In other words I shall quote you Harrison "Be the space you wish to see in the world!" : Harrison Owen
Love Phelim X ________________________________ I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the working day. I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If it is urgent please call me on 07956 187298. _____________________________________ www.improbable.co.uk @openspacer On 11 Dec 2011, at 10:44, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > Bernard – Very thoughtful and well done! Thank you!! And a further note on > space. I would agree that having sufficient break out space is important, but > I think that “sufficient” is always in the eyes of the beholder. Odd way of > talking, I guess – but we have all run into situations where there was plenty > of square feet/meters – but somehow it seemed cramped (a boring party). As > well as the reverse – everybody was packed together, but somehow there was > plenty of “room” (a cheerful night at the pub). My take is that space is much > more a matter of feeling than physics. > > I have certainly seen this operational in multiple OST’s. I think of those > times when the main room was so cramped, or worse, shaped like a bowling > alley – and everybody was sitting on top of each other. As for the “break > out” spaces… BUT it all worked magnificently. And the question is naturally, > “How come?” > > Part of it may be cultural dispositions towards large and small spaces. > People raised in our far west (Plains states) feel cramped if they can see > another person – miles away. By contrast, Italians (some of my best friends) > get so close that I, as an American, feel more than a little claustrophobic. > Were I to have said something (I wouldn’t) my friends would have been hurt. > Something about not liking “their space” I guess. J > > When it comes to Open Space, I think there may be something else operative – > which is what we as the facilitator bring to the party. If our space is fully > open (really present and clear of obstructions), I suspect that can and does > establish a sense of “spaciousness” which has nothing to do with square > footage. By the same token if we come from a place of closed personal space – > we are thinking about all the things we should be doing, worrying about the > size of the venue, contemplating next week’s assignment, the initial > “spaciousness” can be cut by quantum factors. Maybe? > > Harrison > > > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Dr. > Potomac, MD 20854 > USA > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > Camden, Maine 20854 > > Phone 301-365-2093 > (summer) 207-763-3261 > > www.openspaceworld.com > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST > Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bernhard Weber > Sent: Sunday, December 11, 2011 6:19 AM > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: Re: [OSList] Why I Actually Like Calling it "The Law of Two Feet" > > Dear Peggy and all > > I fully agree to your YING/YANG interpretation of these two aspects. > And when I read, what you wrote, I walked mentally back to my old > "politically radical times". In spring of 1976, a big area in Vienna/Austria, > that had been used as "Auslandsschlachthof" (forein imports slaughterhouse) > by the municipal services was about to be sold to a consortium of garment > importers. We thought, we need a real good place for the culture of the young > people and - inspired by Freetown Kristiania in Denmark - we occupied the > area and the Viennese ARENA was born. > > For months an unbelievable diversity of groups and activities met there and > did wonderful things. We had the bikers club of the Simmeringer (low income > area in Vienna) Buam (boys) there, lots of cultural events, even Leonard > Cohen passed by and sang for free, there were a children house and a social > service, lots of guests from outside coming for concerts and strolling > through the ARENA, there was upper and lower class, foreigners like the > "Collegium Hungaricum" (at times of the iron curton, do not forget that). We > had a system of working groups and a plenary. Decisions taken by both. > > And it was all joyful and peaceful. > In the end, too much money was involved. The city sold the > Auslandsschlachthof and offered some petty area nearby for cultural events > (still being called ARENA WIEN, but something completely different). We went > out without violence but a big "ARENA funeral" walked through the town. And > it was over. > > I was very young then, a student and although having done a good (small) > group dynamics trainer training at Vienna University of Sociology before, I > simply could not understand, why this all had worked. Well, as the co-founder > of the first free school for 10-15 year old pupils, I had some clues that > getting rid of the usual "everyday trance" was an important factor, but was > still unable to discriminate between the pre-conditions for situations where > it worked (like ARENA, free schools, some undogmatic leftist political > events....) and when it did not work (IT being high diversity, time pressure, > lots of conflicts around,....) > > For years, even centuries that followed a part of my studies was dedicated to > understand exactly this: > WHY HAD IT WORKED? > > I continued my learning about groups and organizations. I learned more about > large group dynamics, facilitated learning workshops, became more and more > experienced in refined facilitation techniques, etc. > > But this only increased my impression that nobody could give me a > comprehensive explanation. > And that theoretically (especially large group theory - wise) it COULD NOT > HAVE WORKED. > > Around 1987 I first heard about something called OPEN SPACE. Nothing very > detailed but specific enough to hear about the law of the two feet and the > resistance to predefine what the participates would deal with. > So without further ado I just tried it at the final event of a district > development project at Cape Verde Island (where I worked at that period in > time). All stakeholders of the project were invited. With amazing process and > results. > > Some years later, I was lucky and could learn from Harrison how to do it > properly and hear more about the knots and bolts. > > And it was clear. ARENA had been one of these spontaneous, not prepared, OPEN > SPACES that happened again and again in the world. > > And when I was invited to talk at the Pankahyttn (Punks Hut) in Vienna last > year (the Pankahyttn is itself a newly occupied - small - space in VIENNA > town), it was this learning I could offer: > > ARENA Wien had worked because the LAW of TWO FEET had been appliable. > 1) by the non-rules of ARENA > 2) by the enormous space we had, so each of the groups and sub-groups could > occupy their own space, come out, go back... > > And it was applied, not as a rule, but as a natural thing under these > conditions. > And the de-facto-emergenc of the OS principles had then been a simple > consequence in the ARENA context. > (The fifth law was not yet formulated last year, so I could only say: "it was > not an OPEN SPACE in the sense of OST, but still, the OS spirit was there") > > > And that is the reason why I post this here (in fact it's a small point and > nearly a truism): > > It is true that the YING/YANG of the law of the two feet allows such things > to happen. > But at a theoretical level we should not forget > that there exists a physical pre-condition: > ENOUGH BREAK-OUT SPACE > So that the (conflicting) groups and individuals can get out of each others > way > > If there is not enough physical space available > the law is not appliable > > > > > > > > Bernd Weber > Change Facilitation s.r.o., A Global Partner Who Makes Change Happen in > Complex Environments; www.change-facilitation.com, > www.change-management-toolbook.com [email protected]; > Regional Phone numbers: > -Austria: +43 664 135 4828, landline + 431 5968657) > -Sri Lanka: landline +94 11 2785859, iPhone +94 777740757 > > > NEW: Intensive Learning Workshop > "Playing with the Waves of Change" > www.change-facilitation.com/ > > You want to have the design for a "Playing with the Waves (of Change) WS 2 > completely taylor-made according to your individual learning interests & > needs & limitations? Then have a look to the questionnaire at > www.surveymonkey.com/s/5ZDS6JQ > > > > If you get Email from my account <[email protected]> please > do not use the reply button but answer to <[email protected]>, because my > change-facilitation.org INBOX is not working for the time being. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Am 11.12.2011 um 04:17 schrieb Peggy Holman: > > > I just read through several months of OSlist messages and am picking up this > old thread because it inspires me to tell a story. > > Phelim, like others, I like your naming the movement "toward" and "away" in > the Law of Two Feet. > > When I introduce the Law of Two Feet, I speak of these dynamics because of an > exchange I had the privilege to witness shortly after I ran into Open Space. > > It was a conversation between the two people who have most influenced my > thinking and practice of opening space: Harrison (of course) and Anne > Stadler. For those who don't know Anne, she has been involved with Open > Space since the OS in Goa India. I think that was in 1989. Shortly after > that trip, Anne, who was a TV producer at the time invited Harrison to make > the first video on Open Space Technology, called Learning in Open Space. I'm > not positive about this, but I think Harrison and Anne then offered the first > OST workshops. > > Anyway, a few years after that, probably around 1996, during a trip to > Seattle, Anne and Harrison were talking about the Law of 2 Feet. Harrison > spoke of it as a safety valve. He said something similar to this OSlist > message by him from Nov. 24, 2001 [I put some text in bold]: > > ... I would guess that there are situations where a more active role might be > required, but I have never run into one. Even when the level of conflict is > very high and the issues are old and deep. For example, in South Africa in > the days shortly after Mendela's release from prison we did Open Spaces with > such folks as Zulus, Hausa, Afrikaners -- all together, and no problem. I > have often wondered why this is true, and my best guess is that The Law of > Two Feet provides the needed "safety-valve" Folks come together because they > want to solve some issues. At the same time I think it to be true that nobody > (save for a few pathological types) really like to blow their cool, so to > speak. The desire to solve the issue brings them together, and the Law > enables each individual to judge when they need a walk around the block to > "cool off." I have seen this lots of time, and never seen it to fail. > > That made sense to me! Then Anne talked about the Law of Two Feet as a > reminder to stand on your two feet for what you believe in. (Unfortunately, I > don't have a comparable "in her own words" message.) > > As I listened to their exchange, all I could think was, "they're both right!" > I had a sense that between them, Harrison and Anne had expressed the yin and > yang of the law. Sometimes the ability to walk away and cool off is useful. > And at other times, remembering the importance of taking a stand is what's > called for. > > That conversation influenced how I've opened space ever since. When I > introduce the Law of Two Feet, I talk about these two actions. > > Sounds a lot like moving towards and moving away, yes? > > appreciatively, > Peggy > > > _________________________________ > Peggy Holman > [email protected] > > 15347 SE 49th Place > Bellevue, WA 98006 > 425-746-6274 > www.peggyholman.com > www.journalismthatmatters.org > > Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity > > "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, > is to become > the fire". > -- Drew Dellinger > > > > > On Oct 31, 2011, at 10:14 AM, Caitlin Frost wrote: > > > Thanks for articulating this Phelim. > > For me the Law of Two Feet is definitely about movement. Nice to notice the > "toward" in balance to the "away from" - and underneath that for me is just > the invitation to wise movement to follow my flow - to open space for that > for everyone. > > And my practice can be in noticing what would stop me from moving when that > feels right, and working with that. I can see how that serves me in life and > work both in and beyond Open Space. > > Your post here sharpened my ear for the phrasing - and in two recent Open > Space openings I heard more clearly the speaking of this law as "away from" > without the equal balance of towards. I will be more mindful now - when > offering it myself, or teaching it to others. > > I like to think of it like I sometimes see little kids moving around. Not > even needing a story to explain why they are moving. There doesn't have to > be a reason or problem to leave - they just go when they are ready and find > themselves in the next place. Eager faced - 'hey what's happening over here?' > > Thanks for offering some attention here. > > Caitlin. > > On Fri, Oct 21, 2011 at 2:19 PM, Phelim <[email protected]> wrote: > > In open space technology there is only one law. It’s know as “The Law of Two > Feet” Some people don’t like calling it this and it is objected to on the > grounds of diversity/disability issues. So it gets re-christened “The law of > mobility”. However, I think it’s a very useful metaphor and as such think all > should have access to it. However that’s not what I want to talk about today. > > Sometimes people concentrate on “The law of two feet.” as being about leaving > somewhere: it might be a session, a person who is dominating a conversation, > a topic that goes off somewhere you are no longer interested in, all these > are things one might want to move away from. > > However it’s good to remember it’s a law of TWO feet. Let’s say the first > foot or step is away from. Then the second step in terms of our metaphor > could be what we are moving towards. If the emphasis is just on the first > step the potential energy or even an awareness of the second step can get > overwhelmed. Veiled in issues of possibility or social politeness. > > So remember both aspects of the Law: “away from” but also “towards”. Where > have you already taken yourself or your mind? Where inside yourself have you > already taken your next step somewhere else? > > This is a useful thing to remember not least because it might support you > over the threshold of your imagined impoliteness or arrogance when you find > yourself worrying about the fact that you are leaving somewhere and being > rude. > > Maybe if you focus on where you are going to or where your presence has > gone.. Then you could realise it might be rude to have already left a less > than present self amongst the group. Or perhaps it’s even arrogant to assume > people will even notice that you left. > > So whether you are attending to “The Law of Two Feet” or “The Law of > Mobility: Focus on the TWO feet of the dynamic and as Hal and Sidra Stone say > “Sweat the choice”. > > > Love Phelim > > http://www.tumblr.com/tumblelog/clusterform > > > ________________________________ > > I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the working day. > I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If it is urgent please > call me on 07956 187298. > _____________________________________ > > www.improbable.co.uk > @openspacer > @Wosonos2012 > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > > -- > UPCOMING WORKSHOPS in the transformative inquiry process of The Work: > Open Heart - Bowen Island, Nov. 4-6; Weekend retreat, Nova Scotia May 4-6, > 2012; The Work at work/business, Edmonton May 26 & 27, 2012 > www.caitlinfrost.ca > > The Art of Hosting Conversations That Matter, Bowen Island, BC, October 23 - > 26th. > > If you really knew how beautiful you are, > you would fall at your own feet. > Byron Katie. > > CAITLIN FROST > Coaching and Facilitation > Certified Facilitator - The Work of Byron Katie > Principal - Harvest Moon Consultants Ltd. > www.caitlinfrost.ca > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
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