Dear Larry, the "team" I referred to, is the temporary organization created for the os-event (not part of the sponsor) made up of assistants, helpers, facilitator, documentation specialists, photographer etc.. This team has or rather gives itself a hierarchy. Its been a great learning field for me to look at these small "systems" that I am part of when involved with facilitating an open space and to tinker with "appropriate" structure or hierarchy. One of the principles that I try to stick to is the notion of the "fully present and invisible" facilitator...recent feedback has indicated that sometimes the hierarchy designed for the facilitation team actually supports this "state" in the eyes of the participants...extending the "fully presnt and invisible" mode to all team-members from the experience of the observing participants. My assumption in general is that every system has a hierarchy (more or less appropriate) (Ken Wilbur reports of more than 200 hierarchies that he had collected in his search for a "fit", eventually coming up with the concept of "holons"...noting that "Even those memes that don't recognize hierarchies - such as beige or purple - still have hierarchical structures. Everybody seemed to have some sort of hierarchy, even those who claimed they didn't.) The reason I am diving into this aspect: Where can I get a more practical and existential learning or remembering experience than in my actual praxis? And: (referring to Joelles comments about open space and hierarchy) I find it productive to look at "hierarchy" as a "given" in all systems and organizations without the popular stigma attached to the term (I looked it up in the Unabridged and there it is almost exclusively documented with that negative stigma attached). What would a system or organization look like in which hierarchy is eliminated? Appears, it would no longer exist. Selforganization, which surfaces especially visible in ost-events or when children play, brings forth hierarchy and structure. Yes, of a kind that has no designer! And of a kind that seems the appropriate vessel for creating "peace" out of chaos, confusion and conflict. Ok, what kind of hierarchy is appropriate for the " team" described at the beginning that "facilitates" the ost-event? Or, what kind of hierarchy is appropriate for the subsystem in the organization you are working with that has the role of "providing support to tenants and staff as they work together to enable the local clusters to make key decisionsen" Greetings from Berlin mmp
On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 11:44:02 -0500, Larry Peterson wrote: >Michael: You said: > >"For me as facilitator working with teams (often groups of 7 or more) >its proven to be useful to consciously design the "hierarchy" for the >team and for the interaction of the team with other subsystems >(catering, publishing, facility management, the sponsors, child-care, >sound technician, press/radio/television, etc.) for the open >space-event (including pre-meetings, setting up the os, the os itself, >follow up)." > >I'm not sure I understand what you mean. I usually don't get involved >in "designing" the hierarchy in systems I'm in. Michael M Pannwitz boscop Draisweg 1 12209 Berlin, Germany FON +49 - 30-772 8000 FAX +49 - 30-773 92 464 www.michaelmpannwitz.de www.openspace-landschaft.de An der E-Gruppe "openspacedeutsch" für deutschsprechende open space-PraktikerInnen interessiert? Enfach eine mail an mich. * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
