open space technology as an event or as anintervention--learn more with us in our Advancedworkshops

[Monica]

I am an educational researcher (as well as a consultant and facilitator). In
educationaal research, it was believed that a researcher could sit in a
classroom and observe, and she would see exactly what she would have seen if
she had not been there. Of course, we now know that that is not true. Just
the fact of her being there was an "intervention" that changed the reality
that she was observing. Asking folks to sit in a circle and telling them
about the 4 principles and the law is far more of an interviention that
that. If you think you aren't intervening, you are fooling yourself.
About the commercialization of Open Space Technology - I have paid to attend
OST meetings, I have paid consultants to conduct them in my organization, I
have paid for training, and I now charge my clients when I conduct OST
meetings. Althought the above may happen for free sometimes, OST has always
been a commercial transaction.
Monica Stewart
Educator and Organizational Learning Consultant
271 Gilmour Ave., Toronto, Ontario, M6P 3B6
phone: 416-762-9946, fax:416-762-4351
email: mstewart at ionsys.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Michael Herman" <mherman at globalchicago.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 1:40 PM
Subject: Re: open space technology as an event or as anintervention--learn
more with us in our Advancedworkshops


> interesting thought, intervention.  for myself, i don't want to
> intervene, and am not sure i could, because mostly i don't hold myself
> out as separate from those i work with.  also i think the power and
> brilliance of what harrison has been doing is to author, yes, but more
> importantly then to author-ize *everyone*.  it is possible, i believe,
> to do the physical practice (which will always be limited by my own
> physical, bodily limits) while working to not impose new limits that
> really aren't there.  one of the ways i have tried to do this was when i
> was writing the collection i called 'evolution at work' and have since
> changed to 'inviting organization.'  what i was doing felt very
> important.  it was natural enough to wonder about copyrighting that
> material and trying to sell.  but very quickly, perhaps simultaneously,
> i see that if it's *really* as valuable as i wanted to think, then it
> was not my place to limit its availablility for the sake of my own
> profit, that instead i should just get it out there, just in case it's
> really needed.  if i give it away and it is so important, i am fine.  if
> i give it away and it is not so important, then i am also fine... and
> have saved all that work of trying to make it be something bigger.  i
> find that this dynamic shows up in almost every open space i care to
> notice... these questions of how open, how separate, how important, how
> bounded i will be in this moment.  they show up in money talk, in talk
> of sharing the prep work, of thinking about followup and evaluation and
> wondering if they will ask me to do another event, and should i try to
> teach them anything or just do the practice... some of which does need
> to be considered and other of which is just so much internal noise... i
> find that the noise gets louder in direct proportion with my belief in
> separateness and importance (and also, sneakily enough, my belief in the
> importance of internal noise).  it's still a very tricky game, but
> slowly i think i am learning to become a wrestler of the vastness of
> unity rather than a maestro of those internal noises.
>
>
>
> Laurel and Rick wrote:
> >
> > I view OST as neither an event, nor an intervention, but an honest
> > recognition of what happens all the time covertly in organizations
anyway.
> > I think it's refreshing for folks, and a new way of looking at things,
to
> > invite them to do what they do anyway.  It's the honesty of the formula
that
> > seems to invite a new level of honesty in conversation.  I also think
that
> > the humility of the facilitator is an absolute must . . . how can one
> > recognize the power of the individuals in the circle, while
simultaneously
> > trying to "intervene" as the expert or guru?  This seems antithetical to
the
> > philisophical underpinnings of OST.  How can we invite people's spirits
out
> > to play in the context of an intervention?
> >
> > Laurel.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Mick Walsh" <southbank_mgt at bigpond.com>
> > To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> > Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 1:47 AM
> > Subject: Re: open space technology as an event or as an
intervention--learn
> > more with us in our Advanced workshops
> >
> > > Dear Birgitt,
> > >
> > > I may have missed something in your intention but I have some
reservations
> > > regarding your comments below.
> > >
> > > Are you endorsing OST as an intervention?  Intervention implies
'doing'
> > > rather than 'being'.  From my perspective open space 'exists' and we
> > create
> > > space through spirit.  If my perspective is correct, and it is for me,
> > then
> > > how could I possibly be 'authorized' to 'train' people in a commercial
> > > program with its foundation in OST?
> > >
> > > Are you promoting and supporting OST, or simply selling a product?
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> --
>
> Michael Herman
> 300 West North Avenue #1105
> Chicago IL 60610
> 312-280-7838 voice
> 312-280-7837 fax
>
> http://www.michaelherman.com
> ..an invitation.
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
> Visit:
>
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html