advanced butterflyWendy -- You got it! I believe. ("Perhaps one day, we won't
even see topics posted-just a crowd of butterflies and bumblebees swirling in
mandelbrotish ecstasy! Wink wink. <big grin>")
Way back at the beginning of this conversation I referred to an OS which just
simply went into flow-state by the second day. Pre-determined groups virtually
did not exist. It was all Bumble bees and butterflies. And without question it
was one of the most exciting, energizing and productive Open Spaces I have ever
been privileged to be a part of -- and the best part was that my part was to
sit in rapt attention at the edge of a blazing inferno of creative energy. And
in terms of a parallel conversation on the LIST -- I was totally an "addendum"
-- and to be truthful, much less than that. When the thing ended we found
ourselves sitting in a circle that just naturally formed (no bells!). The mood
was deep, silent satisfaction. After a bit I said something like, "Is it over?"
-- and the sponsor of the event turned to me and said, "Oh, you're still here."
Perfect.
On occasion, I have referred to Open Space Technology (the formal process) as a
"half way technology," by which I meant that is was just something we did until
we did not need it anymore. (Half way to the goal, as it were.) And in my mind
it has always been critical that we NOT allow the "technology" to stand in the
way of the goal -- which I see as being fully and consciously what we already
are -- self-organizing critters. To this end I have practiced (and suggested
that others might do the same) the noble art of "Thinking of one more thing NOT
to do." My intent has been to continually strip away supporting structures and
processes which were no longer needed, or never needed in the first place. In
the majority of cases I found that the things that we did (I did) in the
beginning, such as community building activities, etc were very pleasant and
yet did not seem to add materially to the capacity of the group to function
well. Just open the space and everything seemed to take care of itself. Over
the 20 years that I have been immersed in this great experiment I have found my
initial findings to be confirmed on a continuing basis. Do less -- and you get
more.
It was in the spirit of "thinking of one more thing not to do" (doing less and
getting more) that I made my comment about "addendum." I certainly had no
intent to cast aspersions on Reinhard's work, even less on the marvelous
contributions and insights of the artistic community, which seems to have
concerned Josef. And for sure I would agree with the observation that western
businesses are rational to a deep fault, excluding massive amounts of the human
experience and potential to the detriment of the business. That said, I have
found it wonderful that in Open Space whole people continually show up, and
most especially that people who have forgotten (repressed, subverted) their
wholeness rediscover who and what they actually are, in all of their varied
dimensions.
I suppose where I may take some issue with both Reinhard and Josef concerns the
need to provide additional services, methods, techniques (in the Open Space
environment) in order to facilitate the emergence of whole people. Part of the
difficulty is that when such "services" are provided the people (participants)
tend to see their emergence as whole people as the product of that service --
and not be fully aware that in a very real sense they did it all by themselves,
and further that they are ultimately responsible for their own emergence. I am
sure that neither Reinhard nor Josef would fall into what I might call the
"Do-Me syndrome" -- in which people come to some gathering or event and expect
to be "done-to" by the "experts." But that happens, and I see no value added,
only the continuation of a destructive dependency on "The Experts."
In any event, I guess I am very happy to be an "addendum" -- thinking of one
more thing not to do. With luck I will totally work myself out of a job,
leaving nothing but Bumble bees and Butterflies! Yes!
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website www.openspaceworld.com
Personal Website www.ho-image.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Тясто Марина В.
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 7:50 AM
Subject: Re: advanced butterfly
Exactly. Thank you, Wendy. Love,
Marina
-----Original Message-----
From: Wendy Farmer-O'Neil [mailto:we...@xe.net]
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 3:30 PM
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Subject: advanced butterfly
Dear Peggy and all,
What a rich conversation! What wonderful questions to sit with!
What is coming up for me, Peggy, is that it is not a new technology that we
are waiting to see emerge, but rather that we are witnessing the growing pains
of a new competency in open space. I was blessed to experience rich butterfly
behaviour in Moscow at OSonOS XIV. Pairings and small groups sprang up,
unposted, all about the space, over all three days. These groups honoured the
principles and the law of OS and flourished in it. There were very personal,
intimate conversations that occurred there-deep and lasting relationships
formed. And each person I witnessed, had the openness, the energy, and the
courage to trust in Spirit and in the practice of deep invitation. Even in the
most delicate of conversations, a newcomer was welcomed in as the right person
at the right time. I suggest this is the edge of a new competence emerging in
OS events-that OST, when embodied fully, can bring as rich rewards to our
relationships as it has to our innovations in organizations-with no alteration
in the technology. I sense that the private meetings, the limited invitations,
are a relic of our pre-OS consciousness that we are ever more quickly
transcending. That the urge to non-convene? a group of one, two or more people
will grow. That the participants' trust in the field to generate the precise
invitation required will grow. The right people, the right time, whatever
happens, be prepared. I suggest that as participants' capacity to sense the
energy of the field and to work with it grows, the need to exert external
controls will dissipate.
Perhaps one day, we won't even see topics posted-just a crowd of
butterflies and bumblebees swirling in mandelbrotish ecstasy! Wink wink. <big
grin>
Cheers and love,
Wendy
Wendy Farmer-O'Neil
Prospera Communications & Consulting Services
1-800-713-2351
www.wordgravity.blogspot.com
www.openspacesangha.blogspot.com
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