Open Space -- The Credible incredible - Thank you for this rich and dynamic dialogue......

Harrison Owen owenhh at mindspring.com
Sun Mar 10 04:34:27 PST 2002


At 12:04 PM 3/7/2002 +0100, Toke wrote:

>Our circle of open space learning bouncing in its round corners but not
>breaking - i find that healthy.
>  - we have not found the Truth yet - but it would be wonderful to nail it
> down so that all our clients and family members etc would finally
> understand what we do ??!!

I figure that if anybody ever really understands what we do -- we are in
deep trouble. Our cover will be blown. In my case i try and do as little as
I can decently get away with. When successful, I do absolutely nothing at
all. And for reasons which i have yet to fully understand, sometimes I even
get paid.

>I hold a few questions now :
>
>What is the intent of the OST community in the first place?

My answer would be to share, learn and support each other.

>Where and how does getting started with OST practice and long time OST
>experience dance in our midst ?

I guess it might begin with the realization that everybody, no matter how
many times they have opened space, are always doing it for the first time
with "that" particular group. In a funny way, every Open Space for me is
always the same, and always totally unique. So we are all newcomers, and
should we forget that the arteries of imagination and learning close up
pretty fast.

>How do we keep inspiring each other to go for integrity and staying the
>student ?

Probably by keeping on doing what we are doing. A sense of humor and the
absurd also helps.

>Where is the border line between a community of practise and a cult  who
>know best?

If we ever find the person who knows "best" I guess we would then qualify
for "cult Status." The word cult has always interested me. the present
definition is a worry, but at root it means to "care for" -- So I guess,
being a cult wouldn't be too bad if we could see our selves as a community
that cared.


>How to trust more than I have trusted until now ?

Speaking only for myself, I find the alternatives to trust so exhausting
and self-destructive as to make them unattractive. We "trust" every time we
take a breath that the incoming air won't kill us. In most cases that's
true, and in any case, stopping breathing does not seem a positive option.

>How to find the balance between accomodating clients and  inspire to be a
>more human  amateur and less just professional  pawn?

I'm not quite clear what you are asking here, but to the extent that I
understand, my thought would be that the real thing is to be clear who the
client is, and further that the client can change in time. For example,
when i start conversation with a group -- my contact person (the CEO--
whatever) is my client, but should we do an Open Space, my client becomes
the whole group. My mission quite simply is to create the space in which
that group can experience and realize its full potential. Should it turn
out that my "original client" (the CEO) is the major road block, and he/she
acts that out by becoming a Nasty Space Invader, I see no alternative but
to protect the space in whatever way I can. After all I have indicated to
the group that the space will be open, and should it close down suddenly
through the actions of a single person, my integrity is at stake.


I do know about Rainy Denmark -- having just passed through. but take heart
Toke -- Spring will come. My  boat goes in the water next week, and flowers
and birds are sure to follow.

Harrison

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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