June – “The focus of being present can at times be so exhausting! Finding a balance is so important but in our fast paced, ever present technology world, I struggle with this.”
June, I think you have just put your finger on the nub of the issue: “I struggle with this.” If my own experience is any guide, becoming present is inversely related to the struggle thereof. In a word, I think you are working much too hard. Everybody will find their own way, but I find that when my sense of presence slips away, the antidote is quite simply, STOP! Close your eyes and breath slowly until the sensation of your flowing breath, in and out, simply washes all the trivia away. I understand this can be difficult in the midst of total chaos (a classroom, for example), but it is possible. And that possibility is enhanced if at some other time (before or after) you take a longer time to gently and freely do the same thing. It’s called practice. If you do that on some regular basis, I think you will find that when the roof falls in and everything else seems in shambles... even then it is totally possible to restore you sense of center. It may only be an instant as the clock would measure it, but it is not about how long, but how deeply. Try it. Works for me. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 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> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of June Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 2:11 PM To: World wide Open Space Technology email list Cc: World wide Open Space Technology email list Subject: Re: [OSList] Being present & presence Thank you to Harrison & David for this conversation that has peaked my attention. Being present and having presence is key! This does not relate specifically to OST but to my work in post-secondary. Successful and effective teachers are present and have presence; how do we all get there and stay there 100% of the time?! And how can I help the students to be present when they are pulled in many directions as education asks so much of them? The focus of being present can at times be so exhausting! Finding a balance is so important but in our fast paced, ever present technology world, I struggle with this. As a beginner in OST I will be mindful of being present & having presence. June Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Sent from my iPad On 2014-04-22, at 9:30, "Harrison Owen" <[email protected]> wrote: David said: “I'm curious about your hunch about why being totally present makes a difference.” And David, I am curious about your use of the word “hunch.” Truth to tell, the power of Presence for the facilitator is one of the few things that I am totally certain of when it come to the facilitator’s effective role in Open Space. When the facilitator is really (totally) present, just about everything else that the facilitator may or may not do or say don’t make that much difference. And what, you might ask, is Presence? Doubtless there are a many answers as there are folks who think or talk about it, but for me it goes something like this... I think we all know when we are not present – neatly caught in the phrase, “Here but not all there.” You know the syndrome. The present moment becomes virtually invisible, drowned in a fog of “might have beens,” “could have beens,” “ought to have beens.” We are so worried and/or involved in the past and the future that NOW is just about eliminated. No space. At a practical level, this renders us virtually blind. And even with our best efforts, we find ourselves responding to just about everything except what is immediately in front of us. Such a condition is not conducive to effective behavior under any circumstance, but in the unique situation of a facilitator in Open Space, I find it just takes you right out of the game. Genuine Presence is a wonderful thing, not only for the person who achieves it, but also (and maybe equally) for anybody in the neighborhood. With presence comes deep awareness of our surroundings at all levels...mental, physical, spiritual. This is rich fare for whoever experiences it, but that richness is shared. I don’t like the image very much, but real presence is like a vacuum cleaner... drawing in, appreciating, becoming a deep witness of what transpires. The effects of this can be multiple, but for people in the presence of a Real Presence the experience is one of radical appreciation, acceptance... we might say love. The image of the vacuum cleaner is really awkward, but it does capture my experience that Presence initiates a vacuum which creates massive space, available for the growth of the people in their power. And in Open Space that is my purpose, my job as facilitator. I think. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 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 David Osborne Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 9:08 AM To: World wide Open Space Technology email list Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space and Boundaries Harrison, Thanks for your response to this. I was serious.....as this seemed to be the obvious question to me. Your answer as always brings up deep complex issues in a rather straight forward manner. My experience beyond OS is that people (myself included) get stuck in patterns where they do not embrace their full power. I love the purpose you describe: " My purpose is to create an environment in which the people can experience their own power to the maximum and do things they never thought possible." or your Outside of open space I find myself constantly at this boundary of doing some to bring people to the edge of leaping into the space of their own power and capability. Sometimes they leap, other times they don't. Your message here has been a helpful reminder and a clearer frame of the boundary. There is also another subtlety buried in your reply. Your described doing the above by " being totally present yet absolutely invisible". I'm curious about your hunch about why being totally present makes a difference. Many thanks, David On Thu, Apr 17, 2014 at 11:45 AM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: David said -- “So I should do nothing........right? or is my passion and caring to do a little bit ok?” David, I suspect something of a joke, but I think your question is important. At least it has always been important to me. Some long time ago, I recognized that if I empower you, you are in my power. And by the same token, whatever I do for you, you cannot, or do not need to do for yourself. It is true that some of us (most of us?) like to do things for each other, and I think that is wonderful. When somebody puts on a specially elegant party with close attention to every detail of guest comfort – that can be a thing of beauty. And if the martinis live up to the standards of everything else, I am all in! J But it remains true, I think, that if I empower you, you are in my power. And whatever I do for you, you will not do for yourself. There are clearly times and situations where our “doing” is needed, important, even critical. But there are equally other times – it all depends on the purpose or goals or situation. So in the peculiar situation of facilitating an Open Space: Why do we do it? Doubtless each person will have to answer that one for themselves, but I am very clear why I take on the role of facilitator. My purpose is to create an environment in which the people can experience their own power to the maximum and do things they never thought possible. To achieve this objective, the people will need the most time/space available – which means that I need to fill up as little space/time as possible. Something about being totally present and absolutely invisible. Sometimes I know that my fellows may have felt that I was being uncaring, particularly when I left people to struggle with an inability to express themselves fully, a difficulty with language, or even physical barriers. But what I discovered over and over, and over again is that people have a marvelous capacity to help each other, and further – that when they learn to help, or maybe even more importantly, ask for help... Everybody is stronger. So what do I do? As little as possible. And the reward has been to witness amazing growth. Yes there are times when an emergent situation seemed to require a hand. But even in those situations I have found it useful to wait just a little bit longer than I felt comfortable, and more often than not a way was found, not of my doing. And on other occasions, where I did sort of jump in, I was taught a lesson. I remember particularly an Open Space I did with the North West Regional Advisory Council of the AARP. Average age: well past 80. There was something like 150 in the group, and the discussions were fast, furious and definitely passionate. One particular lady, obviously well past 80, just happened to have posted THE ISSUE. I don’t remember what it was, but I caught up with her at the computers as she was writing her report. She had pages of flip chart paper, and clearly didn’t see too well. I think it may have been the first time she had confronted a computer, up close and personal and her typing skills were of the One Finger variety. Truly I felt sorry for her. I sat down beside her and offered to help. She stopped her work, sat silently for a moment, and then suddenly turned to face me saying, “Young man, I will type my own report!” She did, and I learned something: One more thing not to do. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 Phone 301-365-2093 (summer) 207-763-3261 www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (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 David Osborne Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 3:25 PM To: World wide Open Space Technology email list Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space and Boundaries Harrison, So I should do nothing.......right? or is my passion and caring to do a little bit ok? How do I decide? David :) On Wed, Apr 16, 2014 at 3:09 PM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: David – good to hear from you. And yes I too believe that the invitation is most important. And we can even help, a little bit. But generally speaking I suspect folks tend to work much too hard in this area as well. When there is a clear issue that people really care about (perhaps THE essential precondition for opening space / self organization), I find that the people involved usually have a word for it, maybe one or two. Those words may make absolutely no sense to us and/or even turn us off... but we aren’t the people who count. Actually I find that when folks take a lot of time and effort defining their issue, there is a high likelihood that they really don’t have one (issue) – or at least one that they really care about. I guess this is another area where the conventional wisdom is rather turned on its head. Conventionally we might think of an invitation as an effort to convince people to come. This may be too strong, but I rather think that one sign of a good invitation for an Open Space is that it drives people away. Or more precisely, it quickly separates those who truly care from the “merely curious.” At the end of the day the critical thing for me is not how many people come, but rather how much they cared. Five people who care a whole bunch are infinitely more effective that 50 people who just show up. I think. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 Phone 301-365-2093 (summer) 207-763-3261 www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (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 David Osborne Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2014 11:54 AM To: World wide Open Space Technology email list Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space and Boundaries Harrison, I'm catching up on my email and finally have had time to read your response here re containers. I agree with your perspective above fully. I see the topic of what people care about as the focus or container for the conversation. It is self-emergent and we can't force it...we are bystanders or midwives. I do believe we can influence the forming process though. For example; a clear invitation to discuss what's urgent and important, providing a time, place, and safe space to have the conversation all seem to coalesce the energy and support it either mobilizing or dissipating as the case may be. I do believe as actors that care we are co-creators in the process.....although we can't control it. Maybe this is an attractor from complexity language ...or perhaps as I refer to it....it is the container of the conversation.....and we're describing the same thing. Best as always, David On Tue, Apr 8, 2014 at 3:48 PM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: David – I have known Glenda for some years, and have always found her to be bright, fun and contributory. She has some wonderful insights about self organization, and she works very hard. As a good academic, she certainly does her detail, sometimes a bit more than I feel I want or need, but good for all of that. However, when it comes to enhancing our function in a self organizing world (or Open Space), I suspect she is working a bit too hard. She and her fellows have developed a whole series of approaches and exercises which enable you to do what I find pretty much happens all by itself. But that is probably just me. And for those of you who want to know more about Glenda, I suggest her latest book -- http://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Action-Leveraging-Uncertainty-Organization-ebook/dp/B00C3WSKV4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books <http://www.amazon.com/Adaptive-Action-Leveraging-Uncertainty-Organization-ebook/dp/B00C3WSKV4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396971594&sr=1-1&keywords=glenda+eoyang> &ie=UTF8&qid=1396971594&sr=1-1&keywords=glenda+eoyang And now back to containers and boundaries. The issue (our differences) may be purely semantic – but maybe not. As I think back over lots of Open Spaces, and more particularly what I might call the natural appearance of Open Space (Tahrir Square, for example, or the coffee pot) I fully agree that from the outside they all look like bounded/contained experiences. There seems to be an inside and an outside, a container of some sort. But the question for me: – Is that boundary/container externally imposed, and therefore prior to the process of self organization as a precondition – or is the boundary/container a PRODUCT of the process of self organization? As I read Glenda, she would opt for the former: Container as precondition. I find myself coming down on the other side – The apparent container is actually a product of the process. In a word, what starts out unbounded and disassociated (random people and things) coalesces into a meaningful form, or better, organism/organization – which is what self organization is all about, I think. I grant you that in an Open Space the “room” would seem to be a pre-existing container, but I don’t see it as essential. In fact I’ve “done” a number of Open Space in the middle of an open field. And when you look at natural occurrences, I think it becomes quite clear that pre-existing boundaries/containers don’t really have much to do with what is happening. They may be convenient or inconvenient, but not determinative. The other things you mention (time slots, bulletin board, etc.) don’t fit for me either. Helpful to be sure, but you can get along quite well without any of it, or so I’ve found. So what is going on? My sense is that self organization with humans (in Open Space and/or everyday) commences when some sort of a vector of caring shows up which draws people together. Someone, somewhere, sometime says, or just thinks, “I care about... Not just a little bit, but I really care and am prepared to take responsibility for what I care about. ” If this care/concern is shared – and others care for the same thing, but maybe in very different ways... the ball starts rolling. In Open Space, this caring is made concrete and specific with the invitation. Of course, when the invite is sent out nobody has a clue whether anybody will come... but if they care, they will come, and given a date/place, electronic or physical they will all show up in one time/space. The vector of caring will draw them in... If the story I am telling roughly reflects the facts on the ground, I think there are some interesting and serious implications for the role of the facilitator and the function of the container. EVERYTHING is well on the way before there is a facilitator in sight or container at hand. In a word, the system, from the first moment of its emergence does it all by itself. We are bystanders, midwives at best. And the container (whatever that might be) is the product of the process ... and not the precondition or cause. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 Phone 301-365-2093 (summer) 207-763-3261 <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> 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> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of David Osborne Sent: Monday, April 07, 2014 12:26 PM To: World wide Open Space Technology email list Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space and Boundaries Harrison, I think this is one of the few times I have a different point of view that you. I believe OS's have natural containers built in. I also believe you need a container for open space to be effective. I think the difference stems from having a different definition or viewpoint on what a container is and can be. My view has been heavily influenced by Glenda Eoyang's theory and work in this area. For something new to emerge from self organization something has to hold our bind the diverse agents together for them to have exchanges across their differences. - The room or space the OS is being held in is a container.... - A concept or idea that people care about brings the people together.....it binds or contains them creating the space to have the conversations to emerge. - The bulletin board is a container.....scheduling a specific conversation at a specific place and time. In my experience there are always multiple containers that are massively intertwined. My thoughts along the way. David On Sun, Apr 6, 2014 at 9:33 PM, Michael Wood <[email protected]> wrote: Thanks, Harrison, for your response to my question on 'boundaries', particularly your paraphrasing of my question - which was spot on. One thing I've taken from this brief conversation is that although considering the boundaries can be useful, we also need to accept that boundaries are never entirely clear, always moving on a spectrum from clear to uncertain/murky and if we, as a sponsor or facilitator, get overly bound up with boundaries then we might have moved, once again, into being too controlling. Michael Wood Perth, Western Australia ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2014 12:01:40 -0400 From: "Harrison Owen" < [email protected]> To: "'World wide Open Space Technology email list'" < [email protected]> Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space and boundaries Message-ID: <000301cf4f56$00776480$01662d80$@net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII It has been common for us to speak of Containers and Boundaries as somehow essential to Open Space. I can't quite find the place, but I do remember saying something like that myself, as in, "The role of the facilitator is to create the container..." It certainly made sense at the time, but I always felt a little uncomfortable with the image. Too mechanical, coercive... too something. And Michael has brought the subject up again. "So...here we have a situation where the 'boundaries' are actually in a state of complex flux and uncertainty. The financial 'givens' are ambiguous; there is no 'locum' pastor in place because of legal uncertainties with the existing pastor...etc." You might call it "messy boundaries" -- and he raises the question whether one should press ahead with Open Space, or wait until the "mess" is settled down. On the one hand, Michael "hunches" that one should press on -- Open Space. But his hesitation comes, I suspect, from the prior notion that fixed boundaries/containers are necessary for an effective Open Space. What to do? Some thoughts (new ones for me): Containers are great for cooking soup, but are unneeded and maybe even problematical in Open Space. It is all about holding things together. In Open Space groups of people come together to deal with their issues. At the very least that would mean gathering in some common time/space, be that physical or electronic. It would seem that this co-location could be facilitated were some suitable "container" provided, presumably by the sponsor/facilitator. This certainly makes sense, and as a rough way of speaking, it seems to describe what is going on. But as I think about it, I think we may be missing a most important point. Coming together in Open Space happens because people care to come. And they continue their connection as long as they care to do so. (Law of two feet) >From the "outside" it might look as if they were held in place by a container, but that is illusory. The actual dynamics are centripetal, the force is mutual attraction... people are "there" because they care to be there and not because they are contained by some external structure. In a word, we as facilitators really don't do a thing, and creating a container is the least of what we DON'T do. The people, from the beginning, do it all. Of course, there are situations where groups come together under orders, mandates, whatever. And they are definitely "contained." It is also true that the tighter that container, the less likely self organization will take place. If true, providing a container is not only unnecessary but also destructive. In the name of Opening space, we effectively close it. Or so I suspect it might be. Just thinking... Anyhow Michael, should my mental peregrinations lead anywhere useful, it would seem that your "hunch" was spot on. Forget the boundaries/container. Just invite the space to open. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Dr. Potomac, MD 20854 USA 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) Camden, Maine 04843 Phone 301-365-2093 (summer) 207-763-3261 www...openspaceworld.com <http://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 -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ] On Behalf Of Michael Wood Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2014 9:59 PM To: ' [email protected]' Subject: [OSList] Open Space and boundaries A Case Study.... One of the principles that I have generally worked with in Open Space is helping the client get clear on the 'boundaries' of the space that's being opened. For example, helping people who come into the space to know 'what up for grabs here and what isn't? What decisions have already been made?' So picture this (purely hypothetical of course)....a church community in which the pastor has (in many peoples' opinion) run off the rails and the main church body is in the process of trying to dismiss him; the church is in compete disarray and completely conflict ridden, many people have left; the pastor who holds all the keys, banking passwords; church telephone connections etc etc, has taken legal advice and had hunkered down in the church owned house where he continues to hold the reigns of power (via some of his 'allies' in the church) despite not formally being the Pastor of the church anymore.... So...here we have a situation where the 'boundaries' are actually in a state of complex flux and uncertainty. The financial 'givens' are ambiguous; there is no 'locum' pastor in place because of legal uncertainties with the existing pastor...etc etc. So in terms of 'Opening Space', do we wait a bit longer until some of the legal boundaries are clarified, OR open space right away in the midst of the mess....my hunch is the latter, but any thoughts from anyone? Cheers Michael _______________________________________________ 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 End of OSList Digest, Vol 38, Issue 3 ************************************* _______________________________________________ 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 -- David Osborne <image001.jpg> www.change-fusion.com | [email protected] | 703.939.1777 _______________________________________________ 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 <http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech..org> -- David Osborne <http://www.change-fusion.com/ChangeFusionLogo.jpg> www.change-fusion.com | [email protected] | 703.939.1777 _______________________________________________ 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 <http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech..org> -- David Osborne <http://www.change-fusion.com/ChangeFusionLogo.jpg> www.change-fusion.com | [email protected] | 703.939.1777 _______________________________________________ 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 <http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech..org> -- David Osborne <http://www.change-fusion.com/ChangeFusionLogo.jpg> www.change-fusion.com | [email protected] | 703.939.1777 _______________________________________________ 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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