Paul said: “Perhaps we can share these stories of how we have "done things differently". I'd love to hear how so many different "selves" have organised in the many different moment in which they found themselves.”
Good idea Paul... and while we’re about that, might be a parallel, perhaps prior question: Why do we do what we do? What is the intent or purpose? I suppose the simple answer might be something like – To have an effective meeting. You know the sort... where people are actively engaged productive of positive and useful results. Should that be the intent, my logic tells me that our words/actions must be minimal, limited to only that which produces the result. Additional “flourishes” though fun and interesting only take up time and delay the “main event.” Something like what Michael described (.... “in a later round of one of Chris' programs, a young woman volunteered and when the moment to do her thing arrived, she simply said, "okay, the theme is... and the markers and paper are there in the center. do it!") would become the Gold Standard. I actually did something like that myself. In an early WOSONOS. It seemed to me that since everybody there was already “doing” OST... we really didn’t need to go through the “standard opening.” So I just said, “There’s the papers and the wall. You know the drill. Go for it.” I thought that was brilliant, but everybody just sat there and looked at me. Seemed like we needed something more – like the Principles, The Law...Something. The reaction of the group, all those years ago gave me pause for thought and raised a marvelous question that I have been savoring ever since: Why do I do what I do? Subsequently I have found myself reflecting on every word, motion and pause during that brief time of the Opening. Have I got it just right? I surely don’t know and for sure it keeps evolving. But when I go through a description of the 5 Principles, for example, I do so in part to give the people something to think about during their time in Open Space – But mostly I do it so that they may have something to take with them. Seems like they can be useful for everyday living as well. I will be happy to share my learnings, most of which are already out there in “The User’s Guide,” not with the intent that we all do it the same way but rather to encourage everybody to be highly critical of what they do and why. At the end of the day, each one of us must do “it” in our own way, and I think one thing I have totally learned is that personal integrity and authenticity is the critical ingredient for effectively opening space. The details will vary, but it all gets richer when we carefully ask, what are we doing and why? Harrison Winter Address 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 301-365-2093 Summer Address 189 Beaucaire Ave. Camden, ME 04843 207-763-3261 Websites www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org From: OSList [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of paul levy via OSList Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2014 4:31 AM To: Chris Corrigan Cc: Harrison Owen; World wide Open Space Technology email list Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space by the book? What I glean from Chris's fine post (and many others over recent years) is that people have been responding to a changing world with experimentation, playfulness and creativity. Open Space technology has changed in that swirl. There are stories to tell, experiments to share. There seems to be a "default" model still at play - the "original one" that Harrison tends to "stick with". But there is much delightful evolution and innovation around it. Perhaps we can share these stories of how we have "done things differently". I'd loved to hear how so many different "selves" have organised in the many different moment in which they found themselves. Then OST might not enter the "mainstream" but simply become the flow it was always going to be. warm wishes Paul Levy On 17 November 2014 22:03, Chris Corrigan <chris.corri...@gmail.com> wrote: I have opened space many many times without ever mentioning the four principles, the law or any other assorted wisdom associated with WHY the process works. My basic practice is to explain HOW we will organize ourselves, pointing out the tools we have to do so: paper, markers, bulletin board. I talk about passion and responsibility “Please only post a topic you will personally show up for…” and I mention the freedom of choosing and moving. That is all that people need to get into Open Space. I’m not sure the principles or the law or anything else are necessary pre-conditions for the appearance and deployment of Open Space in a meeting. I think they help explain what is happening, and I think they help people let go of control a little. All of us as facilitators would do well to remember that people are not coming to a meeting to be wowed by a process that you personally love. They are coming to get work done. And so it behooves us to put a lid on our passions for the mechanics of the process and simply open space so that work can get done. Later on you can reflect on WHY it happened like that. As for the idea that OST is mainstream, well perhaps not yet. But within the world of people who think a lot about this sort of thing it is widely known. I feel like these days people call and ask about OST having experienced it whereas in the 1990s and early 200s people were calling because it seemed like a good idea, but they had never experienced it. So not mainstream per se, but widely accepted and known in a small part of the world. At any rate it has been a long time since I have asked the question at the start of a meeting and seen zero hands go up. There seems to be at least one person who knows Open Space. Whether we use the original instructions or modifications or innovations, whatever you do, do it very very well. Be very conscious, model good leadership and never stop embodying invitation. Lots of people have witnessed poorly planned Open Spaces run by facilitators who are too nervous to let go of their control of it. We all owe it to our clients and participants to meet their needs well with a process that helps them get unlocked from the stuck places they get into. Here’s my book again for you to download. I hope it inspires your practice. The Tao of Holding Space <http://www.archive.org/details/TheTaoOfHoldingSpace> Chris On Nov 14, 2014, at 11:09 PM, John Baxter via OSList <oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> wrote: Nice reflection Harrison. You've unfortunately created too many loose ends to inspire a neat reply. So here is a messy one. Regards the simplest recipe for Open Space, to what degree have the Law and N Principles (and the animals) been critically tested? To be honest, these have never really resonated for me and I've always used a different variation each time searching for something that feels right (and no longer than it needs to be). I think it's a long bow to describe Open Space as mainstream, or anywhere near it. It has spread to all corners of the globe perhaps, but it is still the System A alternative, islands within a System B world. I would hazard 90% of those who have been to conferences and meetings and like gatherings have not heard of it... (speaking at a conference on cocreation and placemaking recently, I requested a hands-up and had a whole TWO of hundreds confess to acquaintance) and even if 90% had, I'm sure less than 1% of the gatherings they attend are consciously designed to unlock self organisation. What you describe of the permutations of the practice matches what I see (though I'm too new to know differently), but I can't see how this could be because of a tipping point as the practice is mainstreamed. Maybe that's just where I participate. Regards the permutations and combinations... bring them on! This thread could quickly follow all sorts of rabbit holes on this one, so I might save those thoughts for another day. Cheers John Baxter Cocreation Consultant & CoCreate Adelaide Facilitator <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/> jsbaxter.com.au | CoCreateADL.com <http://cocreateadl.com/> 0405 447 829 | @ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_> jsbaxter_ Thank you to everyone who came, helped or spread the good word about City Grill! Summary and links: cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary/ On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 5:37 AM, paul levy via OSList <oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> wrote: The problem with sticking with things is you might just end up stuck. Ho hum. Paul Levy On 13 Nov 2014, at 18:14, Harrison Owen via OSList <oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> wrote: Open Space, in its “original” form is sparse simplicity to say the least. Ten to fifteen minutes introduction, and it is off the races, or in my case, off to take a nap. The evolution of this format followed a simple dictum: “Think of one more thing NOT to do.” Over time in my practice I simply removed one more element. The first to go were so called, “warm up exercises.” But it went down from there. My surprise was that the less I did, the better it got... which seemed to be the exact opposite of many of my colleagues’ experience with the methods and approaches they had created. Their simple guide books gave way to 400 page Manuals with additions and extensions. Of course, there were times when people remarked to me that OS was so simple it couldn’t possibly work. But it did. Simply sit in a circle, create a bulletin board, acknowledge the 5 principles and the Law – and Go to Work! That’s it. That’s all. I confess that I do love elegant simplicity, and so there is a large part of me that would stick with the “original” for that reason alone. To this may be added the fact that this “elegant simplicity” apparently violated essentially all the principles and practices of management that I knew about. To some extent this was a source of no small amount of embarrassment, for after all when what you see, do, and think is at odds with the Received Wisdom there are obvious questions about your grasp of reality. But, the disparity between what I was witnessing and what (I was told) I should be experiencing has led to a marvelous quest into the strange new world of self organizing systems. Rich and rewarding indeed. Now it seems that the world is changing (or at least our perception of that world) such that the strange environment of self organization is no longer so strange. What appeared odd, counter-intuitive, impossible is now almost mainstream. Not quite but getting there. And if so, perhaps it is now time to let go of that old “elegant simplicity” in all of its appealing purity... and plunge into the marvelous world of combinations and permutations. And why not? It could be a lot of fun. I can see the possibilities, but I doubt seriously I would change. Senile sentimentality for sure, AND I actually have another concern which I think may be determinative. I suspect that OST (simple version) may be the best Training Program going when it comes to the introduction of folks to the High Arts of navigating a self organizing world. And best of all it is Experiential Learning from the start. Training and Doing are absolutely united. It is not talking about self organization it is being intentionally in that mode. And any added complexity/parallel program will tend to obscure the central mind bending fact – It’s happening all by itself. We have talked about this “ training” function before, usually under the heading of Chris Corrigan’s notion of Training Wheels. That is definitely good start, but only a start. We can do more, and it could be a real kick. So I plan to stick with the original – with the hope and intent that lots of new people will drop by to experience the incredible, productive freedom of losing control, and then come to understand that it is actually their birthright. They only have to claim it. Harrison Winter Address 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 301-365-2093 Summer Address 189 Beaucaire Ave. Camden, ME 04843 207-763-3261 Websites www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com/> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com/> OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to: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 _______________________________________________ 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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