Birgitt, Good question! You help me test my thinking. I would not call something an open space event without the circle, the law and the principles. That said, taking responsibility for what you care about in the context of the whole, is at the heart of what makes open space more than a meeting methodology for me. As a personal life practice, this is essence guides me. As a collective practice, coming together periodically (that design element of breath) in a circle, speaking the law and the principles, and creating a marketplace seems to matter.
Peggy P.S. As I re-read my message, one thing that I didn't make clear is that I would not have called either of the meetings I described open space events. To me, it was a misuse of the name. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Birgitt Williams" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 2:02 PM Subject: Re: questions on OS's form > Peggy, > along that theme of one more thing not to do, am I understanding correctly > that for you, so long as people "take responsibility for what they care > about in the context of the whole" that is enough---no circle needed, no > principles stated and so on. Or am I understanding your words correctly? > > Blessings to you, > Birgitt > > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Peggy > Holman > Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 4:42 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: questions on OS's form > > > Raffi, > > A comment on the OS you attended with: > > >no walking in a circle (the two co-facilitators sat at the head of the > room) > > and Harrison's response: > >Walking the circle focuses and centers the group. If the group is already > focused, and knows where it is, save the effort and sit down. > > I've attended 2 sessions called OS where there was no circle or stating of > the principles and the law. > > One was a corporate setting with lots of tables. They had some > pre-determined topics "just in case". No surprise: the only topics were the > pre-selected ones. The work of focus and centering, which creates space by > defining its edges was not in their consicousness and therefore not done. > > The other setting was the Leadership Institute of Seattle. This was a group > in which most people knew each other. They had common values from working > together over time. In this setting, while people sat in little circles of > 3 at the opening, there was no issue with sessions getting posted. I did > notice that people did not use their two feet at all to travel between > sessions. So something was lost in the mix. > > > So, what is the essence? I continue to use that wonderful design lesson > from Harrison: what's one less thing to do and have the experience be > whole? > > I've come to believe the essence of open space is taking responsiblity for > what you care about in the context of the whole. This to me is the law of > two feet. The principles flow from this way of being. Circles help. > Naming the law and the principles make them much more visible. > > Peggy > > * > * > ========================================================== > [email protected] > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of [email protected], > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > --- > Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.493 / Virus Database: 292 - Release Date: 6/25/2003 > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.493 / Virus Database: 292 - Release Date: 6/25/2003 > > * > * > ========================================================== > [email protected] > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of [email protected], > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
