<snip> > BUT what i really want to know is >what is the NEXT strategic question that the next round of best orgs are >working on NOW?
I'm heading out of town in 5 minutes, but couldn't resist a thought about Michael's comments about the next question... I personally think the question is "How appreciative is your organization?" I keep thinking about the idea of "appreciative space" -- the natural blending that I experience between Open Space and Appreciative Inquiry. Back on Sept. 15.... Peg Holman -----Original Message----- From: Michael Herman <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, September 01, 1999 6:46 PM Subject: Re: Self-organizing systems >okay, i'm back... whoa! > >should add, too, that i'm back from 10 days with his holiness the dalai lama... >so i do got Spirit! > >been reading mostly quietly, savoring this whole unfolding, and still have much >more to read, but i did want to jump into the lobbying game... > >for me, calling what is emerging the open space org seems destined to push >practitioners, in some cases devotees, of other processes away. let me explain >my alternative... > >last february fast company printed a cover story "how digital is your >company". they said that every time you change the strategic question, you >have to rethink the four basics of business: finance, talent, customers and >speed. they said that THE strategic question once was 'what business are you >in?' then 'what's your business model?' and today, TA-DA... 'how digital is >your org?' BUT they said that the best companies today were doing the digital >question fifteen years ago. > >so i go back to my little harrison/ken wilber/angeles arrien-inspired model. i >map the four basics pretty easily onto the four conditions for open space, the >fourfold way and wilbers four quadrants -- BUT what i really want to know is >what is the NEXT strategic question that the next round of best orgs are >working on NOW? > >'how inviting is your org?' is what i come up with. what i'm suggesting in my >own writings these days is that the successor to the 'learning organization' is >the 'inviting organization' which operates in open space, but doesn't need the >name 'open space' any more. what's more, the coolest thing to me is that while >we must DO things at work, but we want to BE inspirited there, too... >'inviting' is something we can do AND be, as people, managers, organizations, >whatever, anytime... and the result looks like open space everytime, with or >without the technology part. i'm now describing my work as a practice in >invitation and have started to post some things about this in the forums at >global chicago. ><http://www.globalchicago.net/forums> (in the 'inviting orgs' forum) > >so, one vote for 'the inviting organization'...and now back to my reading! > >michael > > > >Birgitt Bolton wrote: > >> Harrison, >> Having just cautioned that people might have a struggle if we mention Spirit >> on the website, and I don't disagree with that, I am sure your usual sense >> of humour has kicked in here when you say that the new title of your coming >> book has shifted from "Organization for a New Millennium: Self-Organization >> at >> Work." to -- "Spirit in Organizations -- >> Opening Space for Inspired Performance." I am still lobbying you to simply >> call it the Open Space Organization. This is simpler. Then people who really >> are passionate about the current concepts of self organization can get >> excited when they get to that part, and others who get excited about Spirit >> can get excited about that part, and those who know that the two are really >> about the same thing can also get fulfilled. You have tackled a hard subject >> and done an excellent job, final edit not withstanding. I just think your >> book is really about the Open Space Organization and none of us really knows >> why it works. I think we can say that we observe self organizing within the >> context of the Open Space event. I think we can say that there are moments >> of self organizing within the Open Space Organization. I think too that we >> have seen inspired performance. I am not sure that inspired performance and >> the self organizing system are one and the same. Although both and are >> elements of some bigger unknown mystery. Of life. How's that for lobbying >> :-)? >> >> Warmest regards, >> Birgitt >> > >-- > >Michael Herman >...inviting results in evolving organizations > >Michael Herman Associates >300 West North Avenue #1105 >Chicago IL 60610 >312-280-7838 voice >312-280-7837 fax >[email protected] > >The Global Chicago Network >http://www.globalchicago.net > >Michael Herman Associates >http://www.globalchicago.net/mha
