Tim it is difficult to argue with what you have said. And I dont think the issue was about best but rather about the possibility (advisability) of using a combination of Open Space and Café. There are clearly situations where due to the needs of the client, and the group, (and maybe also the facilitator) where Café will fill the bill. But doing them (OS and Café) together raises issues of a different sort for me. I suppose part of this relates to the pragmatic (some would say lazy) American that I am never doing more than I have to in order to achieve some result. It also relates to a basic principle for me, which in medieval times was known as The Law of Parsimony, and also Occams Razor. My version of all this is to think of one more thing not to do. This is the way I have approached Open Space Technology over the years always trying to do less. Fewer words, fewer actions, fewer introductions. . . removing accretions to reveal the core. I think what I discovered in the process is not a new methodology, design or process, but rather that the essential mechanisms of human community and meaning making are already hardwired into each and every one of us and all of us together. Further, that these mechanisms (dynamics if you dont like the mechanistic flavor) work quite well all by themselves given a chance AND that they work better when unconstrained by layers of lay-ons which we might have thought to be good ideas at the time. Such things as community building activities and other icebreaking approaches at the start. Or in this case doing a Café to prepare the ground, as it were. Internally (once the Open Space is under way), I have found that formal processes like Dialogue and Appreciative Inquiry, although great in themselves, actually seem to slow the field in Open Space. Or putting it another way, it appears to me that dialogue and appreciative inquiry appear as natural concomitants of just opening space. And it really isnt about doing an Open Space, but rather simply allowing the ongoing, natural process of self-organization to do its job. Are there limitations to this approach? Theoretically, I am sure there are, but at a practical level I personally have never experienced a situation where The People, given the space could not do very well all by themselves, and certainly better than anything I might dream up for them.
Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20845 Phone 301-365-2093 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm [email protected] To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tim Merry Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 11:03 AM To: [email protected] Subject: What is the deep intent of a gathering and what form best serves that? Hi, I would like to add something to Cafe, Open Space discussion. It has stirred something in me around the Art of Hosting. That it is more about the hosting of the space, than the either/ors of Cafe/Open Space. I work with both Cafe, Open Space, Peerspirit Circle, Community Music, Theatre of the Oppressed ... the bottom line is that these all are not tools, but ways of being. They are experiments in how human beings can be together in a way that nurtures their spirit and the blue planet we live in. These processes work when they serve a deep and meaningful intent for all those gathered. We are on the edge of design and discovery here, of re-learning and new learning, the bow wave of the boat. Experimenters in the profound practice of gathering around what we care about and taking responsibility in terms of action. It is not a question, for me, of which is better full-stop. It is a question of what best meets people where they are at and invites the next step into whole full living. Cafe works well in certain places, participative theatre catches the spirit in another place, there are no final answers, Open Space is not the solution, just one of many emergent phenomena which are a manifestation of a shift/return in spirit and practice. These spaces are sacred in the world now. They are few and should not be taken lightly. Each time a gathering is called it needs foreplay, conversation, honing and shaping. We are challenged by life now to open spaces through which the future can be born into the present. Cafe is one of these conduits, should be honoured as such, and used when it is the appropriate form to hold the storm. How can we call, design and host spaces that allow humans to create from their best and highest goodness? be cool, Tim On Thursday, Mar 18, 2004, at 17:13 Europe/Amsterdam, chris macrae wrote: I enjoyed half a day with Amanda Bucklow yesterday who is keeping the circle open on how do we explain or do other pre-work for openspace to the people who most need to permit it- this being one of 6 project circles that emerged from the UK OSonOS in February http://www.openspaceuk.com/projects/index.html I am just jotting some notes which blend that conversation with the one I have been trying to rehearse on Open Space as most undervalued technology there is and wholly different from any other facilitation café etc . Any comments: anything stand out? anything my own baggage? I bet some of this is so obvious to all of you (apologies if its all obvious!) chris macrae DISCOVERING :INNOVATION, RENEWAL, PEOPLE CONNECTIONS If we are going to resolve and sustain reconciliation of any of the worlds biggest conflicts, open space will likely play a part in communings immense but invisible way. Given that, most other innovation challenges are childsplay for OS. 3Rs of Renewal: -Restoring trust where illwill was systemised; -Restoring spirit where many may have forgotten the experience. -Restoring access to the sustainable connections so that the community/network will be strong whatever the forces are out there that will seek to disconnect the people again. 1 Know that there is a great energy force when people come around the same deeply human context, the more so if their passions are diametrically in conflict. Know the 3 Cs (Conflict, Change aka Chaos, Confusion) as a way to see through the systems barriers (Conflict means theres huge value here (lets turn system of that from destruction to construction); Change is always part of the root cause of conflict and the longer this has compounded the more complex or personally frightening the change field is likely to be. Usually the top, if has insisted on ruling above all, will have compounded conflicts however unknowingly so it is the first Confusion to caringly get a peaceful timeout from space from the top is one of the greatest gifts a facilitator can host 2 Innovate through big conflict by taking power over people wholly away from the conversation so that there is a climate of high trust with people seeing and respecting one another as people first and , and everyone flying through the Spaces equality of participation freedoms, and all the self- and mutual confidences that multiplies 3 Provide a stage/circle/dance-space where people feel the spirit as the very opposite of what they may experience in everyday organisational work etc; leaving the question open why cant we open more spaces every day in every way; could it be the secret of lifting ourselves up from misery starts with something so naturally simple? 4 Establish during the days of the space enough deep connections and seeds for conversations so that from the parting, the network, the community will continue; make sure everyone leaves with full documentation and permission access to find where all those seeds for reconnecting with are whenever most needed * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
