Lovely - your story is shared with wisdom and humor. Thanks. Juan T. Lopez
On Dec 13, 2011, at 12:53 PM, "Harrison Owen" <hho...@verizon.net> wrote: > Ah Michael, you old ‘cyclist you! I surely get the picture, understand the > drift, but my perspective may be a little different. As the father of 5 and > grandfather of 6 (last one still too small to ride…yet) I know something of > training wheels and holding on to the back of the seat. > > First for the training wheels. Fantastic invention. Provides a relatively > painless introduction to the great art of cycling while offering relief to > the aching back of the parent (you don’t have to bend over while running). > Seems to go pretty much all by itself. Lesson for Open Space? Do it simple, > do it smart – and never do more than you have to (One more thing not to do!). > > Then The Steady Hand Routine. There comes a time when the training wheels > come off, but still a little learning to do in preparation for the solo ride. > Your “Steady Hand” can help with the transition. But at a price. You get to > stoop and run a lot. L But Thank God – Most kids get it real quick, maybe > even quicker than they should, and always faster than their parents. But that > is what youth is all about. Suddenly you find yourself running a lot faster > than you really wanted to. Of course, you could try to hold on, but that only > creates a lose/lose situation. You get pooped and the kid gets frustrated. > Answer? Let go!! Lesson for Open Space? I think it is the same thing. > > Sooner or later we come to the whole matter of STOPPING. You can be assured > that one way or another, and hopefully without a great deal of pain and > destruction… Stopping will take place and the ride will end. It could well be > that some handholding and a band aid or two will be needed, but for the most > part a lot of cheering from the curb, along with some small amount of > coaching, will take care of the business. As it turns out, there is more to > riding a bike than pumping the peddles, but that is just details. > > When it is all over there is the marvelous opportunity for some great > conversation along with a suitable libation. A Coke will do, but there are > alternatives for the parent. Just think of all the rides to come and the > possibility of shared adventures… On your own, Kid and you can forget about > training wheels and the helping hand. And with a little luck, you can share > your new found knowledge and skills with your younger siblings. YES! It is > called paying it forward. > > Harrison > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Dr. > Potomac, MD 20854 > USA > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > Camden, Maine 20854 > > Phone 301-365-2093 > (summer) 207-763-3261 > > www.openspaceworld.com > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST > Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > From: oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org > [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Michael Herman > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 12:33 PM > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: Re: [OSList] OST - Open Systems Thinking > > i think the training wheels image is itself a half-way sort of thing. yes, > ost is sort of training wheels in the first or maybe even few times used. > but probably enough as just a one time use. as soon as a client or group i'm > with has that first taste of the movement, my thinking and working with them > always shifts in the direction of a parent running behind the bicycle. > > the traininig wheels image preserves a discrete separation between wheels on > and wheels off. i find that in making the transition, it's much more > informative to thinking of myself as a steady hand on the back edge of the > seat... sometimes a firm guide, sometimes lightly present feeling for first > signs of deviations from balance, and then also some time of running behind > and not touching at all... so that i can say very clearly and truly... you > really were doing it all by yourself. > > the most important thing i think i do with people after that first taste in > oepn space, is open the conversation about what ost is, why it worked (what > are the shapes naturally embedded within it) and where are those (natural) > shapes already occuring in everyday work of the group. often, all th shapes > are there. sometimes there are gaps where support might be strengthened, > sometimes there are things to stop doing because they get in the way. but > mostly, the pieces are all there and just need to be better understood, more > consciously connected, and inforrmed by that first experience of what the > body(ies) feel like when sailing down the sidewalk. > > ost is normal, i think, not when they have a copy of the book in the company > library, or a corps of facilitators duly certified in the "tool" but when > some sense of self-regulation/organization-regulation (continuous progress > and constant balancing) has been recognized as part of every job description > in the place. > > in somatics we can make a distinction between being aware of our body, in the > body (still separate), and as a body. much like harrison's early observation > that ost is not about better meetings, or even better organizations, but a > better way of being in organization. maybe also captured in the ways little > kids talk in english about "riding my bike" and how folks who've been at it a > long time, life and riding, tend to describe themselves as "cyclists." > > m > > > -- > > Michael Herman > Michael Herman Associates > 312-280-7838 (mobile) > > http://MichaelHerman.com > http://ManorNeighbors.com > http://OpenSpaceWorld.org > > > > > > On Tue, Dec 13, 2011 at 10:41 AM, Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> wrote: > Far be it for me to pay less than full honor to Open Space and still less, to > pay less than profound homage to all the good friends and colleagues who have > journeyed along the way. But at the end of the day, I find myself in full > agreement with friend Chris Corrigan who aptly described Open Space as > “training wheels.” Training wheels are very helpful when you are learning to > ride a bike, but you want to get rid of them as soon as possible. We aren’t > there yet, and there is still a place for “doing” an Open Space – and doing > it as well and simply as possible. But I always do it with a strong caveat, > warning, or perhaps a plea. Just remember, I say, there is absolutely nothing > I am doing with you that you can’t do for yourself. It ain’t rocket science! > I have been doing (saying) that for a long time. And now I think I would > raise the ante – Don’t just “Do” an Open Space – BE it 24X7!! Open the space > of your life and the lives of those around you, and you will discover your > own natural state, as a participant in this wonderful self-organizing world. > Good old OST has been very useful, to say nothing of fun, as a training > environment and a grand experiment. But when the lessons are learned and the > data is in – it is time to get on with life, as soon as possible. > > As I said, we (as the global collective) are obviously not there yet – but I > think I can see a little light at the end of the tunnel. Of course that may > just be the train, but when it comes to hopes and expectations I can only > say/wish “Bye bye OST – Hello Life! Or something. > > Harrison > > > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Dr. > Potomac, MD 20854 > USA > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > Camden, Maine 20854 > > Phone 301-365-2093 > (summer) 207-763-3261 > > www.openspaceworld.com > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST > Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > From: oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org > [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Birgitt Williams > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 10:30 AM > > To: 'World wide Open Space Technology email list' > Subject: Re: [OSList] OST - Open Systems Thinking > > Dear Harrison, > A different perspective, in this case mine, is that we really honor Open > Space Technology as an important meeting facilitation method, and that we are > good stewards for its integrity (wholeness). This would mean that we preserve > it in its original form for generations to come for their use and thereby a > tool for the ongoing life nurturing shifts for humanity. Why would you want > to advocate distilling this down to something that blends into disappearance > when it is such a valuable tool? > > Birgitt > > From: oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org > [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 8:23 AM > To: 'World wide Open Space Technology email list' > Subject: Re: [OSList] OST - Open Systems Thinking > > I love it! Confusion!! Reminds me of days long ago when I had a newsletter > called “TWG Newsletter” In fact the letters stood for absolutely nothing at > all – leading my friend Peter Vaill to muse that since they didn’t mean > anything in particular, everybody was free to supply their own meanings. His > offerings: “Those Who Grock,” “Transformation Without Gurus” – and a few more > I can’t recall. This lead to sort of a contest with the latest offerings > appearing in the “TWG News” (of course.) Actually, the simple solution to all > of this is to recognize that it is all Open Space, call it whatever you like. > Perhaps the best option is to call it nothing at all, in which case it (by > whatever name) would simply disappear in a cloud of everydayness. Wonderful.. > > Harrison > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Dr. > Potomac, MD 20854 > USA > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > Camden, Maine 20854 > > Phone 301-365-2093 > (summer) 207-763-3261 > > www.openspaceworld.com > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST > Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > From: oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org > [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Bernhard Weber > Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 6:52 AM > To: Artur Silva; World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: Re: [OSList] OST - Open Systems Thinking > > Hi Artur > Interesting indeed. > Though my first emotional reaction was: being embarrassed (because they have > "stolen" the OST Acronym;-) > Bernardo > > Bernd Weber > Change Facilitation s.r.o., A Global Partner Who Makes Change Happen in > Complex Environments; www.change-facilitation.com, > www.change-management-toolbook.com bernd.we...@change-facilitation.org; > Regional Phone numbers: > -Austria: +43 664 135 4828, landline + 431 5968657) > -Sri Lanka: landline +94 11 2785859, iPhone +94 777740757 > > > NEW: Intensive Learning Workshop > "Playing with the Waves of Change" > www.change-facilitation.com/ > > You want to have the design for a "Playing with the Waves (of Change) WS 2 > completely taylor-made according to your individual learning interests & > needs & limitations? Then have a look to the questionnaire at > www.surveymonkey.com/s/5ZDS6JQ > > > > If you get Email from my account <bernd.we...@change-facilitation.org> please > do not use the reply button but answer to <web...@gmx.at>, because my > change-facilitation.org INBOX is not working for the time being. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Am 12.12.2011 um 20:22 schrieb Artur Silva: > > > Hi: > > Have any of you ever heard about this? > > OST - OPEN SYSTEMS THINKING: > http://www.thelightonthehill.com/ > > Interesting... > > Regards > > Artur > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
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