It always works - but why? (long)

[Artur Ferreira da Silva]

Dear colleagues:

This is an old question - from time to time, one of us comes to this and
tries to give a (provisional) answer and we engage in a dialogue on that. I
normally refer to this Why-question as a matter of the "foundations of OST"
(not sure if it is a good translations for the Portuguese "fundamentos" -
the fundamental reasons why something works the way it works)

In this days, having as a focal point the Portuguese Public Administration
transformation, and the role that OST and OST based e-forums can have on
it, I got back to the why-question. (It's interesting that a new "focus"
normally implies that one is obliged to review a lot of mental models
previously accepted and try to change them (or not) and/or inter-relate
them in a different way).

So let me recall the evolution of my thoughts about the problem during
these last few years. My account is probably useless to many of you. And a
repetition for others. Sorry about that...

First, when I joined this list, some years ago, I understood "the reasons
why OST works" as: (1) a matter of experience and tales of success and (2)
on a more theoretical level "the principles and law" (P&L).

Later, reading the Guide, the P&L was somehow relegated to a corner and in
the front of the scene were other things - the circle, the breath, the
market place, the bulletin board, enough diversity, passion and
responsibility, the "preparation" for the event (definition of a broad
theme, inviting all interested parties, etc - not to speak that it was
presented through a convincing "story telling"...

Could these be the foundations of OST? Could the circle, market place, etc
be more "fundamental" then the so-called "principles" themselves? Could it
be that these "foundations” could suspend the "current meeting routines"
that normally inhibit learning, as well as success in coping with the
problems at hand, creating new conditions, more life nurturing, for the
event? Please note that, in this sense, to open the space would mean to
suspend, for the duration of the event (or for a longer time as in OSO),
the current "closed rules" of many organizations. That is probably the
reason I liked the Tiger...

There was also the explanation of when OST works best (can someone direct
me to the original version, please?):

- High levels of Complexity
- High levels of Diversity
- High levels of Conflict (actual or potential)
- A solution needed for yesterday

But are those the conditions for OST to work best or are they the
preconditions for OST to work at all? Indeed all this was closely related
with chaos theory and complex adaptative systems.

Later, reading "Expanding our Now" and specially "Spirit", the P&L were
again in the foreground. But I hade already something different working in
the background...

Still later, Harrison summarized to us Kauffman's pre-conditions for
self-organization as follows:

1) a relatively safe nutrient environment
2) high levels of diversity and the potential for complex inter-relationships
3) a drive for improvement (search for fitness)
4) sparse prior connections
5) edge of chaos.

So the problem is: do our current ordinary organizations have those
preconditions? I still think that the answer is no. The environment in our
organizations (not to speak about our world) is neither safe, nor nutrient,
the diversity is restricted by power relations, there are rigid
connections, and one can question if there is any drive for real
improvement... So I conclude that our organizations are much more closed
than open, as well as our world - hence the need for opening the space.

Of course, I know that I am now dealing with an organization that is more
rigid than many others, but the majority of the organizations I know are,
in a sense, "closed". And only a few are "learning organizations" (and
mostly companies, for that matter). But even if you don't agree with that
general statement, please accept that I am dealing with a quite rigid
organization


Do you have any suggestions of how and why can OST be used to help to open
such a rigid organization?

Thanks

Artur

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html