What is the Question?

[Harrison Owen]

In our recent discussion of "The Givens" it may have appeared that I was
dismissive of looking at all that. And the truth of the matter is that I
have found myself spending little time with clients on the subject before
opening space with them. But that is only part of the story. It is not that
I think The Givens are inconsequential, not worthy of discussion, but rather
that  (for me) they are always secondary to The Question - which eventually
turns into the theme. Why are we doing all this anyhow? What, or where, is
the heart of the matter?  

In a private note, Brendan McKeague wrote as follows:

In preparing for Open Space with a community, we always need to identify
'what is the key question here?'.  There is no point in gathering people
around an issue that does not touch their passion, their excitement, their
energy or their spirit. Oftentimes, organizations or communities do not
really wish to name the real issue, preferring to skirt around it, remaining
in denial, using avoidance tactics like procrastination or other subtle
forms of resistance. It takes a brave leader to stand up and declare that
the 'Emperor has no clothes' and that it is now time to confront the key
issue(s) facing this organization so that we can address these and move on.



Brendan expresses my feeling and experience very exactly. And I guess what I
have found is that when we (I) zero in on The Question, and go as deeply as
I can (or the folks are willing to go), The Givens take on a secondary
importance, or else are so obvious as not to need discussion, which may be
the same thing. I wonder if others have had a similar experience.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>

Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
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