Self-Healing In Organizations -- A continuing Conversation

[Harrison Owen]

Julie Smith and I (with able assistance from others) have been engaged in a 
conversation about Mediation and Open Space in which it may have seemed 
that I was trying to champion Open Space at the expense of Mediation. 
Assuming this to be the case, Julie replied appropriately --

A glimmer of understanding on my horizon now
.. it isn’t authentic, 
Harrison, for you to interact with groups in ways that require more words 
or technique or reliance on you as a facilitator/leader. What is authentic 
for you is to express trust in their ability to find their own answers, and 
to help by holding space with them. What that “holding space” is, is a 
manifestation of Spirit at work in you, co-creating with them an energy of 
creativity, good will, and unbounded possibility. Having experienced this 
so many times, it is inconceivable to you to respond to requests for a 
lesser experience. Your inner wisdom resists being and doing less than you 
are capable of.
As for the rest of us, we also have to find what is authentic for us. 
Authenticity isn’t something that can be transferred. We each have to look 
inside and find what is authentic for us. My understanding of OS is that it 
encourages each of us to authentically express our true selves, unbounded 
by artificial boundaries or expectations.

My error, Julie. Truth be told, I can be very direct, and directive -- if I 
think it is appropriate, or as is sometimes the case, I simply loose 
patience. In either case, I guess I am being "authentic" if that means 
allowing my walk and my talk to match my inner state of being. All of which 
is a rather long winded way of saying that the issue of concern for me is 
not about "authenticity" or "one right way" -- but hopefully something 
deeper. I think you caught my intent amongst the verbiage when you said --

I’m interested in your thought about enhancing self-healing in our 
communities
.. and wonder what the difference is between self-healing and 
healing
.. but my brain is tired and my stomach oh so empty

 don’t you 
serve food at these OS events?????

Snacks will be served shortly -- but in the meantime...Self-Healing in our 
Communities (You like that red?)

My premise in all this is that (surprise) all organizations (communities) 
are essentially self-organizing AND -- a (maybe THE) central purpose of 
self-organization is the achievement of wholeness, health, harmony, and I 
suppose authenticity and integrity,  in such situations where the 
organization is at risk due to changing internal or external environmental 
circumstances. The process is enormously complex in detailed execution, but 
very simple at the point of initiation. Given a good whack to the head, 
chaos clears some space in which high levels of complexity, diversity and 
conflict manifest and conspire enabling the appearance of renewed 
organization (or not). Sometimes things just die, but if they don't, life 
goes on in some new and useful ways displaying wholeness, health and 
harmony, all congruent with the changed environment. In broad terms, I 
think that is what organizations do, and typically they do it all by 
themselves. To be sure, we sometimes (erroneously, I think) give all the 
credit to some individual -- the "Turn around specialist as it were" -- but 
in truth,  We all did it.  Experimentally, and also experientially, I think 
we see this each time we Open Space, but I think it is imperative to note 
that the essential power does not belong to that wonderful thing called 
Open Space Technology, but rather to the process of self-organization 
itself. What we do with open Space is to intentionally initiate (or 
re-start) that fundamental process.

Switching metaphors from organizations to organisms, one of the interesting 
things that I learned several years ago when I held a position at the 
National Institutes of Health was that something like 95% of all disease 
lies beyond the power of medicine to do anything useful. People either get 
better or they don't. This was rather a shock to those of us at the citadel 
of science, but that seemed to be the case although we tried our best at 
times to forget it. What this suggests is that the best treatment in the 
vast majority of situations was no treatment. Next best was as little 
treatment as you could decently get away with, if only because it seems 
that any treatment has added liabilities of its own. Even though an 
intervention may deal with the symptoms, it may also impede that natural 
healing process -- the process of self-organization in our bodies.

Of course, we do have that other 5% -- which includes such things as organ 
failure and major trauma. There are definitely times and places, to say 
nothing of circumstances where only a good surgeon will do. However, I 
think we would all agree that surgery is a matter of last resort and best 
done as sparingly as possible. Of course, I know some surgeons who would 
disagree -- but when the only tool you have is a hammer, all the world 
looks surprisingly like a nail. No -- I never said a thing like that!

And what about Self-Healing Organizations? I suggest that all organizations 
are self-healing just as they are self-organizing. Which means in the first 
instance that for the vast majority of nasty little surprises in life, the 
organization will do just fine all by itself, and the professional problem 
fixers of this world (which includes most of us) should just sit on their 
hands for a bit. As they say up in the Great State of Maine, "Don't fix it 
if it ain't broke." Of course, things will go better with a little 
preventive care. I am sure we could add to the list here, but the first 
part of prevention, I think, is a clear understanding of the nature of the 
beast. Organizations are essentially and inherently self-organizing systems 
(organic, open, living self-organizing systems), and need to be treated as 
such. They are not auto engines needing a tune-up, they are not computer 
systems needing de-bugging, they are not rockets needing guidance systems. 
They are alive, and work best when everybody is conscious of their nature. 
Like all living things, they need a proper diet, light on the heavy hand of 
control, lots of fresh air and space to grow in. When things get a little 
musty and old, just open a window and create some space. You don't have to 
sit in a circle, nice as that might be.

Sometimes, however, you do get down to terminal mustiness and the arteries 
of discourse get pretty plugged, backed up and conflicted. But before going 
for an organizational triple bypass (although the surgical types would love 
it) -- Try a little Open Space (as in OST). It isn't new, it isn't magic -- 
it simply provides a gentle nudge to allow the organization to do what it 
does quite naturally -- breath. But always remember, less is best. Don't 
reach for a respirator when just a little smelling salts will do, as in 
getting a strong whiff of passion well mixed with responsibility.

So is this a sneak attack on Mediators, dressed up in surgical attire? 
Well, I guess there may be a few such folks who might qualify, but much 
higher on my list would be those awesome practitioners of Process 
Re-Engineering. Tear out the pipes, relay the cable, all according to The 
Plan. And when it doesn't work, just make sure you get out of town before 
the funeral. Now that is nasty! But the Mediators I know, and I know (and 
deeply respect) more than a few, know all about space, creating space, 
holding the moment, minimalist to an extreme. Truthfully, at a deep level, 
I have a very hard job distinguishing what they do from what I (wearing my 
OST hat) do -- except that I seem to work with more people at one time.

So -- Julie. It is probably time for dinner, and the conversation can 
continue over brandy and cigars. Oh -- we don't do cigars any more. :-(

ho

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
phone 301-365-2093
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.mindspring.com/~owenhh

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