I am not very invested in making a case about trust or mutual respect. Whatever legitimate distinctions there may be, they seem to me subtle and not worth much more time. As a matter of practice I have noted that using the word trust seems to turn up the heat in certain situations, which I think is my role at times.
What I would like to get reactions to from others is your question of dis/mis trust in Open Space. One of the types of situations I like to use Open Space Technology in is when there is a very high degree of volatility...not usually the environment for trust or mutual respect. Since open space depends upon passion and responsibility I believe that it has the capacity to give people something real to work on together...which builds trust and mutual respect. But I also believe that building sustainable trust when there has been deep mistrust it takes a long time working on real work together to see if people walk their talk, longer than an individual event allows for...though the original event may lay a solid foundation. What do others think? Chris Kloth
