Birthing A Chaord

[Harrison Owen]

At 11:12 AM 3/14/2002 -0800, Don wrote:
>There is a group I'm working with that is in the beginning stages of
>designing an organizational structure that will support a networked
>community governance model for our local children and families commission.
>Dee Hock's book: Birth of the Chaordic Age has been a reference point and
>the subject of several learning conversations held to surface different
>perspectives on how organizations run. It is clear that the design
>conversations for this chaordic model do better in Open Space.  If you
>take the concepts in Harrison's recent book The Power of Spirit  and lay
>them down side by side with concepts in Dee's book - you can almost see
>how Open Space could eliminate about 3 years of planning that is suggested
>by the Chaordic Commons.  At least that is what we are attempting to do -
>and I will let you know what happens.

It has always struck me as passing strange that for all of Dee Hock's
passion for self-organization, when it comes to applying the notion -- it
is very much back to business as usual. From where I sit the idea of
designing a self organization is  contradictory at least, and probably a
waste of time. At least that is the lesson i would draw from Open space and
related adventures. The most and best I think we can do is to notice the
foot prints of the self-organizing system, and then try and be supportive.
Requires a lot less work, to say nothing of stress, strain, and guilt. For
after all the organization never quite ends up going where we want it to.
Surprise!

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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