Conversing about..."the right conditions"

[Chris Corrigan]

Whatever conditions are present are the right conditions for whatever
happens is the only thing that could have happened.

Seriously.

I think the second principle refers to the fact that no matter what
initial conditions are present, whatever happens is the only thing that
could have.  It sounds like a tautology, but I think of it more as a Zen
koan.  It is supposed to bring your consciousness to a place that
accepts the fact that "should" is an extremely useless word when we are
dealing with an expanded now.

As for the conditions that make Open Space really hum, I go back to
Harrison's elegantly stated four: passion, diversity, complexity and
urgency.  The more of each, the better the process works.

And that, for many facilitators and managers, is another paradox.

Chris

---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com

(604) 947-9236






> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Artur
> Ferreira da Silva
> Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 11:18 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Conversing about..."the right conditions"
>
> Hello again:
>
> For someone like myself that has problems with the capitalized word
Spirit
> (as well as with some other capitalized words) and with the wording of
the
> "principle" that says "whatever happens is the only thing that could
have"
> I felt very surprised as I completely agree with this formulation
(from
> Alan's, "The Conversing Company"):
>
> "... When people interact under the right conditions, spirit or
> intelligence emerges automatically - it is the only thing that could
> have".
>
> The way I see the "right conditions" to be present, or not, are the
> following:
>
> - In "normal organizations", using current meeting methodologies, the
> wrong
> conditions are normally present - they are "closed" by rules and
> regulations, both explicit and tacit.
>
> - In our outside macro-world the wrong conditions are normally present
> (see
> the Middle East or Iraq - before and now - to give only two examples -
> maybe three).
>
> - Inside our heads the wrong conditions are normally present  - as
> obsolete
> "mental models".
>
> For the space to be open it is necessary that someone opens it AND
that
> the
> "right conditions" are defined/clarified in the first place. Those
right
> conditions are not only the OST principles and law but also: the
correct
> preparation, the fact that all stakeholders with enough diversity are
> invited (but not obliged, directly or indirectly) to participate, a
right
> and open theme is addressed, etc.
>
> I would very much like to see what others think that are the "right
> conditions" for "whatever happens is the only thing that could happen"
to
> be true.
>
> Regards
>
> Artur
>
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