Bui – I would disagree. We are all and most certainly equally gifted
when it come to Opening Space... if only because no special gifts are
required except a good head and a good heart. And I am sure you have
both. I think Michael P’s lengthy note says it all, so far as I am
concerned. Opening Space is a natural act, indeed space opens of its
own accord unless it has been firmly closed by someone who thinks they
are in charge. Even that doesn’t really change the situation, they
just think it does, but their efforts do make our efforts more
difficult. At such times, I find the Law of Two feet particularly
useful, and my two questions (conditions) – self selection and all
issues on the table – make it clear for me when I should take a hike.
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
Camden, Maine 04843
Phone 301-365-2093
(summer) 207-763-3261
www.openspaceworld.com <www.openspaceworld.com%20>
www.ho-image.com <www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website)
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*From:*[email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Bui
Petersen
*Sent:* Thursday, October 03, 2013 1:59 PM
*To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
*Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space Economics? Be Prepared to be Surprised!
Thanks Harrison,
I think that perhaps we are not equally gifted as OS facilitators.
That said, for us more "mortal" facilitators, not noticing some
dynamic does not necessarily mean that it isn't there. I think it for
most of us, it is important to know it is (or can be) there, whether
we call it power or something else. If I end up doing research on
group processes, OST will likely be just be one of several to be compared.
Yes, there is an interested common belief that the world can be
managed. Much of the literature in my field (Organizational Behaviour)
is about "managing" people and finding the best way to control them
(I'm generalizing and simplifying here). I find it fascinating that in
this capitalist world, where the world supposedly is benefiting from
an "efficient market", management is still dominated by a belief based
on Taylorist and Fordist views of organization and production,
something that Stalin was an early adopter of. Why is it that when we
don't want to overly control society that we still want to overly
control organizations?
I said a few years because it will take me a while before I get past
mandatory course work and comprehensive exams. :)
Bui
On 02/10/2013 3:57 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
Bui – I surely hope that we will be seeing you sooner than a few
years from now! And I have to say that nothing in my experience of
multiple Open Spaces, including many with lots of CEOs, matches
what you seem to be saying. To begin with I have never seen an
Open Space that didn’t work at all three levels of “work” that I
would consider relevant. A) It works at a formal level – Folks sit
in a circle, create bulletin board, open a market place and go to
work. B) It works at a practical level – they actually get
something done which they deem to be significant. C) It works at a
continuing level – which for me means that at the minimum, even if
they never do an Open Space again, and even if they immediately
revert to their hierarchical, bureaucratic ways they always know
that it could be better and different. I have had CEOs (and other
execs) ask me if they should participate, fearing that their
presence might be intimidating – To which my standard response is
that they should do whatever they feel comfortable doing, but not
to worry. I sometimes add that, presuming they have some value to
add, their participation would be a plus. That usually causes a
smile, and almost inevitably, active participation.
I confess I have heard tales of CEO’s who became so threatened
that they stood in the middle and essentially told everybody what
to do. In a word, they just shut off the lights. Perhaps my
prejudices have gotten the better of me, but that doesn’t sound
like a failure of Open Space, but rather a case of exceptionally
bad manners and probably a severe personality disorder.
Perhaps one of the reasons I have never encountered a situation
such as you describe is that I always insist on a conversation
with the Senior Folks as a condition of contract. My friend Lisa
might call this “pre-work,” but to me it has always been a
relatively short simple conversation in which we go over a few
essentials. First, the gathering will be voluntary (voluntary self
selection). Second, all issues of concern to anybody in the
gathering will be on the table should they chose to put them
there. If I detect any problem, that would be pretty much the end
of the conversation, and my participation in their endeavor. Truth
to tell in all my years I can only remember a single occasion
where we ran into a deal breaker. And for whatever it is worth,
that organization and those execs are now out of business. I
wonder why?
The whole question of Executive control is a fascinating one, and
should you pursue all this in your studies, you will have a rich
field. >From where I sit, the notion that any executive could
exercise the sorts of control that many think they have, or
perhaps hope they do (after all somebody must be in charge!) is
flawed to say the least. They don’t have it, never did, and never
will. The reason is simple. Any organization, large or small, is
so enmeshed with an environment which is so fast moving,
interconnected, random and chaotic that we can’t even think at
that level. And what we can’t think, we surely can’t control.
Mission Impossible. Yes I know that there is this hope and
expectation, fostered by the multiple business schools of the
world that change can be managed, that the future can be
predicted, indeed created, that the Plan will triumph. Lots of luck.
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
Camden, Maine 04843
Phone 301-365-2093
(summer) 207-763-3261
www.openspaceworld.com <www.openspaceworld.com%20>
www.ho-image.com <www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website)
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives
of OSLIST Go
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*From:*[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
[mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Bui
Petersen
*Sent:* Wednesday, October 02, 2013 11:23 AM
*To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
*Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space Economics? Be Prepared to be
Surprised!
Maybe "circumventing" is the wrong word. But for me the issue of
power is central. In order for OST to work, the "CEO" has to
temporarily give up some of her/his power (both procedural and
positional).
I'm quite serious about this, and OST (and other group processes)
may become part of my academic research (I just started on an PhD
in Management). Maybe my contribution will be to help make the
field of Management become more open to self-organization. :)
Maybe you'll all hear back from me in a few years. :)
Bui
On 02/10/2013 1:04 AM, Michael Herman wrote:
I can't ever remember "attempting to circumvent power
dynamics," Bui. While it's quite common when people talk
about sitting in a circle they say things like, "...the circle
makes everyone equal." I always disagree. The circle gives
everyone equal access to all the others in the circle, the
markers and paper and microphone at the center, and the
bulletin board gives everyone the same access to all of the
info that is generated. It doesn't make them equal, the ceo
has an entirely different set of skills, resources,
experiences, concerns than the new intern. But as a
facilitator, I give everyone the same job: learn and
contribute as much as you can, from wherever you are, with
whatever you have at your disposal. serve the common purpose.
none of this attempts or requires any circumventing. i think
ost works in spite of whatever the power structure might be,
once people show up. maybe the invitation tweaks the power
structure -- but if the invite comes from the top, then it's
the top giving power away -- hardly a circumvention, and
certainly not the facilitator attempting. if the invite
bubbles up from somewhere below, then it's the lower ranks
claiming power for themselves. so i think any shifting of
power arises because invitation exists as an option, not
because anything we do in the process of 'opening space.' i
think ost is just one way of pointing out that invitation is
possible and the ost story is pretty much the same in all
kinds of different "power" distributions.
or maybe i just don't understand. what do you do to notice
and recognize power imbalances? and how have you seen this
improve the ost experience for people?
m
--
Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 (mobile)
http://MichaelHerman.com
http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 5:06 PM, Bui Petersen
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Michael, I guess we'll have to disagree. I see OST's temporal
attempt at circumventing power dynamics (e.g through the the
empowered of the the law of two feet) as one of the beauties
of the process.
One of the reasons that the liberal view of market economics
is problematic is that it doesn't account for power
imbalances. While you can't take away all structural power, I
think the OST experience can be enhanced by at least some
awareness and recognition of such powers.
Bui
On 30/09/2013 10:56 PM, Michael Herman wrote:
i don't think ost is trying to "take away structural
power," bui -- not even temporarily. i think it's more
about acknowledging the distribution of knowledge and
choice (power) that already exists. the law of two feet
isn't something special we enact at the start of an event,
it's something we just notice and point out, for instance.
m
--
Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 <tel:312-280-7838> (mobile)
http://MichaelHerman.com
http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
On Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 10:21 AM, Bui Petersen
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
wrote:
Interesting discussion. When I have described OST, some
people have been skeptical as it to them has has sounded
to "neo-liberal" and not taking power balances enough into
consideration. Obviously what the "structure" of OST is
trying to do is to take away structural power temporarily.
But some people are still skeptical about OST's potential
to do this. My own take is that OST does not always fully
succeed in this regard.
Still it is very interesting theoretically. Both there is
a lot of other (than economics) theoretical perspectives
that better deal with power.
Bui
On 26/09/2013 5:33 PM, Michael Herman wrote:
I share your concerns, Jeff, but found this piece to
be mostly not about politics. And where he comments
on current views and policy, I was less bothered by
what he was saying than by my tendency to agree in
many cases. But mostly this is interesting and useful
totally separate from his politics, I think.
On Thursday, September 26, 2013, Jeff Aitken wrote:
thanks Michael!
It's unfortunate that I have a lingering dislike
for Mr. Gilder, who was famous for awhile around 1981
when the Reagan administration rolled out its economic
agenda, and his work was considered one of its
intellectual pillars.
Twas a long time ago, and no doubt the man remains a
hard thinker and clear writer, perhaps with more heart
than I experienced back then.
With that caveat, I'll dig into this when I have a
chance. Thanks for sharing.
Jeff
San Francisco
On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 12:25 PM, Michael Herman
<[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Here's a long one, friends… But maybe an important one.
What follows is an excerpt from a markets newsletter
I've read for maybe 10 years by a financial expert and
best-selling author Named John Mauldin. He describes
and then shares an article by a guy named George
Gilder, Who seems to have been writing "important"
books for at least a few decades.
--
Michael Herman
MichaelHerman.com
(312) 280-7838 <tel:%28312%29%20280-7838>
Sent from my iPhone
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