You're right, of course - about coming from outside the system/ conceptual frame, but inside the group. Wonderful!
Ref: "virginity in OD" methods - what a beautiful phrase! My background too, is not in OD (acutally, it was marketing once, but that was a long time ago). How much of traditional OD reluctance to this type of work comes from hanging on to our own self-perceived expert role? Who are we without this expertise? How can we charge (high) rates? And so we are tied into and part of the very system ("pro-active" control) that we are supposedly trying to help change. Once again, the message is to let go! (at least, that's always what comes up for me!)....................... all the best....................... Meg ----- Original Message ----- From: "Artur F. Silva" <artsi...@mail.eunet.pt> To: <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 5:30 PM Subject: Re: Participant Driven Open Space Principles and Laws > At 10:41 28-11-2000 -0500, Meg Salter wrote: > >I find this fascinating - and agree that (mostly) real change will come when > >a "behaviour rule change" comes from outside the group. This is exactly the > >definition of 2nd order change or transformational change "changes to the > >body of rules governing their structure or internal order". [For you > >scholarly types - this last quote is from an older work "CHANGE - Principles > >of Problem Formation and Resolution, by Watzlawick, Weakland and Fisch. > > > If I recall well (a memory of more that 10 years ago, in the Spanish > version...), Watzlawick doesn't say "from outside the group" but > "from outside the system", and he was not referring to the > "organisational system" but to the "conceptual system". > So, level 2 of change implies a shift of mind, or a paradigm shift > to use Khun's words - a "metanoia" some would say. > > This shift does not come necessarily from "outside the group". > Indeed it comes always, imho, from inside the group. That' s > way it is called "self-organisation". And that is way the so called > "facilitators" normally "facilitate too much", then contributing > even more to maintain the unempoewrment of the group. > > So what is the role of OS law and principles? It is to bypass > previous rules, imbedded in occidental culture and organisations, > that "normally" inhibit self-organisation to work. The rule and > principles "open" space to self organisation, from within the > group, to manifest and evolve. > > So, it is right, I think, as Joelle stated, that the OS rules, in its > simplicity, make a fantastic job, and must not be changed to > introduce MORE facilitation. This also means that someone > that comes from other facilitation methodologies, have more > difficulties to understand OS principles that someone (like > myself ;-) that come from virginity in what concerns OD > methods. > > And they will think that they must HELP MORE (the participants), > to have them "discussing the principles" or "allowing everybody to > speak", etc. Those people, I am afraid to say so, and maybe I am > wrong, don't have enough confidence in people, in human nature, > in self-organisation, and they "want to help" MORE that the help > others need. On the contrary, a facilitator must, as Harrison > taught us, to always question "what other thing (help) can I > stop doing?" and still obtain the major objectives. > > What one can question is not what one can add, but what one can > still suppress. The rule of two feet is essential, I think. But can we > obtain the some results if we suppress all or some of the > "principles"? > > Have any one tried that? What do you think? > > Regards > > Artur > > PS: can't those of you who speak english do something to "normalise" > the language? Why do americans write "organization" and UKs > write "organisation"? It's confusing for the others... > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > =========================================================== > osl...@egroups.com > To subscribe, > 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist > 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, > and choose a login ID and password > 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions > > To unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: > 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist > 2. Sign in and Proceed * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html =========================================================== osl...@egroups.com To subscribe, 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, and choose a login ID and password 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions To unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign in and Proceed