Dear Michael, Thank you for your thorough reaction. First of all, words can be interpreted differently, I notice. In Open Space I never use the word ‘voting’, only prioritizing for next steps. My invitation is ‘who has a plan that you feel passion about and want to take responsibility for’. In the online environment this was initiated by first prioritizing points of attention from the first two rounds. This was done using a tool from the Miroboard called “voting tool”. in an offline meeting I often use sticky dots. It is also a way to invite people to read all reports, add comments and ideas if they want to, and reflect on what they feel is most important to do action planning for in the next round.
Regarding theoretical concepts, I take a pragmatist stance, implying that there is no fundamental difference between theory and practice. All theory is born in practice, so it is good to stay close to what we notice and observe in OS. Some research has been done on success factors and effects of large group meetings such as OS, see the book I wrote based on my PhD research, https://eburon.nl/product/building_an_evidence_based_practical_guide_to_large_scale_interventions/. It provides also some insides on the oxymorons of “sustainable change” and “evidence based” All my best, Tonnie Van der Zouwen Consultancy Dr. Tonnie van der Zouwen MCM [email protected] www.tonnievanderzouwen.nl 06 50 69 79 82 > Op 28 okt. 2022 om 17:58 heeft Michael M Pannwitz via OSList > <[email protected]> het volgende geschreven: > > Dear Tony, > > the first sentence in the wikipedia entry is > > "Sociocracy is a theory of governance that seeks to create psychologically > safe environments and productive organizations." > > OST focuses on expanding time and space for the unfolding of the forces of > selforganisation. > It is not interested nor attached to any outcome. > > However, what regularly happens in OST events are such things as creating > safe environments, productive organisations and many other things. These are > then felt to be the aim of ost events. Wrong. Stuff like that evolves because > there is no other goal than the one postulated. > > cheers > mmp > > Am 28.10.2022 um 17:46 schrieb Tony Budak: >> Hi Michael, >> >> Love the way you shared your thinking and wrote here below. Thank you. >> >> Would you kindly share any insights regards >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociocracy >> >> Thanks again and again, >> Tony >> >> On 10/28/2022 7:12 AM, Michael M Pannwitz via OSList wrote: >>> Dear Tonnie, >>> >>> in your email of October 23 you wrote: >>> "We tried to translate the steps from an offline environment to an online >>> one..." >>> >>> Looking at the document I noticed that you used "voting" in the Action >>> Planning part. >>> >>> Way back, when actively working as a facilitator (more than a decade ago) I >>> also used "voting". >>> However, I used the word "weighing" (gewichten, in German). >>> I was an old hand outfittet with many voting tools in my prior 3 decades as >>> an OD consultant (took me a long time to work myself out of the OD mode). >>> Keeping a close eye on everything that took place in the os events we >>> noticed that "voting" along the line of >>> "what you think is most important to work out in action plans" often led to >>> the "odd" behavior that the most important item was not worked on. >>> After a while and being aware that "voting" is a statistical approach we >>> felt that the most important aspect would be what took place at the >>> beginning of an os when posting issues: Heart and meaning, passion and >>> responsibility. >>> >>> So we decided to simply have Action Planning in open space mode. >>> This meant that on the last half day (usually on Day 3 of an open space), >>> participants met in the circle and posted "projects" they wanted to work >>> on. Oddly enough, some of the projects posted apparently had no direct >>> connection to what had happended in the divergent part (the first two >>> days). (Maybe encouraged by one of my comments in the beginning such as >>> "Divergence was in the last two days, now the focus is on projects that I >>> am passionatly interested in and will be responible for") >>> Since this approach worked beautifully and was always a dynamic and >>> intensive way of getting into the action-oriented nature of os events we >>> decided to put "voting" or "weighing" into the box labeled "one less thing >>> to do". >>> >>> In November of 2013 I had the privilege to co-facilitate the Action >>> Planning phase of the 3-day European Learning Exchange in Utrecht convened >>> by Frank Little (hi there). >>> >>> Nobody has done what is called "research" on this and much other strange >>> stuff that happens in os. And I think thats perfectly ok, knowing that what >>> works is important and being aware that at least I will never understand >>> the mysteries of systems and the force of selforganisation. Every time we >>> closely watch the prerequisites for having an open space event including >>> all other experimentally tested aspects of our craft, it works perfectly. >>> All the events that did not work that I heard of or was part of, were not >>> sufficiently close enough to duplicate the effect of the tested experiment >>> (missing even one of the prerequisites or trying to get ost working on a >>> wicked "business issue" within one day where actually 3 days were required >>> or not having enough of the system in the room... ). >>> >>> And at this point I usually tell the story of sometimes meeting folks on >>> the public transportation system in Berlin staring at me and suddenly >>> bursting out with "open space". When we figured out which open space the >>> other passenger meant and where it took place and what it was all about, I >>> would ask what took place after the event. Invariably, folks told me things >>> that I could in no way connect to the os, not even after looking at the >>> documentations that I collected in my archives. >>> Yes, I knew it was the ripple effect, completely beyond any control. >>> Well, the old admonition "never delude yourself to be in control" (never >>> delude yourself in understanding complex systems) pops up. >>> >>> I invite you to try the "Action Space" approach in one of your next online >>> events. >>> >>> The script you can find on pages 168 to 175 of the book Meine open space >>> Praxis >>> >>>> >>>> https://www.westkreuz-verlag.de/de/Meine-open-space-Praxis-E-Book >>>> https://www.westkreuz-verlag.de/de/Meine-open-space-Praxis >>> >>> Frank Little might have an English version of the "Action Space" that was >>> recordet at the European Learning Exchange in Utrecht back in 2013... there >>> were 20 participants from Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Poland. >>> Hi to you all just in case you kept reading up to this point. >>> >>> >>> Have a great day and lets talk more at the WOSonOS in Berlin next year >>> mmp >>> >>> Michael M Pannwitz >>> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin >>> +49 30 7728000 [email protected] >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> OSList mailing list -- [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > > > > Michael M Pannwitz > Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin > +49 30 7728000 [email protected] > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
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