Thomas -- I hear what you are saying, and I can certainly understand why certain executives would want to hold onto some "givens" (which I read as "controls"). And these are the same people who want certainties and guarantees. The only problem is there are no certainties, no guarantees in this life. There never have been, and there never will be. Yes, of course, there is one -- Life will end. But in the interim between beginning and ending -- everything is at risk, everything is uncertain. And that, of course is both the joy and terror of living. Dee Hock of Chaordic Organization fame has a nice phrase (amongst many) in his book. Dee was also the CEO of one of the world's largest corporations: Visa International. Goes like --
"Life is not about control. It's not about getting. It's not about having. It's not about knowing. It's not even about being. Life is eternal, perpetual becoming, or it is nothing. Becoming is not a thing to be known, commanded, or controlled. It is a magnificent, mysterious odyssey to be experienced." Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Thomas Herrmann Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 5:35 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Is anything possible? Dear friends in Open Space I am wondering where you find those leaders in organizations and corporations who are willing to support whatever will emerge from an OS-meeting? Unfortunately my experience is that this level of trust is very hard to find. I´ve also experienced leaders closing the space down, which could have been avoided if they had had some givens to hold on to. I always do my best to give the sponsor the possibility to make an informed decision about if they think OST is the meeting format they´d like to use. Using the concept of givens, I think makes it possible for the sponsor to open authentic space within the reality of that organization. Well, as he/she who is accountable perceives that reality anyway. Then of course it is important work to minimize the givens! And next time there may be fewer... But this question is not easy, if we´d have had an OS-meeting 15 years ago in Gothenburg about making the town internationally known, building an East Indiaman at a cost of 500 000 000 SEK would probably have been far exceeding any thinkable givens....now it is on its journey to China! So the question may be - is anything possible? And are the persons in charge willing to take responsibility for whatever happens - without any givens? I agree there is a difference when working focusing primarily within an organization where someone is in charge - or thinks he/she is in charge. I have a given tomorrow morning, have to get up early so: Warmest regards and good night Thomas Herrmann Phone +46 (0)709-98 97 81 Open Space Consulting Fax +46 (0)300-713 89 Pensévägen 4 434 46 Kungsbacka, Sweden Email: [email protected] www.openspaceconsulting.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 * * ========================================================== [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
