Givens (was: Already-thereness, Empowerment and Such)

[Birgitt Williams]

Hi Michael,
I've never considered myself as "lurking". Interesting notion. I always feel
deeply engaged whether I am choosing gentle silence or whether, by the time
I get to the OS list postings, there are so many great replies, there
needn't be another from me. I wonder if we could influence the language of
"lurking" to recognizing real engagement. For a few days, I do have the
opportunity to respond and I am having fun doing so. Thank you.

I am fond of "givens" as you know. I believe that part of why OST works is
that it does so by "invitation" and I have always thought it was important
for people to know what they were being invited to. As facilitators we get
so familiar with OST that we take many things for granted, including that
OST fits within our core beliefs or we would not be doing it and it does not
fit in with core beliefs of everyone. They experience a real challenge to
their concept of reality. Not a control issue, but a bigger one when reality
(as an individual perceives it)  itself appears to be challenged. And then
within that, there is "what the meeting is for" and "what the meeting is not
for" and through the right theme and givens, we do our best to communicate
this. For me, then when a person accepts their invitation, they are making
an informed consent.

What I find very challenging in setting up for the OST meeting, but much
more so in assisting in the development of the conscious Open Space
Organization, it to get rid of all of the illusions that are not really
"givens" at all. Most organizations have mostly illusion, co-illusion,
collusion and getting down to what really is "non-negotiable cuts through
that and in the situation of the conscious OSO, usually creating real fear
of loss (of power). The push back to get at what the "givens" really are and
to get particularly a management team to agree on them is very healing.

Your way of "forms" may well get at the same thing.
Birgitt

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Michael
Herman
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 4:44 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Givens (was: Already-thereness, Empowerment and Such)


welcome back, birgitt... yes you've been here lurking and
sometimes posting all along, but you feel more here than
what has been usual for some time, so am glad for that!

the notion of givens has been very helpful and also limiting
for me over the years.  i like the notion of degrees of
freedom, but never found a good way to explain it to my
satisfaction and comfort...   lately i've taken to talking
about FORMS in the planning of a meeting...

-forms of opening (the invitation, also interview/planning
questions),
-forms of focus (ultimately and minimally the invitation
list, but this might include many of the things you've
called givens, along the way), then also
-forms of meeting/space (logistics, amt of time), and
finally
-forms of footprint/documentation/activity afterward, how to
support ongoing open space.

for those prone to seeing things in wilber/arrien terms
you'll map these easily enough to those four quadrants,
loosely stated as...

-purpose/passion/caring
-vision/direction/culture
-structure/support
-power/action


m

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
300 West North Avenue #1105
Chicago IL 60610 USA
phone: 312-280-7838

http://www.michaelherman.com
http://www.globalchicago.net

...inviting organization into movement

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