Great conversation, thanks, here is some grist for the mill;
"It is important to note that both the alienation of governing control
at work and the transfer of responsibility cannot in fact take place."
<http://www.abolishhumanrentals.org/human-rentals/what-is-a-human-rental/>
from David Ellerman
On 12/1/2015 9:48 AM, Harrison Owen via OSList wrote:
Dan – Given the way you define authority (formal and informal) it does
seems to give a view point from which to observe the function of folks
in Open Space. It also has the advantage of “sounding like” normal
corporate usage. “Authority:” who has it, who doesn’t, who is
pretending... That is the corporate story as lot of people might see
it. And if you are trying to trick a Greeks, you probably need to
speak Greek.
But there is a danger. “Triggering,” as you say. When you use a
loaded, heavy word in a new and different way, particularly a way that
is essentially the opposite of general usage, there is the danger of
being misunderstood. Sometimes you just have to run the risk if no
other word really quite does it. Such was the case with “myth” in my
work. In popular discourse, “myth” basically means “lie,” “untruth,”
“fabrication,” etc. In my work, and I believe classically, myth is
deeper than truth. It underlies truth. It creates the environment in
which truth can be perceived as true. At least that is what I’ve
always said, along with multiple others, Joseph Campbell, for example.
So I guess my question is, Why do you feel you have to use
“authority?” I would judge that your answer might be somewhere
here.... “The context is the use of Open Space in a large business
enterprise, convened with intent to explore the potential for making a
very big, very complex enterprise-wide change.”
If this is right, there is implicit in your quest an assumption (I
think) that you/we are somehow bringing Open Space to the corporate
world and “scaling it up.” I have no question that the very idea of
Open Space represents the worst nightmare of the majority of corporate
execs. I equally have no question that if these same execs hope to
maintain their current self image and job description (he/she who is
in control), the use of Open Space is about as likely as an immediate,
unassisted flight to the moon. Can’t happen.
It might seem, therefore that if we are in the Open Space Business, we
are pushing a product that has all the popularity of a putrefying
skunk. Small market!
Then again the situation changes rather radically if it actually turns
out that the executives in question really don’t have any choice. Even
worse, were it to turn out that the corporate world (indeed the world
itself) is massively different from what they presume. In the world I
experience, all systems, including all human systems are self
organizing. Should that actually be the case, the notion of “bringing
Open Space (self organization)” anywhere is a little ridiculous. One
might say fraudulent – right on a par with selling the air we breathe.
The idea of becoming self organizing just does not make any sense – we
are, by nature and definition, self organizing. The fact that many
people don’t know this, refuse to recognize it, or are just doing it
badly – doesn’t change a thing. But it does change the nature of our
job. Rather than selling, bringing, providing... anything, we are
simply inviting people to be fully what they already are. And at least
from where I sit, Authority, as we used to understand it (formal and
informal), doesn’t really have a lot to do with things. It represents
a problem up with which I shall not put (thank you Winnie). Rather
have a nap.
Harrison
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Websites
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*From:*OSList [mailto:[email protected]] *On
Behalf Of *Daniel Mezick via OSList
*Sent:* Sunday, November 29, 2015 6:13 PM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* [OSList] What's authority got to do with Open Space ?
What's authority got to do with Open Space ? Apparently nothing at
all, at least on the surface...
Wait. Once we peek under the surface, what do we actually find?
This completely heretical essay attempts to answer at least part of
that question.
The context is the use of Open Space in a large business enterprise,
convened with intent to explore the potential for making a very big,
very complex enterprise-wide change.
{Please note, the word "authority" might trigger feelings of:
/soul-sucking bureaucracy/, unfair and /_illegitimate leadership
hierarchy_/, and the like. Some "triggered" readers may want to
opt-out of continuing at this time...)
Authority Distribution in Open Space:
http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/
Open Space is a most interesting format for "gathering,", also known
as "meeting."
What exactly is going on in Open Space?
--
Daniel Mezick
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.
(203) 915 7248. Bio. <http://www.DanielMezick.com/> Blog.
<http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/> Twitter.
<https://twitter.com/DanielMezick>
Book: The Culture Game. <http://theculturegame.com/>
Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook.
<http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336>
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