Chris, any chance you will publish your book in a paper version at some point? Consider me old-fashioned, but I very much enjoy holding a book in my hands...
with all best wishes, Rosa *Rosa Zubizarreta* *Diapraxis: Facilitating Creative Collaborationhttp://www.diapraxis.com <http://www.diapraxis.com/>* On Mon, Nov 17, 2014 at 5:03 PM, Chris Corrigan via OSList < [email protected]> wrote: > I have opened space many many times without ever mentioning the four > principles, the law or any other assorted wisdom associated with WHY the > process works. > > My basic practice is to explain HOW we will organize ourselves, pointing > out the tools we have to do so: paper, markers, bulletin board. > > I talk about passion and responsibility “Please only post a topic you will > personally show up for…” and I mention the freedom of choosing and moving. > > That is all that people need to get into Open Space. I’m not sure the > principles or the law or anything else are necessary pre-conditions for the > appearance and deployment of Open Space in a meeting. I think they help > explain what is happening, and I think they help people let go of control a > little. > > All of us as facilitators would do well to remember that people are not > coming to a meeting to be wowed by a process that you personally love. > They are coming to get work done. And so it behooves us to put a lid on > our passions for the mechanics of the process and simply open space so that > work can get done. Later on you can reflect on WHY it happened like that. > > As for the idea that OST is mainstream, well perhaps not yet. But within > the world of people who think a lot about this sort of thing it is widely > known. I feel like these days people call and ask about OST having > experienced it whereas in the 1990s and early 200s people were calling > because it seemed like a good idea, but they had never experienced it. So > not mainstream per se, but widely accepted and known in a small part of the > world. > > At any rate it has been a long time since I have asked the question at the > start of a meeting and seen zero hands go up. There seems to be at least > one person who knows Open Space. > > Whether we use the original instructions or modifications or innovations, > whatever you do, do it very very well. Be very conscious, model good > leadership and never stop embodying invitation. Lots of people have > witnessed poorly planned Open Spaces run by facilitators who are too > nervous to let go of their control of it. We all owe it to our clients and > participants to meet their needs well with a process that helps them get > unlocked from the stuck places they get into. > > Here’s my book again for you to download. I hope it inspires your > practice. > > The Tao of Holding Space > <http://www.archive.org/details/TheTaoOfHoldingSpace> > > Chris > > > On Nov 14, 2014, at 11:09 PM, John Baxter via OSList < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Nice reflection Harrison. > > You've unfortunately created too many loose ends to inspire a neat reply. > So here is a messy one. > > Regards the simplest recipe for Open Space, to what degree have the Law > and N Principles (and the animals) been critically tested? To be honest, > these have never really resonated for me and I've always used a different > variation each time searching for something that feels right (and no longer > than it needs to be). > > I think it's a long bow to describe Open Space as mainstream, or anywhere > near it. It has spread to all corners of the globe perhaps, but it is > still the System A alternative, islands within a System B world. I would > hazard 90% of those who have been to conferences and meetings and like > gatherings have not heard of it... (speaking at a conference on cocreation > and placemaking recently, I requested a hands-up and had a whole TWO of > hundreds confess to acquaintance) > and even if 90% had, I'm sure less than 1% of the gatherings they attend > are consciously designed to unlock self organisation. > > What you describe of the permutations of the practice matches what I see > (though I'm too new to know differently), but I can't see how this could be > because of a tipping point as the practice is mainstreamed. > > Maybe that's just where I participate. > > Regards the permutations and combinations... bring them on! This thread > could quickly follow all sorts of rabbit holes on this one, so I might save > those thoughts for another day. > > Cheers > > > *John Baxter* > *Cocreation Consultant & CoCreate Adelaide Facilitator* > jsbaxter.com.au <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/> | CoCreateADL.com > <http://cocreateadl.com/> > 0405 447 829 > | > @jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_> > > *Thank you to everyone who came, helped or spread the good word about City > Grill!* > *Summary and links: cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary/ > <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary/>* > > > On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 5:37 AM, paul levy via OSList < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> The problem with sticking with things is you might just end up stuck. >> >> Ho hum. >> >> Paul Levy >> >> >> >> >> On 13 Nov 2014, at 18:14, Harrison Owen via OSList < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> Open Space, in its “original” form is sparse simplicity to say the least. >> Ten to fifteen minutes introduction, and it is off the races, or in my >> case, off to take a nap. The evolution of this format followed a simple >> dictum: “Think of one more thing NOT to do.” Over time in my practice I >> simply removed one more element. The first to go were so called, “warm up >> exercises.” But it went down from there. My surprise was that the less I >> did, the better it got... which seemed to be the exact opposite of many of >> my colleagues’ experience with the methods and approaches they had created. >> Their simple guide books gave way to 400 page Manuals with additions and >> extensions. Of course, there were times when people remarked to me that OS >> was so simple it couldn’t possibly work. But it did. Simply sit in a >> circle, create a bulletin board, acknowledge the 5 principles and the Law – >> and Go to Work! That’s it. That’s all. >> >> >> I confess that I do love elegant simplicity, and so there is a large part >> of me that would stick with the “original” for that reason alone. To this >> may be added the fact that this “elegant simplicity” apparently violated >> essentially all the principles and practices of management that I knew >> about. To some extent this was a source of no small amount of >> embarrassment, for after all when what you see, do, and think is at odds >> with the Received Wisdom there are obvious questions about your grasp of >> reality. But, the disparity between what I was witnessing and what (I was >> told) I should be experiencing has led to a marvelous quest into the >> strange new world of self organizing systems. Rich and rewarding indeed. >> >> >> Now it seems that the world is changing (or at least our perception of >> that world) such that the strange environment of self organization is no >> longer so strange. What appeared odd, counter-intuitive, impossible is now >> almost mainstream. Not quite but getting there. And if so, perhaps it is >> now time to let go of that old “elegant simplicity” in all of its appealing >> purity... and plunge into the marvelous world of combinations and >> permutations. And why not? It could be a lot of fun. >> >> >> I can see the possibilities, but I doubt seriously I would change. Senile >> sentimentality for sure, AND I actually have another concern which I think >> may be determinative. I suspect that OST (simple version) may be the best >> Training Program going when it comes to the introduction of folks to the >> High Arts of navigating a self organizing world. And best of all it is >> Experiential Learning from the start. Training and Doing are absolutely >> united. It is not talking about self organization it is being intentionally >> in that mode. And any added complexity/parallel program will tend to >> obscure the central mind bending fact – It’s happening all by itself. >> >> >> We have talked about this “ training” function before, usually under the >> heading of Chris Corrigan’s notion of Training Wheels. That is definitely >> good start, but only a start. We can do more, and it could be a real kick. >> >> >> So I plan to stick with the original – with the hope and intent that lots >> of new people will drop by to experience the incredible, productive freedom >> of losing control, and then come to understand that it is actually their >> birthright. They only have to claim it. >> >> >> Harrison >> >> >> >> >> Winter Address >> >> 7808 River Falls Drive >> >> Potomac, MD 20854 >> >> 301-365-2093 >> >> >> Summer Address >> >> 189 Beaucaire Ave. >> >> Camden, ME 04843 >> >> 207-763-3261 >> >> >> Websites >> >> www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com/> >> >> www.ho-image.com >> >> OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives >> of OSLIST Go to: >> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> >> > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > >
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