OS and AI

Mon Apr 30 05:19:57 PDT 2001

At 01:18 AM 4/30/01 -0700, you wrote:
>Dear OSLIST,
>
>Peg Holman and I are being bumblebees.
>
>We're both on the OS and AI listserves (along with BJ Peters and probably
>others).  Peg compiled the OS/AI thread messages from our list a couple
>days ago and posted them on the AI list.  Here are two responses from
>Bernard J. Mohr which I found to be important and
>illuminating.  Information about joining the AI list is included at the bottom.
>
>Buzzingly Yours,
>Chris Weaver

Chris and Peggy -- thanks for putting all this up on the LIST. There is
absolutely nothing in what Bernard has said that I can take any exception
to. AI works. It is fantastic, it does the job. All true. It is also true
that one has to work pretty hard to make AI work -- before, during and
after. Perhaps not as much as with such things as Future Search (which also
works, is fantastic and does the job!!!) -- but if you can achieve
substantially the same results in a more economical fashion (and I think OS
does that -- my experience and certainly to be challenged) -- why should
you work so hard? I often joke about OS being the ultimate scam. The client
does all the work, and even writes the report. And there is a certain truth
to that. But I think there is something more. If you look at the world we
live in -- which shows up often on this LIST (see Tova's report from The
Middle East), it becomes clear that the issues, situations, and
opportunities are so multiple, complex, and fast changing that economy is
very important. A long time ago, I had some psychiatrist colleagues who
felt that the way to deal with community issues and conflict was to apply
their skills to the situations -- and so we got something called "Community
Psychiatry." Great idea, and in the instances where it was effectively
applied, I know that it worked -- well. BUT -- We do not have the money,
time, or the trained personnel  available to use that approach around the
globe.

There is one point in Bernard's comments that I might take small issue
with. He said, if I remember correctly that  a common goal for us all is to
"create" organizations that effectively work for the people involved and
the to deal with the tasks at hand. I think that may not be necessary.
Indeed, my experience from Open Space and elsewhere is that effective
organization happens all by itself. It is called self-organization, and our
efforts at organization tend to be marginal at best, or at worst
counter-productive. I do have to smile at series of workshops offered at a
soon to be held conference in Vienna -- all dealing with organizing
self-organizations????!!!!!

Harrison

>Peggy - Of course all of this could be dismissed as over complexifying - and
>I for one certainly like Harrisons invocation " what is one less thing to do
>and have the experience be whole?"  But I think we need be cautious in our
>attempt to stream line and not forget the end concept from Harrison ...and
>still "have the experience be whole"
>
>What I do know is that there are many practitioners out there who are deeply
>committed to
>
><<building a better world through the creation of organizations that are
>healthy and prosperous-- living systems that connect to the best and most
>positive in human beings and are in harmony with nature. >> ( the
>purpose/raison d'etre of AIC - Appreciative Inquiry Consulting)
>
>...practitioners that use OS and or AI as guiding frameworks. My hope is that
>as a larger community, we begin by seeking to understand each other as fully
>as possible ie developing a common language perhaps, a shared set of
>meanings. - and perhaps your cross positngs are just the vehicle to help us
>do that !
>
>Bernard J Mohr
>
>In a message dated 4/29/01 12:09:09 AM, pholman at email.msn.com writes:
>
><< Bernard,
>
>
>Thanks for your very thoughtful reflections.  I really take your point about
>
>"its almost as if we are speaking a different language - or to use a somwhat
>
>hackneyed term - we seem to standing within differing paradigms (ie beliefs
>
>about the nature of reality, the
>
>world etc)"  I must admit I was a little nervous about sending the messages
>
>to this list wondering if some of the perceptions would seem insulting.  As
>
>the discussion shifted to perceptions about role of the facilitator, it
>
>seemed useful to me to broaden the reflection to this list.  Your hope of
>
>aiding greater understanding is certainly one I share.
>
>
>Peggy >>
>
>====
>
>Peggy - Since the point of departure for AI is dialogical place (ie Social
>constructionism and relational theory), how could anyone object to a
>conversation that says 'lets explore"!  This of course doesnt mitigate the
>difficulty of shared meaning for so many words.
>
>Personally, I am continually impressed by my own inability to create new
>shared meanings in workshops of less than a week.  People have no difficulty
>in grasping superficially the words associated with the 5 D's - after all its
>just basic action research isnt it. But it is the meaning, the nuance of
>choice and the whole world view within which one stands that makes the
>significant difference in deeper understanding and then practice. Its that
>moment, when people say, "so from this perspective, everything changes" -
>which incidentally is an experience I also associate with OS.
>
>None of this is particularly intellectually complex and many of these ideas
>are, Im certain shared by the OS community - but the dialogue needed to tease
>out the subtleties, those meaning full little differences that matter so
>much, (like the difference between action planning and design)  is a
>challenge in general and via email it seems daunting
>
>But perhaps, given so much in the way shared ground between the communities,
>we have an opportunity here?
>
>Bernard J Mohr
>President/CEO
>The Synapse Group, Inc.
>"Supporting Positive Organizational Change for More Than 30 Years"
>
>Mailing address:
>57 Coyle St.
>Portland, ME 04101
>
>Bernard's office direct line and Voicemail 207-874-0118 (24 hrs)
>Synapse administrative office (207) 761-4221 (24 hrs)
>Fax (207) 874-0456 (24 hrs)
>Home (207) 775-6577 (only after office hours and before 9 pm)
>Email     <BJMSynapse at AOL.com>
>
>Hope to see you at the First International AI Conference, Sept 30 - Oct 3,
>2001, Baltimore, MD
>For more info go to < www.pegasuscom.com/ai/ >
>
>_______________________________________________
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Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
phone 301-469-9269
fax 301-983-9314
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.mindspring.com/~owenhh

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