InterActive Organizations and legal structure

Wed Mar 7 19:31:47 PST 2001

Todd,
in every situation "whatever is a given, is a given". The key to identifying
"givens" for an Open Space Organization or an Open Space Technology meeting
is to ensure that they are really authentic "givens". By defining "givens"
in this way, we define the space where there is truly freedom to act. In my
experience, there is no organization in which there is not the possibility
to Open Space either for a meeting or for ongoing work. Sometimes it is a
big space, sometimes a little one.

In my experience,  an Open Space Technology meeting is a window into
whatever exists and an Open Space Organization captures what is already
there. I have detailed my own journey of this as My story of the Open Space
Organization parts 1,2,3 of 4. 4 soon to be sent to the list and other
colleagues.

Blessings,
Birgitt

Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness
*********************************************************
For ongoing professional development, join us for training in the Genuine
Contact Program for exceptional results in organizational effectiveness.
Training dates for 2001 are noted below. Training can also be brought into
an organization at other times.

Those completing all four components of the Genuine Contact Program meet the
requirements to attend the "train the trainer" session of four days,
resulting in authorization to use the Genuine Contact Program for "in-house"
training of teams.

The Genuine Contact program is a program for building skill and capacity
within the organization, for working with change. It is designed to keep
external consultant involvement to a minimum, providing training and
mentoring work only, so that working with change is led from within the
organization. Leaders within an organization are taught to develop and use
an operating system in which business is conducted with genuine contact at
all levels on an ongoing basis. Upon completion of the sixteen days of
training, the leaders are authorized to teach others within the
organization, in an ongoing internal process, until the new operating system
is functioning fully in a growthful and effective way. During year one,
during and following the initial training, a consultant to the organization
coaches and mentors this "in-house" team as the "in-house" team leads the
change process for its own organization.

Training components of the Genuine Contact  Program are 1. Working with Open
Space Technology (4 days); 2. Working with Whole Brain Process Facilitation
(2 days); 3. Working with Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution (2 days); 4.
Advanced Work in Open Space Technology focusing on the Open Space
Organization (4 days); and 5. Train the trainer in the Genuine Contact
program (4 days).

Detailed information is available on our website at
www.openspacetechnology.com <http://www.openspacetechnology.com>

Prices noted below are the usual price for a training session but prices
vary dependent on costs within each location.

Training dates for 2001:
Session One: Working with Open Space Technology ($600US): Vancouver, British
Columbia,Canada Jan 29-Feb 1; Niagara,Ontario, Canada April 2-5; Calgary,
Canada May 15-18; Holland June 8-11; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Oct 1-4;
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Oct 15-18
Session Two: Working with whole brain Process Facilitation ($300
US):Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Mar 26-27; Seattle, Washington, USA
April 9-10; Niagara, Ontario, Canada April 23-24; Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada May 22-23; Sweden May 29-30; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA: Sept 17-18
Session Three: Working with Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution
($300US):Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Mar 28-29;  Seattle, Washington
USA April 11-12; Niagara, Ontario, Canada April 19-20; Sweden May 31-June 1;
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Sept 19-20
Session Four: Advanced Work in Open Space Technology focusing on the Open
Space Organization ($800US):Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Feb 2-4; San
Francisco, California, USA April 28-May 1; Niagara, Ontario, Canada May 3-6;
 Berlin, Germany June 13-15; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Nov 1-4
Train the Trainer ($1500US): Raleigh,North Carolina, USA Sept 21,22,23,24

We invite you to the first conference of the International Alliance for
Mentoring, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Sept. 25-26
Fee $100 US.

"Dalar International Consultancy offers you the opportunity to achieve
organizational results beyond your expectations. We believe that Spirit
matters and people are precious. We know that strategies based on these
values have exciting, tangible results."

Birgitt and Ward Williams

 - we create opportunities

for Genuine Contact for higher consciousness

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Todd
Saddler
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 4:54 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: InterActive Organizations and legal structure

I just finished reading "The Power of Spirit", and since  I am hoping to be
part of a new business or organization, and I find myself pondering these
questions:

Are there not inherent contradictions between, on the one hand, the legal
structures of businesses and non-profit organizations, and on the other
hand,
the qualities of an InterActive, or Open Space organization?

And more to the point, are there legal structures that are more or less
appropriate to InterActive Organizations?

For instance, the legal structure of a for-profit business recognizes the
absolute sovereignity of 51% of the ownership.  When push comes to shove, as
it occasionally does, those who own 49% of the company, and those who work
in
it, and the clients, and the community, and everyone else in the company's
field of influence, can lose out.

In a non-profit organization, the board of directors holds the burden of
responsibility.  They are legally required to excercise a certain amount of
oversite and control.  When a crunch comes, the staff, supporters,
beneficiaries, and the general public, even the mission of the organization
itself, may lose out.

I realize that I am exagerating the situation somewhat in order to make my
point.  I know that it is possible for the legally empowered heirarchs to
embrace the value of chaos, cede power to those that they oversee, question
their own assumptions, change their paradigms, etcetera.  And everyone knows
that if the shareholders or board members continue to ignore the various
stakeholders, eventually they will have to deal with reality or else go out
of business.

My concern is, that the legal structures grant such power to  make a mess of
things, a power which is excercised from time to time.  Are there ways to
set
up legal structures that make real allowance for:
- Values and vision
- Linking passion and responsibilty
- Openess to change and diversity
- Fun and community

Or, if it is impossible for legal structures to take such things into
account, then are there ways to mitigate the legally recognized power to
mess
things up?

I am particularly interested in hearing from those of you who have been
putting Open Space ideas into practice for a while.  How do you organize
your
own affairs?  Does this ever become an issue?

Todd Saddler

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