Self-Organization????

[Larry Peterson]

Artur Wrote:

No, the groups ARE NOT already there. The only thing that one can
conclude from
that is that any group has the potential to be there. But they don't
normally behave
in "Open Space mode" because they are constrained by other "social
rules"
that, even if they seem "invisible", are "out there" and act as "laws"
of organizational
life - those laws are responsible for the fact that the majority of our
organizations
are unsafe and non-nutrient.

I think that any "group" or organization is at many places at once.
There are a diversity of worldviews (memes to use that worldview) and I
think they are at a number of perceivable levels of "consciousness".
There is also likely a dominant worldview or meme, dominant because it
is largely accepted or dominate because it is imposed (by those who come
from that perspective).  That meme or worldview reinforces "social
rules" and patterns of behaviour that develop because of job
descriptions, formal structures, informal communication patterns - all
the stuff that happens when people organize themselves out of a
worldview.

Open Space gives the experience of opening up the group and the
individuals in it to organize according to the principles and the law
(and post-its and breakouts).  That allows people to deal with the
content of the conversations in ways that make sense to them,
individually and "collectively".  (I see people in OS discussion groups
using the latest group process approaches that have gone through their
organization, be that flip charts or solution focused therapy).  It
allows the reactive folks to react, the proactive folks to plan and the
interactive folks to interact with each other or not.  The principles
and process transcend the current diversity and allow individuals and
the collective "self" to organize as is chosen.

I agree that Open Space Technology is not the end.  That the circle, the
openness the principles stand in polarity with the emergent focus,
direction, formal leadership that gives form and meaning to an
organization.  The many and the one are in a polarity that leads the
spiral of consciousness to move.

Wow, was that esoteric and likely uncomprehensible.   As to the
nutrients, I think they are available, but some try to hoard them for
awhile.  Too much hoarding will eventually lead to the next crisis - a
company may die.  Too much blaming of the hoarders leads to actions that
don't find where spirit is moving next.

Larry

Larry Peterson
Associates in Transformation
Toronto, ON, Canada
416.653.4829

 <mailto:larry at spiritedorg.com> larry at spiritedorg.com
 <http://www.spiritedorg.com> www.spiritedorg.com

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