> "There can be no river unless the mountain spring makes a sacred promise to the sea."
wow! years ago, when i wrote about the "inviting organization," based on my own translation of ken wilber into org terms, i suggested the strategic question that currently mattered was "how inviting is your organization?" this went one step beyond what fast company magazine had just hailed in a cover story as the next great strategic question. i also offered a guess that the NEXT next question would be "how light is your organization." you took me first to electrons, paul, with velocity and position. then i remembered "how light is..." particle and wave. and as i've mentioned before, it's not that either structure or flow is more important than the other -- it's the going back and forth that strengthens organization. -- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates http://MichaelHerman.com http://OpenSpaceWorld.org On Mon, Oct 5, 2015 at 12:11 PM, paul levy <[email protected]> wrote: > I rather like the saying "Trying to understand yourself is like trying to > bite your own teeth." > > The statement "Structure is s figment of our imagination" is simply a > structured statement. > > Indeed all advocacy is at least temporary structure. > > And no less beautiful for that. > > Saying it's all flow is another structure statement. By advocating it is > true it becomes a truth structure. > > Ho hum. So it goes. > > "There can be no river unless the mountain spring makes a sacred promise > to the sea." > > Warm wishes > > Paul Levy > > > On Sunday, 4 October 2015, Harrison Owen via OSList < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> “Everything is moving.” .... Michael -- I remember that moment very >> well. And Dan, I’m not sure the context, etc, would help very much. But >> just for the record the odd phrase popped out at one of the International >> Symposia on Organization Transformation which happened to be taking place >> at a small college south of Seattle. I have no idea why Ralph said what he >> did, and I’m not sure Ralph did either. But then again a lot of marvelous >> stuff seems to burst out with no obvious logic train. Indeed it may be that >> the lack of logic train enables the thought? >> >> >> >> Whatever the genesis, the phrase wandered about my head for some time, >> quite unattached, and it also happened that I was working my way slowly >> through one of the masterpieces of 20th century western philosophy when >> a fuzzy connection began to form. The work was that of Alfred North >> Whitehead, and the title: “Process and Reality.” I’ve been through the book >> probably 4-5 times, and I am frank to confess that I don’t think I really >> understand it. But then again I’ve heard a number of people with much >> greater credentials, tenure, etc – say the same thing. But I did get that >> it had something to do with, “Everything is moving.” And the more I thought >> and read, the more I felt that the good philosopher had made a small >> mistake on his title. It shouldn’t be “Process *and* Reality,” but >> rather “Process *is* Reality.” >> >> >> >> Now, Anna Caroline we come to “structure,” or perhaps I should say the >> fallacy of Structure? Yes I know – we’ve all been taught that structure is >> the precursor, the “determinator” of everything. My face looks as it does >> because of my bone structure. My life proceeds the way it does because of >> my social structure. My business works as it does because of the >> organizational structure. And of course, meetings happen the way they do >> because of meeting structure, which apparently is the prime domain of >> “facilitators.” And even if we hadn’t been “taught” all this, the primacy >> of structure would appear to be blatantly obvious – as plain as the nose on >> your face. >> >> >> >> Unfortunately, it does seem to turn out that sometimes the blatantly >> obvious is not necessarily so. For example just looking at things it is >> pretty clear that the world is flat, or at the least bumpy flat. And any >> fool can see that we are the center of it all – Sun, moon, and stars whiz >> around us. But when we think about it, as we have been doing for the last >> 500-600 years, the obvious isn’t so obvious. >> >> >> >> It is reasonable to ask what would start to make us think differently – >> to the point that we begin to question the obvious, and even come to see >> things in a different way? Taking a leap, I will suggest that it all begins >> with the perception of anomaly. Things just don’t make sense. Our eyes tell >> us one thing... but???? And then we start making up stories to explain the >> apparently unexplainable. We imagine different ways of looking at things so >> that the nonsensical makes sense. Some of those stories get pretty strange, >> but if they actually work – that is to say, help us to see in new and >> useful ways – that’s great! >> >> >> >> There is, of course, a proper term for the activity I have been >> describing. It is called Theory Building. And for whatever it is worth, >> “theory” comes from the Greek “*theorein”* – to see. In a word, theories >> are ways of looking at things – likely stories you might say. >> >> >> >> Now, at long last (too long?) we come to the odd story I was starting to >> tell, to the effect that Structure is only a figment of our imagination, a >> flash frame of a moment gone by. Interesting, and helpful under some >> circumstances... but always partial and in a sense illusory. What’s >> “really” happening is all flow. Everything is moving – That’s Ralph’s >> story, and I guess it is mine too. >> >> >> >> So how did I get to such a weird condition? It was all about anomaly – >> more particularly, the anomaly of Open Space. Everything that I had ever >> learned told me that it could not work. Unfortunately it did (work) – and >> not just once, but every time, hundreds of thousands of times. Something >> was definitely weird. It seemed to me that I had to re-consider all those >> things I thought I had learned, beginning with the basics... such things as >> Structure. >> >> >> >> Common sense would say that Open Space works because we somehow created a >> structure that enabled it to work. That’s the way things get done, or so I >> had been taught. But that’s not the way things happened in Open Space. >> Structure emerged along the way and only momentarily. Worse yet it >> (structure) seemed to have little to do with the obvious power, >> connections, creativity.... all of which created structures, and passed >> them by. And actually it always seemed to me that the “structures” I “saw” >> existed only because I wanted to see them – or perhaps that I “should” see >> them. But they were only momentary wisps, figments – never to be mistaken >> for what was really going on. Or so I’ve been thinking. >> >> >> >> Harrison >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> *From:* OSList [mailto:[email protected]] *On >> Behalf Of *Michael Herman via OSList >> *Sent:* Saturday, October 03, 2015 6:31 PM >> *To:* JL Walker; World wide Open Space Technology email list >> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] The Tyranny of Structurelessness >> >> >> >> you remind me, harrison, of one morning news session years ago, >> somewhere, probably OT... where ralph copleman walked to the center of the >> circle and announced, all serious and mischievous at the same time, "it's >> all moving!" >> >> >> >> then put the stick down and went back to his seat. >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Michael Herman >> Michael Herman Associates >> http://MichaelHerman.com >> http://OpenSpaceWorld.org >> >> >> >> On Sat, Oct 3, 2015 at 1:47 PM, JL Walker via OSList < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> I was thinking that maybe the antidote to the eventual tyranny of >> structurelessness is to open space, again and again, until true democracy >> can emerge. >> >> >> >> Juan Luis >> >> >> >> *De:* OSList [mailto:[email protected]] *En nombre >> de *Rosa Zubizarreta via OSList >> *Enviado el:* sábado, 03 de octubre de 2015 12:19 >> *Para:* Daniel Mezick; World wide Open Space Technology email list >> *Asunto:* Re: [OSList] The Tyranny of Structurelessness >> >> >> >> Hi Daniel, >> >> Yes, this is a key piece... I see it as very similar in some ways to what >> Ken Wilber wrote later, >> >> about the "shadow side of the green meme". (Each meme has its own shadow, >> as well as its own gift...) >> >> So, I love "green". I love circles, I love non-hierarchy, etc. >> And, part of the "shadow side of the green meme" is how ideologically >> anti-structure it can become... >> >> to the point where some people may not even agree that OST does, in fact, >> offer a very simple and effective structure. >> >> By way contrast, think of a situation where group of people (who don't >> know about OST, and/or, who are having a power struggle around "which >> process to use", and/or.... ) might easily spending a whole weekend >> arguing *about *"how to self-organize ourselves"... with a great deal >> more pain and frustration and a great deal less value. >> >> whereas, instead, IF someone knows about OST, and, a clear invitation has >> been extended, and, there is enough trust/suspension of disbelief so that >> participants are willing to enter into that format, >> >> then, we end up with a very simple and elegant structure that allows >> people to self-organize beautifully.... >> >> at least that's how i see it! :-) >> >> with all best wishes, >> >> Rosa >> >> >> >> >> *Rosa Zubizarreta* >> >> >> *Developing Participatory and Co-intelligent LeadershipAuthor of From >> Conflict to Creative Collaboration <http://www.conflict2creativity.com>* >> >> >> *For more resources and learning opportunities, visitwww.DiaPraxis.com >> <http://www.DiaPraxis.com>* >> >> >> >> On Sat, Oct 3, 2015 at 9:26 AM, Daniel Mezick via OSList < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> THE TYRANNY of STRUCTURELESSNESS >> by Jo Freeman aka Joreen >> >> I find this essay extremely interesting. I hope you do, too. >> >> >> >> Here is a pertinent quote, from the essay: >> "... >> >> *the idea of "structurelessness" does not prevent the formation of >> informal structures, only formal ones."* >> Circa 1970. Context: the women's movement. Quick summary of the main >> points: from the essay... >> >> - *During the years in which the women's liberation movement has been >> taking shape, a great emphasis has been placed on what are called >> leaderless, structureless groups as the main -- if not sole -- >> organizational form of the movement. * >> >> >> - *The idea of "structurelessness," however, has moved from a healthy >> counter to those tendencies, to becoming a goddess in its own right.* >> >> >> - *Contrary to what we would like to believe, there is no such thing >> as a structureless group. * >> >> >> - *This means that to strive for a structureless group is as useful, >> and as deceptive, as to aim at an "objective" news story, "value-free" >> social science, or a "free" economy. A "laissez faire" group is about as >> realistic as a "laissez faire" society; the idea becomes a smokescreen for >> the strong or the lucky to establish unquestioned hegemony over others. * >> >> >> - *This hegemony can be so easily established because the idea of >> "structurelessness" does not prevent the formation of informal structures, >> only formal ones. * >> >> >> - *For everyone to have the opportunity to be involved in a given >> group and to participate in its activities, the structure must be >> explicit, >> not implicit. * >> >> >> - *It is this informal structure, particularly in Unstructured >> groups, which forms the basis for elites.* >> >> >> >> Just in case you have not yet encountered the full text of this essay, >> here it is: >> >> THE TYRANNY of STRUCTURELESSNESS >> by Jo Freeman aka Joreen >> http://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm >> >> >> >> Regards, >> Daniel >> http://www.OpenSpaceAgility.com/about >> http://www.DanielMezick.com >> 203 915 7248 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> Past archives can be viewed here: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> Past archives can be viewed here: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> >> >> >
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