ongoing reflections on OSI training

Birgitt Bolton birgitt at worldchat.com
Fri Mar 28 08:57:11 PST 1997


Prasad, it is great to be greeting you on line and I hope that all is well
with you. I look forward to some interesting discussions.

I very much like the analysis that you and Anne have done about stages in
organizations and thank you for sharing the summary on-line and how it
might apply to OSI. I have previously, thanks to Anne, had the privilege of
reading the whole paper that you two have, and it is very thought
provoking.

So now I would like to challenge us to some thoughts that go beyond the
paper (I think) and I also am aware as I sit here at my computer that I am
feeling like a dog that has a bone and won't let go, because in a different
way I know I am just about to say my thoughts that I have put out before. I
am also beginning to wonder if some of what is happening in my thinking is
a result of the fact that there is an American Way of thinking (and we are
taught here in our schools that it is about a "melting pot" view of the
world) and a Canadian Way of thinking (and we are taught here in that it is
about a celebration of the "mosaic" view of the world). Maybe this is why I
feel so much like I am not being heard in what I am trying to say. (And I
laugh at this right now because I was not born in North America at all and
yet am wondering about the shaping of my thoughts).

So here are my thoughts in terms of the learning about organizations that
are before us with the development of not ONE but two Open Space Institutes
in North America at this time, both of which have made a commitment to grow
TOGETHER

1.Is it possible to take your analysis of how organizations grow and apply
it to HOW DO YOU GROW TWO TOGETHER? Right from the beginning, not sorting
out later how there can be a partnership. We have a rare opportunity NOW to
do this well and to learn from it.
2. Is it possible to have more than one definition of organization
simultaneously, and grow appropriate structure for each part while
recognizing that while we are doing it, every development of individual
structure affects the WHOLE. Every decision made in this regard may need to
be made for the individual entity while at the same time being aware that
it affects the parts.With the two institutes, we each have to grow our own
structure for lots of reasons, and manage them, while at the same time
dealing with the whole that is the institutes together in the world for the
same purpose. The definitions of organization at this point would be OSI
Inc., OSI Canada, and the Open Space Institutes in the context of the
world. AND we have to be sure we leave a way for many more institutes to
get formed around the world, all with a sense that they are part of the
same whole.
3. Can we avoid something that is insular, and still grow?

In the stages of emergence, convergence, divergence, and re-emergence, I
think it is easy if we are CONSCIOUS AND CARING to grow wonderful, alive,
spirit filled organization. I think it is easy to do this if we see the
organization just as OSI Inc. or OSI Canada. I think it is a real
challenge, pushing our CONSCIOUSNESS AND CARING to the limits, to do this
as two growing together. I think with the absolutely terrific folks that
have been attracted to the institutes, that we can do this. But I also
think that if we don't do this well now at this stage of emergence, that we
will have a harder time later.

The issue of training is one that has been a catalyst for me in my
thinking. When training in Seattle (different model now going
forward--moved from emergence to convergence I think) becomes an entity of
OSI Inc., that is a big decision. It is shaping the organization of OSI
Inc.. How does this decision affect other training sites in the USA or
Canada. If it was a decision only in Seattle by the good folks gathered
there who are struggling to provide a better model and are working hard
with their passion/responsibility to achieve this, it would be TERRIFIC!
However.....somehow it got tied into OSI Inc. and that has affected OSI
Canada and lots of other folks.And those of us out here who are trying so
hard to stay connected didn't know that such a big shift was going to be a
fact until it was all done. We thought that this bigger discussion would
happen in conjunction with the next OSONOS meeting.

Using your model, the shift from emergence to convergence was rapid. And is
probably good for OSI Inc. When I look at the growth of the whole together,
the whole together was not part of the emergence. And that leaves us with a
big problem in how to move to convergence together as a whole.

Am I really off base in my concern? I would love folks to get in on this
discussion to help me out.

Thanks,


Birgitt




More information about the OSList mailing list