The Wellness Revolution for Organizations

[Harrison Owen]

At 07:11 AM 5/10/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>why talking --?
>why not listening to the words of people, folks, client --?
>learning their language

I sort of feel like I have fallen into the middle of a conversation -- not
having a clue what Birgitt said that started all this -- but no matter. I
think the conversation is good and useful. The thing about listening is
that a response is required, I think. So talking and listening go together.
I can't agree more that we should listen attentively to the words that the
folks use before jumping in with the "correct" words, no matter how we may
define correctness. And then there is the response, and if it is to be a
good response, it must come from our authentic selves -- not some self that
we create for the occasion. Now, how about that word "Spirit"? Since I have
begun two of my several books with the announcement, "This book is about
Spirit and the ways Spirit forms and transforms in organizations..." I can
scarcely be accused of being a blushing violet when it comes to the S word.
I have been told that I have been very brave/crazy (take your pick) to talk
this way, particularly when my intended audience was businesses and such.
But somehow it never really felt that way. After all Spirit is a word we
use all the time, as in "inspired." And who would ever bother to go and see
a football game (US or World) where the teams had no Spirit??? I think it
may be more about how you say it than what you say. If you get all weird
and secretive -- whispering Spirit -- folks do get a little off-put. On the
other hand if you just stand up and say it -- Let's get some Spirit in this
place! -- No problem. Or at least I've never had any problem.

So for me -- I just treat Spirit as the most important thing. What else?
And besides, how on earth would you ever talk about an Open Space without
using the word Spirit in some form or another? It beggars my imagination.


Harrison

>Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
phone 301-365-2093
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm

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