Dear All, Trying to promote OS within a business world I find this discussion interesting
I can see that formally authorising the event as Daniel points out brings with it a commitment to make something happen afterwards. What I have always struggled with is that if a meeting is booked by someone in authority then the likelihood is that the invitees will turn up. So the invite is not a invite - it is seen as "a meeting I need to go to". No bad thing in itself I suppose, but I want the attendees to have a passion about the theme, that "whoever comes are the right people". Arguably having got them in the room, then passions maybe stirred but.... In some meetings I have observed that there is good attendance, but many turn up because they are curious, and then drift away. In the end does it matter? Am I being to pedantic in my thinking? Given "Whatever happens" and the law of two feet, should I be concerned? What do others think? 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On 30 November 2015 at 14:24, Rosa Zubizarreta via OSList < oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> wrote: > Hi Daniel, congratulations on an amazing piece! > > As you mention, "authority" is a very loaded subject... > > My understanding is that the group relations perspective, holds (along > with Koos!) that as adults, the ultimate authority for anything ultimately > comes from ourselves. WE are the ones who "authorize" formal authorities -- > without our own willingness to continue to authorize them, their authority > would disappear. Is that your understanding, as well? > > AND... as you point out, things are a bit more complex than that! > > For one thing... as children... we were all helpless to one degree or > another, and so I would hesitate to say that we were 'authorizing' our > parents or whatever crazyness was happening in our families of origin... > > then, as adults... our feelings of helplessness often get triggered by our > dysfunctional economic systems... for example, in a situation where jobs > are few and far between, someone might well feel quite insulted at being > told that they are "authorizing" their boss who happens to be a bully. The > person who is being bullied, may not be in a position where they have an > easy option of changing jobs... > > (A side note... one fascinating piece of work in this regard, is Michael > Lerner's book "Surplus Powerlessness"... in it, he lays out the perspective > that by promoting the "American dream" ideology of "everyone can achieve > anything they want", and concurrently systematically ignoring all of the > many real constraints to our freedom, we contribute to creating a culture > where people end up blaming themselves for not achieving their dreams -- > and thus, end up feeling MORE powerless, than if we were to acknowledge the > real constraints and focused on the small-yet-ever-present "windows of > possibility"...) > > Anyway, I would say that yes, as adults, we are the ones who authorize any > authorities, including both the informal authorities as well as the formal > authorities. To whatever degree that we are uncomfortable with our own > authority, we are participating in the creation of a leaderless world, to > our own and others' detriment -- since too many people in positions of > formal authority are not, in fact, leaders; and to whatever degree they > *are* leading, they are NOT leading us toward a world that works for all. > > Conversely, to the degree that we become more comfortable with our own > authority, we are contributing to a more leaderful world.... > and of course, OST is a wonderful way to bring out the leader in each > person, as it encourages each of us, to be the author of our own experience. > > with all best wishes, > > Rosa > > > *Rosa Zubizarreta* > > > *meet me at my DiaPraxis website <http://diapraxis.com> and on my > Listening Arts blog <https://rosaz.wordpress.com/>* > > > * <http://www.DiaPraxis.com>* > > On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 7:05 AM, Daniel Mezick via OSList < > oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> wrote: > >> Hi Michael, >> >> Thank you for your reply. Regarding "unauthorized" or not >> formally-authorized OST in organizations, remember, I am framing the >> discussion inside the wider context of a typical business corporation, one >> trying to improve by considering some changes. I am not talking about any >> other context. OST is often used for Agile retrospectives for example. I am >> not talking about that. >> >> So the context for discussion I am suggesting is the context of a typical >> business corporation, one trying to improve by considering some >> enterprise-wide (or division-wide) changes. A wide-scope change. >> >> Typically, these changes are a "push from authority" without respect to >> what the people who do the work want, think or feel. Many Agile frameworks >> (most notably "SAFe") are implemented in this way. As push. >> >> Open Space offers a refreshing alternative to mandates, "push", and >> formally authorized coercion. Or so it seems. Since most formally >> authorized leaders cannot commit to the so-called "risk of Open Space," the >> wide-scope OST usually (almost) never happens. Meanwhile, everybody knows >> the issues and that they might never see the light of day in any kind of >> formally authorized way. >> >> Now, getting back your comment, yes: anyone can hold an Open Space event >> at any time, about any thing, for any reason. At issue is what happens >> next. Perhaps a group can meet to discuss HOW to get some attention to key >> issues from formally authorized leaders. Etc. As you yourself say, "folks >> knew full well that formal authorization was needed and had figured out >> ways addressing that need." >> >> What I'm really, really interested in is deconstructing OST in authority >> terms, and advancing that know-how, so that it can be reduced to explicit >> knowledge that others can access quickly in service to...progress. That >> essay is my naive attempt to actually begin the process. >> >> >> Daniel >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On 11/30/15 6:26 AM, Michael M Pannwitz wrote: >> >> Dear Daniel, >> >> somehow, I dont see what has happened in almost all os gatherings I have >> facilitated: people deciding to act and actually going ahead with it after >> the gathering not being formally authorized. >> As this happened regularly I wondered how those self-authorized >> activities fared or got along with formal authorization. Eventually, I >> found out that folks knew full well that formal authorization was needed >> and had figured out ways addressing that need. >> >> I wondered about Beth. Did she and her group simply suggested something >> formal authority should do or was she and others involved in implementing >> the stuff they were interested in? >> >> Invariably, I as facilitator would intervene with some off-handed remark >> about "suggestions" or "recommendations" or what xyz should do pointing out >> that there is nothing wrong with that but .... >> >> cheers >> mmp >> >> On 30.11.2015 12:15, Daniel Mezick via OSList wrote: >> >> Hi Koos, >> >> Thanks for your comment on personal passion. There's this very >> interesting paper on the various authority types (informal, formal, >> personal) which is pretty good, I am including it here if you want to >> check it out. >> >> I hear you when you say "I can initiate that process of authorizing >> myself by taking responsibility for my passion." This is exactly what we >> hope will happen inside company-sponsored OST events. >> >> Within the context of Open Space held in an organization that wants to >> explore an enterprise-wide change, we can expect the following to be >> true, if the event is to work well: >> >> 1. Formally Authorized Leader. A person formally and highly authorized >> by the organization sends an invite with a theme. This "formally >> authorizes" the time and space for the gathering. >> >> 2. Proceedings and Intent to Act- with Inclusion. That same person >> welcomes everyone on event-day, and at the opening, encourages the >> generation of proceedings, and signals that those proceedings will be >> inspected and acted upon, not just by the formally authorized leaders >> (the so-called "higher ups") but also with the new and emerging leaders >> who have identified themselves during the event ("be prepared to be >> surprised.") In other words, the people present are being invited to >> have their say, document it, and expect that these issues are going be >> input into a formally authorized and inclusive process of deciding, >> acting, and improving things. >> >> >> Now, absent these two facts, how "important" is the OST event? How much >> "action" can ensue? >> >> 1. Formally Authorized Leader. No formally authorized leader issuing the >> invite? Or someone /without enough authorization to matter?/ The signal >> is clear: this theme (and this event) is /not important/ to the people >> who make the decisions. >> >> 2. Proceedings and Intent to Act- with Inclusion. Since no one in the >> room has enough formal authority to implement plans suggested in the >> proceedings, we can reasonably expect nothing whatsoever to ensue in >> formal terms after the meeting. This, because people who /could/ do >> something about it (those formally authorized by the organization) "do >> not care." >> >> So- the highly authorized Sponsor (or Host) is essential. Otherwise, in >> authority terms, the OST event and what happens there just doesn't >> matter from an organizational point of view. It cannot have much of an >> impact. >> >> Much ado about nothing? >> >> >> >> Here's that paper I mentioned earlier: >> >> https://www.it.uu.se/edu/course/homepage/projektDV/ht09/BART_Green_Molenkamp.pdf >> >> >> >> I notice that most people prefer to avoid discussing authority. Since >> our families are the first place where we encounter this concept and >> develop our relationship with it, perhaps it is true that discussing >> authority can be very triggering. Thanks for sticking your neck out and >> I certainly hope to hear back from you and others on this thread. >> >> Daniel >> >> On 11/30/15 12:57 AM, Koos de Heer wrote: >> >> >> Hi Daniel, >> >> >> Thank you for an interesting line of thought. What I am thinking is >> that there is also the aspect of a person standing up and speaking for >> a passion that they have (be it in the form of raising a topic or just >> speaking in a break out session) and in that way claiming authority. >> In your essay, authority seems to always come from someone else. And >> of course authority only is there when others believe it to be there. >> But the initiative to bestow authority on me does not always come from >> others. I can also initiate that process of authorizing myself by >> taking responsibility for my passion. >> >> Koos >> >> *Van:*OSList [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org >> <oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org>] *Namens >> *Daniel Mezick via OSList >> *V**erzonden:*maandag 30 november 2015 0:13 >> *Aan:* oslist@lists.openspacetech.org >> *Onderwerp:* [OSList] What's authority got to do with Open Space ? >> >> What's authority got to do with Open Space ? Apparently nothing at >> all, at least on the surface... >> >> Wait. Once we peek under the surface, what do we actually find? >> >> This completely heretical essay attempts to answer at least part of >> that question. >> >> The context is the use of Open Space in a large business enterprise, >> convened with intent to explore the potential for making a very big, >> very complex enterprise-wide change. >> >> {Please note, the word "authority" might trigger feelings of: >> /soul-sucking bureaucracy/, unfair and /_illegitimate leadership >> hierarchy_/, and the like. Some "triggered" readers may want to >> opt-out of continuing at this time...) >> >> Authority Distribution in Open Space: >> http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/ >> Open Space is a most interesting format for "gathering,", also known >> as "meeting." >> >> What exactly is going on in Open Space? >> >> >> >> -- >> Daniel Mezick >> Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter. >> (203) 915 7248. Bio. <http://www.DanielMezick.com/> >> <http://www.DanielMezick.com/> Blog. >> <http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/> <http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/> >> Twitter. >> <https://twitter.com/DanielMezick> <https://twitter.com/DanielMezick> >> Book: The Culture Game. <http://theculturegame.com/> >> <http://theculturegame.com/> >> Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook. >> >> <http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336> >> <http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336> >> >> >> >> -- >> Daniel Mezick >> Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter. >> (203) 915 7248. Bio. <http://www.DanielMezick.com/> >> <http://www.DanielMezick.com/> Blog. >> <http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/> <http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/> >> Twitter. >> <https://twitter.com/DanielMezick> <https://twitter.com/DanielMezick> >> Book: The Culture Game. <http://theculturegame.com/> >> <http://theculturegame.com/> >> Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook. >> >> <http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336> >> <http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> Past archives can be viewed here: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org >> >> >> >> -- >> Daniel Mezick >> Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter. >> (203) 915 7248. Bio. <http://www.DanielMezick.com/> Blog. >> <http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/> Twitter. >> <https://twitter.com/DanielMezick> >> Book: The Culture Game. <http://theculturegame.com/> >> Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook. >> <http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> Past archives can be viewed here: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.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 > Past archives can be viewed here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org >
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