Beyond "The Harrison thing" and OST professional orbit (somewhat long) was Fw: [Master Facilitator Journal] Opening Space for Natural Evolution

[Alan Stewart]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Harrison Owen 
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 7:44 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: [Master Facilitator Journal] Opening Space for Natural Evolution


About the current contents of this 'Master Facilitator Journal' ezine Harrison commented: 

Thanks for sharing this Alan. It is a very good summary of OS, I think -- and what I particularly enjoyed is that the author ran on for several pages -- even quoted me directly on a number of occasions -- and never mentioned my name. This is what I call being totally present and absolutely invisible.  Wonderful! With the appearance of stuff like this it is totally obvious that OS is well beyond being "The Harrison thing". Talk about the dissolution/damage of professional reputation -- this is the ultimate. It all disappeared in a grand void -- call it open space. And Thank God for that.  Harrison 

G'day Harrison (and All)


This 'play with ideas' was triggered by your note and in turn may evoke others' responses - perhaps even a posting at Bramstrup! - as your observations have implications for all of us "first generation 'spacers'."  

I see two separate yet related issues emerging from the review in the ezine for facilitators. 

Firstly I concur with you that your not being named is a 'wholesome' development. For not the least reason that having a name attached to an idea, concept or theory (for example, 'Personal Construct Theory' being called Kellian, after its inventor George Kelly), tends to render it a technique rather than a way of being.

Open Space is very much the latter, in my and many others experiencing, and as such it cannot be anybody's 'thing,' 


I would suggest though, that not having your name associated with Open Space has nothing to do with 'dissolution/damage of professional reputation.' For reputation has do with the stories associated with a person; this is how it is created and sustained.  

On this premise how is your reputation being damaged? For just one 'take' of what you have set in motion is: 

When historians in the future come to study the origins and early impact of OST and other conversational processes I suspect that they will be most fascinated by why, from the late 20th century, we humans (or at least some of us) chose to interact in ways which explicitly supported mutual respect, connectedness, transformation and emergent creativity - and that we found means to do this quite naturally. 


In ways which did not require that people who were addressing complex issues had particular training or experience, nor knowledge of complexity science or insight into theories of self organizing systems. 


I believe that the essence of OST will come to be seen as it being a very powerful yet gentle way of promoting respectful relating, through enabling people everywhere to notice and choose a preferred way of  being - and just do it. 

Further, the historians will also find wondrous accounts of how those of us [first generation 'spacers'] who were fortunate enough to know about your invention, have formal training and to adopt its precepts, were showered with gifts beyond price.

Including knowing that our combined efforts had some influence in bringing to widespread consciousness that 'letting go' of the illusion of control leads to forms of governance based on [actual] 'participatory democracy' at many levels. 


This outcome of transformation has arisen, as Romy noted so exquisitely in a posting recently forwarded by you (Fwd: Master Planning & opening space. Sun Aug 3, 2003):

 

"... [from planners and politicians] seeing that how genuinely aligning with the desires of the people (rather than doing so in theory only) GIVES them extraordinary power, rather than taking it away."



Related to this, I sense that it has also come about through the recognition that co-creating conditions in which 'all voices are heard' leads to the exact opposite of the anarchy which people 'in charge' fear will be let loose.   



Accounts of such experiencing, gathering momentum all around our little planet in less than 20 years since your release of OST into the public domain, are likely to resonate down the ages. 

 

While there is much further work to do to expand awareness of such seemingly counter intuitive perspectives, I believe that noting that increasing numbers of people are experiencing such a transformation is deeply affirming of the story so far.



On the second issue I also believe that it is going to be 'interesting' to observe the influence of people who see articles such as the above and try OST for themselves - without any connections to professional practitioners, training, or publications. As Larry in Toronto and doubtless others have commented: "Folk who are being exposed to OST from people who don't really understand it are not seeing the profound implications" - including having FUN. How may this 'phenomenon' fit with 'our'(?) principles?  



I wish you well for further silent (while not as 'noiseless' as you experienced just under two years ago) girding of your loins by the lake. 


With love

Alan
Adelaide

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