Thanks for opening this dialogue, Harrison. I'm wondering how *any *invitation can be regarded as failing if we enbrace the 'whoever comes...' principle?
Best to All - Steve On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> wrote: > Good Stuff Michael and Denise -- And I wonder about "failed" invitations. > If failure means that we didn't get precisely the folks we wanted to come -- > there could be a number of reasons for that, not all of them bad. For > example it could be that the issue we were so excited about really didn't > have all that much going for it. And all those folks who failed to respond > positively were just brighter than we were. Our "failed" invitation simply > saved a lot of time and energy which might better be applied to something > else. And just suppose all those folks did come out of some sense of > "should" or "ought" -- and the whole affair turned out to be just as flat as > they thought it might. Now -- how happy are the folks? And what do you think > would be the likely response the next time you offered an invite? > > > > Harrison > > > > Harrison Owen > > 7808 River Falls Dr. > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > USA > > Phone 301-365-2093 > > www.openspaceworld.com > > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > > > > *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV. > > BOISESTATE.EDU <http://boisestate.edu/>] *On Behalf Of *Michael Herman > *Sent:* Wednesday, December 16, 2009 12:09 AM > *To:* osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > *Subject:* Re: Opening space 24X7 --Wave Riders Unite! > > > > oh this is fun. > > for me, this business of inviting has long been the center of the ongoing > practice of opening. what i noticed some time ago is that "inviting" is > something that we can *do* as a business practice, somethign we can try and > repeat and refine. but it's also something that we can, as individuals, > *aspire* to *be*. the practical inviting is essential for performance. but > the latter, the aspiring, is where spirit shows up. if we are a space for > that. > > as for the accepting or not. being trained in economics and finance, > straight through a rather serious mba program, i have always understood > invitation in terms of markets and prices. any invitation is just like a > bid or offer in any market. the text of an invitation is like a price. > it's got to be stated, announced. but it also might need to be adjusted. i > like what denise says about getting to "core" because core is from french > coeur, heart. when an invitation fails, it's usually because i've started > from something other than heart. > > the way i think of markets, despite the financial training, i mostly think > in terms of farmers markets. the guy who brings tomatoes or blueberries or > whatever has poured some chunk of his life energy into tending and > harvesting that crop. it's him. it's his care. his responsibility in those > baskets. it's what he has to offer. so invitation is the same. it just > has to be offered. the danger is not that an invitation might be declined. > the danger is in caring, in being full of somethign, and not sharing it, > letting it go to waste. > > so the invitation to a meeting or simply into relationship in a passing > smile on the street, is about being a space that doesn't know what will > happen next, but shows up anyway. alive. ready. enough. and inquiring. > > anyway, these are some first thoughts that didn't want to rot. > > m > > > > > -- > > Michael Herman > Michael Herman Associates > > http://www.michaelherman.com > http://www.ronanparktrail.com > http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org > http://www.openspaceworld.org > > 312-280-7838 (mobile) > > On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 9:59 PM, Denise Tennen <deniseten...@comcast.net> > wrote: > > Harrison > > > > For me, when an invitation I extend is refused, I take another look at the > invitation (especially when I think the person and project would be a good > fit). In some ways it feels like my whole life is about learning to extend > vibrant, inspiring invitations (this often helps me get to the core of what > I'm trying to accomplish), as well as receiving the response with acceptance > and love. > > > > I also notice that it is useful to reconnect with my own sense of > inspiration about the project - that seems to make a difference in the whole > interaction around the invitation - whether or not the invitation is > accepted. My being centered and inspired helps retain the relationship > regardless of the response. I am always thankful for a clear no... > > > > On Dec 15, 2009, at 3:32 PM, Harrison Owen wrote: > > > > Denise -- > > > > So this is all great! And my question is how can you do the same thing > every day with every project, organization start-up, whatever… > > > > I think you are hinting at the problem of making a REAL invitation… Not the > sort that we all have received knowing full well that we will be shot at > dawn if the invitation is not accepted. Or at the very least -- FIRED! > > > > So what would happen if all our invitations were real? Which means they > could be refused. And then what? > > > > Harrison > > > > Harrison Owen > > 7808 River Falls Dr. > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > USA > > Phone 301-365-2093 > > www.openspaceworld.com > > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > > > > *From:* OSLIST > [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu<osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> > ] *On Behalf Of *Denise Tennen > *Sent:* Tuesday, December 15, 2009 2:17 PM > *To:* osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > *Subject:* Re: Opening space 24X7 --Wave Riders Unite! > > > > Harrison > > > > Thanks for these thought-provoking words. > > > > As far as invitiation - in my work as an artist supporting large groups to > come together to create collaborative works of "permanently" installed art > for their (the participants') communities - Invitation is the only thing > that works. > > > > My underlying belief is that engagement in artistic endeavors is a useful > piece in the puzzle of creating a peaceful world. I've found that eople > creating art together generally aren't engaged in fighting > > > > here are the ingredients of invitation, for me, that I believe contribute > to good flow: > > > > 1) getting the word out is critical, > > 2) the "stickiness" (see Malcolm Gladwell and more particularly, the > brothers Heath in their book Making It Stick) of the invitation and project > description heavily affects the outcome in terms of participation and > engaged-ness of participants. > > 3) having the setting ready before the participants arrive so I'm not > distracted by DOING and can keep my attention on BEING PRESENT with the > participants > > 4) having a structure in mind and at the same time being willing to let it > go at any moment > > 5) keeping participation voluntary (a bit tricky when I am operating in a > classroom setting where the children are basically in the position of being > "sitting ducks") > > > > As far as the invitation, my on-the-ground work is lots of word-of mouth, > who knows who. Increasingly via internet - helps spread the word quickly, > although in the end, nothing beats the realm of the personal, one by one > invitation. > > > > Different age groups respond to different methods (snail mail/flyer vs > internet etc) > > > > my beginning thoughts on this for now... > > > > Denise > > On Dec 15, 2009, at 7:26 AM, Harrison Owen wrote: > > > > Several days ago I sent a note to what I thought was going to be a small > group of friends, inviting thinking about opening space every day, what that > might mean, and how to accomplish all that in specifics. In effect, I was > taking off from my book "Wave Rider" which is my best shot on the subject to > date -- with the expectation that there is much more "out there" in terms of > ideas and actions. Along the way I did suggest that OST (as the meeting > approach) might be getting in the way of the larger discussion. Even worse, > I facetiously (jokingly) invited everybody to join "The Imperial Society of > Wave Riders!" Well you can imagine the uproar this caused. Here I am > suggesting that we eliminate OST and become imperialists! Not a good day -- > but I do think the proposed discussion has merit. In fact from where I sit > it may just be the most important discussion we could have. > > > > Given the state of the world (no need for detailed analysis) superior human > performance achieved in a peaceful fashion seems like a very good idea. Or > put another way how do we find the intelligence and energy to deal with the > massive issues we face without killing each other? I believe that the 25 > year Open Space experiment has clearly shown that superior performance in a > peaceful manner can be achieved any time we open space. It may not be > perfect, but it works better than just about anything else, and for sure it > is a lot less work. The reason for all this is that we are not really doing > anything. Rather, we are inviting the system (business, family, > organization) to do what it can do all by itself. Self organize. We are just > helping people to notice that -- and when they do magic seems to happen. > Peace and high performance show up. If we are honest about it, I think we > might realize that OST is in some real ways a fraud and a joke, at least it > becomes all that if we take credit for the power and effect of the process, > and the special way that we might "do" it. Rather like taking credit for the > power and effect of gravity -- which will continue no matter what we do! > > > > Anyhow, I believe the community that gathers here online (and anybody else > who cares to join us) is uniquely positioned to engage in this discussion > not just at a theoretical level but at a very solid practical level. We have > the shared experience of hundreds of thousands of Open Spaces. And we have > something else -- the shared experience of life in our community. As the > world might see it the "Open Space Community" is a pretty strange thing. It > has no boundaries, no formal organization, leadership, or corporate status. > Membership is pretty much whoever shows up -- and the party has been going > on for 25 years. Odd but very effective. Indeed there are multiple formal > organizations in the world who with might greater effort have accomplished > substantially less. Think about it! Multiple Global and regional meetings. A > world wide reach. More training programs than you can name. And absolutely > nobody is in charge. There has never been a Business Plan, and if a budget > exists it has never been found. Is it all just a gossamer dream, a fanciful > delusion, or something much deeper and more important? I vote for the > latter. I think this is a conversation that needs to happen, not to the > exclusion of all others, but this is where my passion is. > > > > Anyhow I invite you to share and think about our common experience -- and > let our experience be our guide. As a starting point we might just begin > with invitation. What would happen if all our projects began with invitation > as opposed to assignment? > > > > > > Harrison > > > > > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist -- Steve Cochran Sustainability Strategies LLC National Center for Sustainability US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
