OST, OD, etc.

Toke Paludan Møller - InterChange toke at interchange.dk
Sat Sep 28 02:55:37 PDT 2002


Hi Meg and all the rest of you

what a wonderful conversation that I just found into this morning.......

my piece of firewood are these questions

How do I keep opening space for  space to be learning space, inspired
space and gracious space, world cafe space, for all to parttake in on
equal terms ?

What is the price for me - if any - to stay in the simplicity of
practise to open spaces where ever possible - including at home ?

Looking forward.....for more exporation...

- toke

*********


>Hello All
>
>Well- what an amazing conversation has ensued out of That question!!
>Thank you all for your comments.
>
>In truth, now that Iook back, I was feeling a bit snarly, so I
>should perhaps recant any unintended slights on other communities/
>practices/ approaches etc. I guess what really struck me - and still
>does - is how people are talking complexity/ self-organizing systems
>theory (and yes - this is conference talk, not client talk!)  and
>then still trying to organize systems. Or be experts. And how
>fundamental that is to our conception of the world - for so many.
>And how profound is the shift from that world view.
>
>As Martin said , many people "get" self-organizing as a cognitive
>concept, but then implicitly treat it as another tool. Which puts us
>right back into/ speaks from the "world as machine" worldview. It is
>fundamentally not about doing, but about being (which is maybe why
>OST is so 'easy' to do). It is much easier to pick up a new, sexy
>doing tool, it is much harder to re-configure your mentality to
>"get" that life/ self-organizing is all about being. (and yet, once
>done - so much easier - graciously spacious!).
>
>...........the pebbles continue to drop in the pools of my mind.........!
>
>Meg Salter
>
>MegaSpace Consulting
>416/486-6660
><mailto:meg.salter at sympatico.ca>meg.salter at sympatico.ca
><http://www.megaspaceconsulting.com>www.megaspaceconsulting.com
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <mailto:owenhh at mindspring.com>Harrison Owen
>To: <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Sent: Friday, September 27, 2002 3:26 PM
>Subject: Re: OST, OD, etc.
>
>At 10:36 PM 9/26/2002 -0400, Chris Kloth wrote:
>
>>I have a very different take on the OST/OD thread.  It has to do with a
>>larger issue among people as individuals and communities, where community is
>>not limited to geography, but does reflect elements of culture.  It has to
>>do with the "I" and the "IT" that are essential elements of any strong
>>community we CHOOSE to be a part of.
>>
>
>Points well taken and well said, Chris. There are in truth different
>strokes for different folks -- and we have to honor them all. That
>said, I think we also have an obligation, or at least I personally
>feel an obligation, to engage vigorously in the conversation. My
>comments about the economics and psychology of the use of Open Space
>(or more accurately the non-use) come from a number of years of
>trying to figure out why, if something is free, simple, effective,
>and easy to replicate -- it is not used to a greater extent. Indeed,
>a number of folks appear never to have heard of it. And if they have
>heard of it, OS is taken to be wild, far out, radical, and risky.
>Although the press coverage has diminished of late (Thank God),
>there was a time when virtually every major press organ (NYT,
>Washington Post, LA Times, Financial Times of London etc, etc, etc.)
>carried major feature stories. Additional publicity was not
>something we needed. As for "risky," I find it difficult to
>understand after 17 years of constant and increasing use all over
>the world. The Beta Tests are in. Of course there are risks, but not
>about the efficacy of the process. So How come?
>
>Truthfully, I really don't know. But my best guess has been that it
>has something to do with economics (Hard to send a bill when you
>don't do anything), and what seems to me to be an attachment to the
>complex (and therefore a need for The Expert). I should judge that
>the control issue is also of some significance.
>
>And why should I care? Some folks get the impression that I am
>trying to "sell Open Space," or build my personal reputation.
>Truthfully, I have been trying to give it away, and get out of the
>business. Fortunately, there has been reasonable success with both
>of these -- and I have had more than a few thoughts about going
>fishing.  I have even managed to do a fair amount of that too. But...
>
>I believe the central gift of Open Space is the realization of
>Peace. Not as some abstract, idyllic, some-day-to- be-achieved
>state, but a present reality that works right now. Further more,
>every time space is opened anywhere in the world (by "doing" an OS
>or simply by being graciously spacious in our dealings with fellow
>critters), I think the cause of Peace is advanced. If nothing else,
>those who find themselves in gracious space, no matter the means,
>know there are options, choices.This was true with the 50
>Palestinians and Israelis gathered in Rome, and it is true wherever
>conflict is made creative when folks have enough room to move about.
>A little Open Space, as it were. As I read my morning papers, listen
>to the news, check in with my colleagues around the world, -- I
>cannot help but feel that gracious space is in short supply. If
>there was nothing to be done, I surely would go fishing. But that is
>not the case, and so I find myself engaged in vigorous conversation.
>
>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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--
"On the other side of right doing and wrong doing, there is a field,
- I will meet you there."  Rumi

Toke Paludan Møller, InterChange, Dialogue Architects - Learning
Space hosts - by the river at Days like this,  Gudenåvej 60,
Voervadsbro, 8660 Skanderborg, Phone +45 702013 35   - Mobile  +45
2616 6919  http://www.interchange.dk  Home office at the lake -
Stengaardsvej 5 A,   8600 Silkeborg, Denmark

Some of the work  we are  currently involved in:
* Open Space training, Denmark   http://www.concept-for-hire.dk/ostraining
* Knowledge mentorship training, Denmark  - BDOScanRevison - http://www.bdo.dk
* The Open Space Village,  Castle Borl,, Slovenia http://village.borl.org
* The Kufunda Village - learning center, Zimbabwe, http://www.kufunda.org
* Obraz - an emerging leadership education in Zagreb, Croatia








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