On Nov 17, 2014, at 2:21 PM, Michael Herman <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
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.
yes yes yes, chris. it may well be that the, shall we say,
"traditional" story of 4 principles, one law and a couple of bugs is
ready to go the way of voting. there is still something to be said
for talking about the purpose, and something to be said for not
knowing what will happen. i always liked that fr. brian used to put
"be prepared to be surprised" at the entrance to the space. and
something to be said for giving people a chance to think about what
they want to do/post, before the chaos of writing and announcing
begins. probably this "time to think" is the most important part
about talking about principles and bugs. the higher the stakes and/or
the larger the group, probably the more time for pre-soaking. guess
that's the art of it really... just enough, but no more, in the
briefing. and in whatever way that we don't create a distraction from
which we cannot escape. the better we know the group and the issues,
probably the easier it is to do this.
--
Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 (mobile)
http://MichaelHerman.com <http://michaelherman.com/>
http://OpenSpaceWorld.org <http://openspaceworld.org/>
On Mon, Nov 17, 2014 at 4:03 PM, Chris Corrigan via OSList
<[email protected]
<mailto:[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]
<mailto:[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]
<mailto:[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]
<mailto:[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 <tel:301-365-2093>
Summer Address
189 Beaucaire Ave.
Camden, ME 04843
207-763-3261 <tel:207-763-3261>
Websites
www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com/>
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