Re Reflections on OSI Training

Holman Holman
Thu Mar 27 12:46:00 PST 1997


As I have mulled OSI's role in training, my thinking has run to a
collaborative arrangement with individuals/businesses sponsoring and
facilitating, but the OSI available, if desired, to provide support.
The obvious stuff is a listing on the web site.  Another is mailing list
information.  Or actually doing the mailing.  A different kind of
involvement could be provision of materials.  For example, we've
discussed using video to illustrate some aspects of OS.  If we were to
actually invest in such a thing, it could be provided to people doing
training.  The idea is that some kind of arrangement where OSI gets some
revenue in exchange for providing some form of service can serve growing
demand (a hope I have for what we're all doing).

The key to me is the emphasis is on support to people who are hosting
training.  I believe "authorizing" and "certifying" run counter to the
spirit of what OS is about.  Instead, being "in service" to expanding
the use of OS is to me, fundamental to OSI's mission.  Support for
training is one way to do that.

Peg
 ----------
From: Larry Peterson
To: Multiple recipients of list OSLIST
Subject: Re Reflections on OSI Training
Date: March 25, 1997 10:16AM

WHO is "authorised" and who "authorises"?
 --I agree that Harrison has been clear that there is NO formal
credentialling in Open Space Technology and that the meeting
"technology" is
itself extremely simple.
 --I have offered a variety of workshops where Open Space has been a
central
part of the learning process. Some particpants have gone on to use Open
Space Technology and some of those have decided to continue their
journey at
one of Harrision's workshops.
 --Birgitt Bolton and I just led a week long event "Opening the Space"
 --
focused on both the role of formal leadership and that of facilitators
in
Opening the Space. We used the "Four Fold Way" as a primary metaphor for
the
four days of the event, with our own application to leadership issues in
non-profit organizations. We used my slides on Organizational
Transformation
revised and deepened over a number of years with heavy reliance on what
we've learned from Harrision, but adding other pieces from a variety of
folks, and some that we think are our own. We do give credit and
bibliographies and seek permission when it is necessary.
 --None of these events have been events created by the Open Space
Institute
of Canada. They have been created by individuals or teams with OSI being
a
place to connect and test ideas. I have offered similar workshops even
before I knew about Open Space. However, our individual "businesses" (or
in
partnerships) have sponsored the actual workshops or learning events.
However, since its formation, we have sought support and sponsorship by
OSI
Canada.
 --The upcoming training with Harrison is the same. Birgitt and I are
sponsoring it from our own "companies". With HH Owen and Company, we
will
realize any profit or loss, not OSI Canada.
 --We have kept OSI Canada as an association, a place to gather,
support,
explore and share ideas. The "training" is a business for Harrision and
the
workshops that I lead are necessary income for me.
 --I think learning circles are great but different. OSI Canada has been
meeting in day long explorations of Open Space topics (in Open Space of
Course) as our learning process.
Larry
>




More information about the OSList mailing list