Participant Driven Open Space Principles and Laws

[Meg Salter]

You're right, of course - about coming from outside the system/ conceptual
frame, but inside the group. Wonderful!

Ref: "virginity in OD" methods - what a beautiful phrase! My background too,
is not in OD (acutally, it was marketing once, but that was a long time
ago). How much of  traditional OD reluctance to this type of work comes from
hanging on to our own self-perceived expert role? Who are we without this
expertise? How can we charge (high) rates? And so we are tied into and part
of the very system ("pro-active" control) that we are supposedly trying to
help change.

Once again, the message is to let go! (at least, that's always what comes up
for me!)....................... all the best....................... Meg

----- Original Message -----
From: "Artur F. Silva" <artsilva at mail.eunet.pt>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2000 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: Participant Driven Open Space Principles and Laws


> At 10:41 28-11-2000 -0500, Meg Salter wrote:
> >I find this fascinating - and agree that (mostly) real change will come
when
> >a "behaviour rule change" comes from outside the group. This is exactly
the
> >definition of 2nd order change or transformational change "changes to the
> >body of rules governing their structure or internal order". [For you
> >scholarly types - this last quote is from an older work "CHANGE -
Principles
> >of Problem Formation and Resolution, by Watzlawick, Weakland and Fisch.
>
>
> If I recall well (a memory of more that 10 years ago, in the Spanish
> version...), Watzlawick doesn't say "from outside the group" but
> "from outside the system", and he was not referring to the
> "organisational system" but to the "conceptual system".
> So, level 2 of change implies a shift of mind, or a paradigm shift
> to use Khun's words - a "metanoia" some would say.
>
> This shift does not come necessarily from "outside the group".
> Indeed it comes always, imho, from inside the group. That' s
> way it is called "self-organisation". And that is way the so called
> "facilitators" normally "facilitate too much", then contributing
> even more to maintain the unempoewrment of the group.
>
> So what is the role of OS law and principles? It is to bypass
> previous rules, imbedded in occidental culture and organisations,
> that "normally" inhibit self-organisation to work. The rule and
> principles "open" space to self organisation, from within the
> group, to manifest and evolve.
>
> So, it is right, I think, as Joelle stated, that the OS rules, in its
> simplicity, make a fantastic job, and must not be changed to
> introduce MORE facilitation. This also means that someone
> that comes from other facilitation methodologies, have more
> difficulties to understand OS principles that someone (like
> myself  ;-) that come from virginity in what concerns OD
> methods.
>
> And they will think that they must HELP MORE (the participants),
> to have them "discussing the principles" or "allowing everybody to
> speak", etc. Those people, I am afraid to say so, and maybe I am
> wrong, don't have enough confidence in people, in human nature,
> in self-organisation, and they "want to help" MORE that the help
> others need. On the contrary, a facilitator must, as Harrison
> taught us, to always question "what other thing (help) can I
> stop doing?" and still obtain the major objectives.
>
> What one can question is not what one can add, but what one can
> still suppress. The rule of two feet is essential, I think. But can we
> obtain the some results if we suppress all or some of the
> "principles"?
>
> Have any one tried that? What do you think?
>
> Regards
>
> Artur
>
> PS: can't those of you who speak english do something to "normalise"
> the language? Why do americans write "organization" and UKs
> write "organisation"? It's confusing for the others...
>
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