The interesting things about "systems," whether they are electronic or living, is that there is often more going on within a system than most of us can truly understand. Intervening or modifying processes in a system is an activity that we should consider prudently "in context." I know that many readers on this list-serve are systems-thinkers, and pursue systems interventions and changes with this in mind. Open Space is definitely an operating system...a living system...which demands the same degree of respect for would-be interventionists as any other complex system.
regards, Richard "Doc" Holloway ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 12:17 PM Subject: Re: Open Space 2000: An Operating System At 06:35 PM 3/20/00 +1000, you wrote: >Dear Friends > >At a recent lunch with an OS colleague (with suitable liquid encoragement - >perhaps a little more than two martinis!) I described OS as an operating >system (like Microsoft Windows 98) in contrast to other useful techniques >(eg De Bono, scenario planning and the like) as high powered, focused >applications (like MS Word). ************************************ Given the crashing nature of win98 -- I am a little nervous with the analog. But the idea is a good one. Certainly folks have used all sorts of "interventions and processes (i&p)" in Open Space, but there is a worry and a caution. Some of these i&ps seem to close space down. I guess the real point is that you can do whatever you want, just don't infringe on the space of others. So any time I hear somebody saying, "Let's all do ______" I get quite nervous. Unless of course everybody really wants to do it. And then who am I to stand in their way. Good thinking! Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 USA phone 301-469-9269 fax 301-983-9314 website www.mindspring.com/~owenhh Open Space Institute websites www.openspaceworld.org
