Can we be space invaders ?? - similar experiences

[Harrison Owen]

The red ink is nothing but my passion showing through... :-) Actually it is
just an easy way of separating replies from the original message. No
particular meaning intended. On the subject of Space Invaders -- it is
strange, but I really haven't seen a good one in years. However in the
"early days" we did have a few. If you have read my book (The User's Guide)
you will have met The Naked Lady. That was a good one. But for a long time
now, I haven't seen a one. Which makes me wonder, Why? And I don't really
have an answer. I doubt that the world has become less controlling, power
centered, big egoed etc. It may have something to do with maturity -- The
maturity of Open Space. Back in the old days, OS had never been done before
-- and everything else that was being done was accomplished with tight
agendas -- in other words lots of control. And of course it never quite
worked out the way the meeting planners anticipated. In fact in my
experience there even arose a small group of folks who took it upon
themselves to make sure that The Process (whatever the Process was) was up
ended -- palace coup sort of thing.. Revolutionary sorts. When they hit Open
Space, some of them just kept on keeping on. But surprise! No
revolutionaries needed, at least of that sort. Now I don't really think that
OS is that well known that everybody now feels they can say their piece
without storming the battlements -- but I think the difference may be with
us, the facilitators. We know, either by direct experience, or because we
have been brain-washed by the OS community that this stuff really works.
This reduces our anxiety -- and Space Invaders (at least the really good
ones) feed off facilitator anxiety. But if you are cool? Well they don't see
any blood in the water, and go off to find some other victims. Or better
yet, just hang up the space invader mantle and go to work. Maybe?

ho

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
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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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Marei
Kiele
Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 5:41 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Can we be space invaders ?? - similar experiences

Ups, red ink, big letters - what does this mean?


"Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net> wrote:
> ... Such an action (and I have only seen it happen once or twice)...

Dear Harrison,

I am very relieved hearing that you, with all your experiences, have only
seen this happen once or twice. I heard about space invaders again and again
as if they occured in every third open space but haven't witnessed one yet.
I asked myself "How do we decide when to name somebody a space invader" and
I always felt uncomfortable with the idea of tagging a person this way. Kind
of too easy: "Shut up, you are invading the space" (exaggerating, of
course).

And the way you describe your dealing with the situations sounds good to me.
Not easy, for sure, but real open space. Making perceptible what is there,
what is possible inside an organisation and what is not - sometimes the best
thing to do.

Thank you,
Marei



"Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net> schrieb:
>
> Marei wrote: So if I believed in the idea of space invaders (which for me
is
> a theoratical construction I don't like very much - who decides when space
> is invaded and when not?)

>
> The simple answer to your question is that the participants decide. And
they
> do and they will. The function of the facilitator (or at least my function
> when facilitating) is to keep the space open so that a decision can be
made.
> This can be interesting, if only because the Space Invaders in my
experience
> are mostly interested in closing the space down. Things become
particularly
> interesting if the Space Invader, by whatever name, happens to be the
> President of the Company. Suddenly it occurs to him or her that things are
> getting out of control - and in words of some sort he/she says, "Folks,
It's
> my way or the highway." Space closed.
>
>
>
> Such an action (and I have only seen it happen once or twice) eliminates
all
> possibility of discussion, decision - and of course Open Space. As the
> facilitator, this puts me in a very curious spot. I have come (and
committed
> to) open space. Unless the Space Invader shows up in the first moments
> (which I have never seen), certain promises have been made implicitly and
> explicitly. You (the participants) are important. What you think is
> important. Your issues are important - all of that has been communicated
to
> the participants. And I have been very central in that communication. If
> nothing else it now becomes a matter of my integrity, to say nothing of
the
> integrity of the Open Space. So what to do?
>
>
>
> It really is not my meeting. And so if everybody just wants to sit there
and
> be miserable - that is obviously their choice, and they will make it. I
see
> it as my responsibility to open the space up sufficiently so that a choice
> can be made, and simultaneously, everybody can recognize that they are
> making a choice - even if they sit there and do nothing. How to do that
will
> vary with the situation.
>
>
>
> Harrison
>

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