OST, OSO, OSW... (an overall coment on "It always works revisited")

[Larry Peterson]

"whatever happens is what could have" to be a general law of the world
or a general principle of Spirit. On the contrary, in a world where so
many of us refuse to fight for a better and Open World, letting the
playfield free for those that pollute the earth, but also the bodies and
hearts of the citizens of the world, I think that using at this level
the "whatever happens is what could have" is dangerous and, sorry for
saying that, even irresponsible."  -- Autur

I have a couple of responses Autur.  One as a social activist who worked
his buns off to change the nature of homelessness in Canada.  My social
analysis led me to see the root causes of so many things, but
particularly homelessness as things that "could" have been different.
It could have been different if -- even to the point of saying that if I
had done something different in my youth -- protested harder, loved
more, had Paul's faith, gone to church more, become a celibate, not
rebelled against my parents.  I am convinced that had people,
governments, citizens, Hitler, Mohammed all made different choices it
could have been different.  But, they did not make different choices and
I cannot remake those choices now.  I can only learn from "whatever
happened" and make the choice I can make now.  It is liberating for me
to assume that "what ever happened was the only thing that could have".
It is where we have gotten from the combination of choices that were
made -- and like Ken Wilbur I think all of reality makes choices in
becoming what it is in every moment, not just people.

I do believe it empowers participants in Open Space Technology to also
assume that during the time together "what ever happens is the only
thing that could have".  It does help me and others to attend to what is
possible now -- and do it (or not).

As for Ongoing Open Space always working.  The relationship of an Open
Space Technology event to an ongoing organizational form is the learning
journey I am on with others.  Large, complex, hierarchical organizations
will not become OS organizations because of an event or a series of
events.  It can enable such an organization to experience "flow" to
function at another level.  But it does not eliminate the hierarchy or
the need for it in that organization.  It can "transcend and include".
But include means the best of what has worked in the past (whatever
happened) to get that organization where it is.  It takes a shift to
another level of consciousness, culture, behaviour and system
interaction -- all levels and all quadrants for an existing complex
organization to become an OSO.  They are not there yet, most of us are
not either -- whatever happens is the only thing that could've.

You can tell I've been home with a cold.

Larry

Larry Peterson
Associates in Transformation
Toronto, ON, Canada
416.653.4829

larry at spiritedorg.com
www.spiritedorg.com

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