lights &/ shadows?

[BrendanMcKeague]

Great question Susanne - you wrote:
My second issue is about that phenomen, that people seems to get always
empowered by open space, taking more responsibility, contribute if you let
them ... and than they go on with it, but the former mode of control from
the top often rebuilds quite fast, cause managers, supervisors, executives
have to give up control. Like: wow, it´s so much better without us.
So what positiv point could they make to "loosing" or "give up" control?
What could be attractiv about that to them?
What if they would make themselfs unneccesary in the whole process of the
organization?
My experience to date is that the Open Space 'event' is not of itself 
sufficient to ensure that any lasting change takes place in an organisation 
- some folks will go back to the 'real world' (whatever that is) and seek 
to fall back into patterns of previous behaviors and control - some of this 
is understandable and indeed necessary  - good management is important as 
Harrison and others have written about -
I facilitated a two-day Open Space with a management group (60+ 
managers)  in a large Hospital system last week and beseeched them :) them 
that, if go there for an operation or surgical procedure, I hope they 
ignore everything I've just said about 'whenever it starts, law of two feet 
etc..."

The journey into an Open Space organisation is one I am only beginning, 
having facilitated a number of OS events during the past four years -  my 
best guess is that it's going to be different with each 
organisation/community - some managers will 'give up control' fairly 
quickly and intentionally because they see that it works (that's attractive 
enough to some managers/sponsors) - others may hang on to the 'illusion of 
control'  for a while longer while experimenting more with OS and feeling 
their way in response to the 'power of spirit'  and the inspired 
performances that follow - for others it will be business as usual and 
whatever....who knows

My take on this is from a perspective of my facilitation/consultancy role - 
I am called to be faithful to the journey - the principles and process of 
OS work for me as a life-map of sorts - if folks, managers or otherwise 
wish to embrace the essence of OS for whatever reason makes sense to them, 
then I'm happy to journey along with them - if they invite me.....and have 
some fun...

Cheers
Brendan


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