Re (long): [OSLIST] Already-thereness, Empowerment and Such

[WB-TrainingConsultingDevelopment]

Dear E-group

I really do love this thread and this emerging collective intelligence. Wow!

Givens are given
facts are made (lat.)

I agree with Artur here

The problem is -once again -
a problem of relationship
between using the map
and voyaging the territory

The word 'facts' has changed its sense
since the Romans introduced it

Bernd

On Tue, 18 Feb 2003 13:44:08 EST, Joelle Lyons Everett wrote:
Artur--

Great to hear your voice again.

Many good things to think about in your posts, but I'd just like to respond
to you just about the question of who gives the "givens."

In a recent Open Space I facilitated, the director did not give a very clear
description of the organization's situation in her opening remarks.  So, on
the second morning, a young member of her staff posted a new session.  He
said, "I will convene a session for anyone who wants to come, and I want to
ask the questions that are on my mind.  I hope that someone from the
leadership team will be there to help me find the answers."

The director agreed to do that, and most of the group was in the session.  He
asked his questions, the director answered.  And a young woman went to the
flip chart, saying "I'm just going to write down what we know about this."
An hour and a half later, everyone's burning questions had been answered
(although even the director had no answers about some of them).  And the
group had two sheets of flip chart paper listing what we might call "the
givens" of the situation.

I do not think that they were the givens of the director or the leadership
team, but they were a description of the complex and changing reality of the
organization and its relationship to funding agencies, staff and clients. I
liked the woman's use of the term "what we know about this"--I think this is
a more-accurate phrase than "givens."

When the group felt that they had a better understanding of "where we are,"
they were more ready to think about how they might go forward.

Much food for thought in your posts, and all the earlier parts of this
conversation.  It is amazing to me to just open my e-mail in a quiet, cloudy
day and find people all around the world joining in this deep conversation!

Joelle

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