I'm really interested in this thread of conversation. I wonder about the "need" for admin to control. With organizations changing so rapidly, one would think that the models of Complex Adaptive Systems and Adaptive Leadership would really catch on and drive a new openness to the impact of complexity theories on management. Yet, our human nature when confronted with rapid change is to dig our heels in the ground, bare our teeth and charge in to control what we can. Regardless of the quiet whispers that tell us that all living systems reside outside of our "control." The system will hit a bifurcation point and new life will emerge or death will occur. Our western business culture is so afraid of death. Why? Death makes possible new opportunities. I'll take a breath now. Scott Willard Affinity Consulting Group affinity-scottwillard.com
----- Original Message ---- From: Tenneson Woolf <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 7:41:29 AM Subject: FW: Causing Trouble Thank you for voicing this. It has helped me to name something that I have seen many times and has made my skin crawl each time, without knowing why. A prevalent management strategy seems to be “how to create obligation.” I contrast this with the simple invitation to “co-create.” The former feels like a never ending job that continues to require more and more effort, but in a way that will never accomplish the most possible (or even more). It is three parts manipulation, perhaps cajoling, perhaps retention of power, and one part human to human synergy. The latter feels calls deep down to the core of the human spirit, without even needing to be too funky, which seems to enliven us through its simplicity. OK, maybe it isn’t all that simple. And yes, many approaches work to some extent in many circumstances. But this fundamental distinction – obligation vs invitation to cocreate – speaks volumes for me. Thanks all. Tenneson Tenneson Woolf The Art of Hosting [email protected] www.artofhosting.org 801 376 2213 Dyer Institute for Leading Organizational Change [email protected] www.dyerinstitute.byu.edu 801 422 2665 From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 5:27 AM To: [email protected] Subject: FW: Causing Trouble From: Uwe Weissflog [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 6:28 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Causing Trouble Dear Harrison , what you say resonates with my experience and my heart. After numerous Open Space events in high-tech businesses and universities I have come to similar conclusions. Humberto Maturana's says in one of his books: "... but creating and managing are basically different. I co-create, by consciously living in the Now, making life more harmoniously - without enslaving other people". But this, apparently is the dilemma we face when opening the space: the self-organising and co-creating power of people becomes obvious and collides with the desire of some who want have power over people. I had cases, where after very successful Open Space events (for example one, which resulted in 3 patents) higher management simply stopped it because the structure did not fit the "normal way of life" in the company - what a waste of possibilities. I'm now very careful when and how to use Open Space - sometimes it seems better to say no - for the sake of the people involved. -- Uwe Weissflog Pathway Guidance - Europe(TM), GbR www.pathwayguidance.eu [email protected] Rinnengärten 1 D-34516 Vöhl-Marienhagen , Germany +49 5635 99 11 97 (fon) +49 5635 99 39 34 (fax) +49 175 521 76 56 (mobile) * * ========================================================== [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 ____________________________________________________________________________________ 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news * * ========================================================== [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
