would decide that Open Space is a nice idea -- but not for them. As you say," a great gig for you to be able to say you turned down!" What part is your hearts voice speaking? 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