reflections on OSI training

[Birgitt Bolton]

Thank you for sharing your discussion about "Who is authorized" and "Who
authorizes"

I like the tone of where you are at and appreciate the challenge of
ensuring that these discussions happen to be sure that we are all doing are
best to move forward with bringing Open Space into the world in the best
possible way. We have a bigger challenge than we might appreciate at this
time, and that is to really use all of our learnings to date and all of our
beliefs about what organization can be, to really walk our talk.

In thinking about "form follows function" OSI Inc. is in a position where
more initial structure has to be in place before it is grown naturally, and
that is because of your 503-c-3 status. But that is reality. So within this
context you have set things out as best as you can and tried to remain as
loose as you can. I think that is important and great!. In my experience, I
have watched other groups do just this at their start with lots of good
intentions. The kitchen table, high passion point. And in my experience,
the next stage is always where some significant problems start to emerge. I
would like to use our collective skills, expertise and wisdom to see if OSI
Inc. can grow through that stage without these problems. In my opinion, we
need to be intentional in our discussion about this. Some of the bits I
would like to see discussed are:
1. Are we being observant of where the power lies. Do those who hold power
for moving OS forward claim that this is so, and then ensure that the power
is used wisely and well. (Please don't groan, it is exactly at this point
that I have watched wonderful efforts go down---people saying that they
don't have power, and then not being AWARE of how it is being used). Power
is a good thing, not a bad thing, but it needs to be claimed.
2. Those nagging items of accountability, authority, and responsibility. I
think that your meeting was about starting to wrestle with these. I think
that you need to bring more folks into agreement (or not) about how you saw
this, which is what you are trying to do via listserve list, I think that
if you can come up with some agreed upon statements to do with these three,
you will save a lot of future grief. Right now, as I read it, it is at the
"my opinion" stage only.

And now I confess to my increasing confusion. I thought that I read that
this was discussion of the OS Training Learning Circle, And yet the
discussion seemed more about OSI Inc.And I truly am getting confused about
the two and their "formal" connection. And since I've been paying close
attention and I'm confused (or maybe that's why I'm confused), I wonder if
anyone else is.

The points I've made above really pertain to the growth of the Institute,
and relate to the comments I read about same in the note from Anne.

For me, growing your OSI Inc., I should say "our" since I'm now a member,
along with OSI Canada is a huge passion for which I am prepared to take
lots of responsibility. Folks here have asked me to be the "point person"
for the focusing of the formal dialogue between the two institutes as we
grow. There is a huge will on the part of those of us in OSI Canada to be
an incredible model of growing the two institutes together and in a way
that we've not seen role-modelled in other organizations. The very stuff we
tell other organizations that they can do.

So I thank you for this opportunity to dialogue on something that affects
us all.

Birgitt