Hi Meg and all the rest of you
what a wonderful conversation that I just found into this morning.......
my piece of firewood are these questions
How do I keep opening space for space to be learning space, inspired
space and gracious space, world cafe space, for all to parttake in on
equal terms ?
What is the price for me - if any - to stay in the simplicity of
practise to open spaces where ever possible - including at home ?
Looking forward.....for more exporation...
- toke
*********
Hello All
Well- what an amazing conversation has ensued out of That question!!
Thank you all for your comments.
In truth, now that Iook back, I was feeling a bit snarly, so I
should perhaps recant any unintended slights on other communities/
practices/ approaches etc. I guess what really struck me - and still
does - is how people are talking complexity/ self-organizing systems
theory (and yes - this is conference talk, not client talk!) and
then still trying to organize systems. Or be experts. And how
fundamental that is to our conception of the world - for so many.
And how profound is the shift from that world view.
As Martin said , many people "get" self-organizing as a cognitive
concept, but then implicitly treat it as another tool. Which puts us
right back into/ speaks from the "world as machine" worldview. It is
fundamentally not about doing, but about being (which is maybe why
OST is so 'easy' to do). It is much easier to pick up a new, sexy
doing tool, it is much harder to re-configure your mentality to
"get" that life/ self-organizing is all about being. (and yet, once
done - so much easier - graciously spacious!).
...........the pebbles continue to drop in the pools of my mind.........!
Meg Salter
MegaSpace Consulting
416/486-6660
<mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
<http://www.megaspaceconsulting.com>www.megaspaceconsulting.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:[email protected]>Harrison Owen
To: <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
Sent: Friday, September 27, 2002 3:26 PM
Subject: Re: OST, OD, etc.
At 10:36 PM 9/26/2002 -0400, Chris Kloth wrote:
I have a very different take on the OST/OD thread. It has to do with a
larger issue among people as individuals and communities, where community is
not limited to geography, but does reflect elements of culture. It has to
do with the "I" and the "IT" that are essential elements of any strong
community we CHOOSE to be a part of.
Points well taken and well said, Chris. There are in truth different
strokes for different folks -- and we have to honor them all. That
said, I think we also have an obligation, or at least I personally
feel an obligation, to engage vigorously in the conversation. My
comments about the economics and psychology of the use of Open Space
(or more accurately the non-use) come from a number of years of
trying to figure out why, if something is free, simple, effective,
and easy to replicate -- it is not used to a greater extent. Indeed,
a number of folks appear never to have heard of it. And if they have
heard of it, OS is taken to be wild, far out, radical, and risky.
Although the press coverage has diminished of late (Thank God),
there was a time when virtually every major press organ (NYT,
Washington Post, LA Times, Financial Times of London etc, etc, etc.)
carried major feature stories. Additional publicity was not
something we needed. As for "risky," I find it difficult to
understand after 17 years of constant and increasing use all over
the world. The Beta Tests are in. Of course there are risks, but not
about the efficacy of the process. So How come?
Truthfully, I really don't know. But my best guess has been that it
has something to do with economics (Hard to send a bill when you
don't do anything), and what seems to me to be an attachment to the
complex (and therefore a need for The Expert). I should judge that
the control issue is also of some significance.
And why should I care? Some folks get the impression that I am
trying to "sell Open Space," or build my personal reputation.
Truthfully, I have been trying to give it away, and get out of the
business. Fortunately, there has been reasonable success with both
of these -- and I have had more than a few thoughts about going
fishing. I have even managed to do a fair amount of that too. But...
I believe the central gift of Open Space is the realization of
Peace. Not as some abstract, idyllic, some-day-to- be-achieved
state, but a present reality that works right now. Further more,
every time space is opened anywhere in the world (by "doing" an OS
or simply by being graciously spacious in our dealings with fellow
critters), I think the cause of Peace is advanced. If nothing else,
those who find themselves in gracious space, no matter the means,
know there are options, choices.This was true with the 50
Palestinians and Israelis gathered in Rome, and it is true wherever
conflict is made creative when folks have enough room to move about.
A little Open Space, as it were. As I read my morning papers, listen
to the news, check in with my colleagues around the world, -- I
cannot help but feel that gracious space is in short supply. If
there was nothing to be done, I surely would go fishing. But that is
not the case, and so I find myself engaged in vigorous conversation.
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
phone 301-365-2093
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.mindspring.com\~owenhh
[email protected]
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of [email protected]
Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
--
"On the other side of right doing and wrong doing, there is a field,
- I will meet you there." Rumi
Toke Paludan Møller, InterChange, Dialogue Architects - Learning
Space hosts - by the river at Days like this, Gudenåvej 60,
Voervadsbro, 8660 Skanderborg, Phone +45 702013 35 - Mobile +45
2616 6919 http://www.interchange.dk Home office at the lake -
Stengaardsvej 5 A, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
Some of the work we are currently involved in:
* Open Space training, Denmark http://www.concept-for-hire.dk/ostraining
* Knowledge mentorship training, Denmark - BDOScanRevison - http://www.bdo.dk
* The Open Space Village, Castle Borl,, Slovenia http://village.borl.org
* The Kufunda Village - learning center, Zimbabwe, http://www.kufunda.org
* Obraz - an emerging leadership education in Zagreb, Croatia
