Fw: Re: Conflict in OS and other questions

[Peggy Holman]

-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin O'Brien <kevinobrien at worldnet.att.net>
To: Peggy Holman, Open Space Institute <osi at tmn.com>
Date: Wednesday, July 15, 1998 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: Re: Conflict in OS and other questions


>Dear Ralph,
>
>It's nice to know that things seem to fall into place whether or not there
>are enough issues or time slots or whatever.
>
>By serious conflict, I basically mean when people have stopped listening
>and have become entrenched into taking positions rather than exploring
>possibilities for collaboration.  It becomes an us vs. them kind of thing
>and nothing gets accomplished except for creating a further chasm between
>the two sides.
>
>Kevin
>

>From  Wed Jul 15 21:32:29 1998
Message-Id: <WED.15.JUL.1998.213229.0100.>
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 21:32:29 +0100
Reply-To: kloth at tmn.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.IDBSU.EDU>
From: Chris Kloth <kloth at tmn.com>
Organization: ChangeWorks
Subject: Re: Fw: Re: Conflict in OS and other questions
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Kevin,

I have used open space to bring together three statewide professional
groups which all had active law suits pending against one another which
had been going on for several years.  They had a shared legislative
enemy at a particular moment in time and we used that to bring them
together to lay the foundation for getting unstuck.  Lots of loudness
and anger during the process, but a very reflective closing session.
They resolved the law suits (not part of explicit plan, which was to
deal with a common enemy) within 9 months!

Actually, conflict is one of my favorite open space conditions.

Chris