Hi Rijon,

I don’t recall a conversation about how Liberating Structures changed OST on 
the OS list. 

I just looked at my copy The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures. I found 
the description of OST adequate. That said, I couldn’t find anything called a 
“short form” of OST so didn’t find their changes. Do you have a page number?

I can tell you that I am often uncomfortable with how LS treats a variety of 
practices. My lived experience has been that the “short forms” they advocate 
reduce a practice to mechanics. In the hands of someone who doesn’t know what 
they are doing, they can leave something to be desired.

Having said that, it has been a while since I have been around the LS 
practices. So I can’t name a specific example here. Just my own discomfort.

Peggy



_________________________________
Peggy Holman
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Twitter: @peggyholman

Bellevue, WA  98006
206-948-0432
www.peggyholman.com
www.journalismthatmatters.org

Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity 
<https://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/>

 
"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is 
to become 
the fire".
  -- Drew Dellinger



> On Jul 23, 2023, at 10:10 AM, Rijon Erickson via OSList <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
> 
> Below is an excerpt from a comment made on LinkedIn that makes a bold 
> assertion about the opinion of the Open Space community regarding changes to 
> OST within the context of Liberating Structures.
> 
> 
> “Lastly the changes made to Open Space that have been made are counted a 
> travesty by the Open Space community. Anyone on the OSLIST knows what Barry 
> Owen and others have had to say about this.”
> 
> 
> I'm making an assumption that these changes are the ones articulated by 
> authors Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless in their book “The Surprising 
> Power of Liberating Structures” and presented as a "short form" of OST.
> 
> Upon reading the description of OST in the aforementioned book, I did feel 
> some discomfort at how the event structure was presented, but I didn't take 
> offense and consider such a presentation "a travesty". It read to me as what 
> an OST event would look like to an observer. Near the end of the chapter in 
> the book, Harrison Owen is credited and the reader is advised to start with 
> the user's guide if they wish to the OST meeting format.
> 
> Apparently this caused quite a stir a few years back. A reference is made to 
> Barry Owen 
> <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAADtVHYBKmACohG0Fe0-c0F4dAQSrDB_QaQ> as well 
> as to "anyone on the OSLIST" having knowledge of this.
> 
> I'm a member of the board of the Open Space Institute - US, and I've been on 
> the OSLIST for a few years now, and I don't recall this issue being raised in 
> public or in private. In addition, I couldn't find evidence here on the 
> OSLIST either.
> 
> As a board member of the Open Space Institute-US, I feel a deep sense of 
> responsibility to fully understand these criticisms and to be able to 
> publicly engage with those in the Liberating Structures community to ensure 
> that the practice of Open Space Technology and the philosophy of Open Space 
> is disseminated with accuracy and authenticity.
> 
> Who among you is willing to help me understand?
> 
> P.S. I wasn't aware that an entire community (especially the Open Space 
> community) could hold a singular opinion, but maybe that's just me.
> 
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