Harrison said: Get rid of the whole bloody mess, WC, AI, FS, and of course OS too. How is that for striking a blow for freedom?
What can I say but amen? Love from Seattle (where it is an unseasonable 92 degrees Farenheit), Peggy P.S. To your statement: And of course I think a helping hand can be occasionally useful even though I personally kick all stray dogs and immediately banish the helpless to hopelessness... I KNEW there was something I loved about you. (Sorry for painting such a picture.) ----- Original Message ----- From: Harrison Owen To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 1:53 PM Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Growing Together at the Emerging Edge of Evolution (long) Peggy -- you will note that I said, " I can certainly understand that for reasons of client sensitivities or facilitator sensitivities WC, AI, or FS may be the preferred way to go."-- and I can appreciate your strategy that if all roads lead to Open Space any road will do. And of course I think a helping hand can be occasionally useful even though I personally kick all stray dogs and immediately banish the helpless to hopelessness. But that really wasn't my point. I was simply observing the fact that we (all of us some of the time, and some of us most of the time) seemingly obsess on Processes as if they were the source of our salvation. In doing so we may forget that the Process, at best, is an artificial assist for natural functions. Sort of organizational CPR, I suppose. And in the case of CPR you do only enough to get the old heart going again. Long term CPR is off the mark -- except possibly in certain circumstances and with particular partners. One of my major learnings from Open Space has been how LITTLE assistance people actually require in order to effectively utilize their natural gifts and talents. I think we have all had the experience with a client group when somebody says "What you are proposing (in my case OS) sounds just wonderful -- BUT it could never work with THIS GROUP! And of course, if it is never tried, it will never work. And besides "it" doesn't work -- the people work. But if the fates are smiling, and despite all misgivings, fears and trepidations, Open Space is attempted -- Miracle! But of course it is not a miracle. On the contrary, it is just what you would predict. Turns out "THIS GROUP" is just like groups everywhere. Given the space/time -- they will get the job done. For me, less is best, and even lesser would be better still. Get rid of the whole bloody mess, WC, AI, FS, and of course OS too. How is that for striking a blow for freedom? Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 301-365-2093 207-763-3261 (summer) website www.openspaceworld.com * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
