Academics from different disciplines

Thu Dec 2 18:40:37 PST 2004

Hi Peggy,

We met in Melbourne, and I've been off the List for a good while, and so
pleased to be back.

Here are some random thoughts, spontaneous and maybe useful to
hitch-hike with??  My observation is that when academics of like mind
(indeed any group sharing jargon) get together, they discuss in the
familiar vernacular and get lost in intellectual familiarity.  The
diversity will cause fantastic creative tension, push people to re-frame
what they say and how they say it, discover new meaning in their own as
well as other people's stuff.  I think this is what you've already said,
however some comment about how OS is made for diversity might be helpful
to Tom.  Your response is paraphrased perhaps...but if I was not
familiar with OS, I would want to know more about how to let go.  Yoiks,
what might the surprises be?

In Sociodrama, we would talk about the role that Tom is taking which is
something like Universal Fixer.  OS allows him to develop the roles of
Naive Observer, Skilled Questioner, Light-footed Dancer with Geeks.  If
it suits the circumstance, I might muse with/coach Tom about the roles
he might take in order to 'let go', to let him of the hook of I'm
responsible for all this'.  That's part of the beauty of OS too.  It's
so easy once you "get it".

Cheers, Ros.

____________________________________________

Ros Crompton
Professional Coach, Speaker, Facilitator
Momentum Learning
Phone: +61 3 9808 4202
Mobile/Cell: 0417 229 335
 <mailto: ros at momentum-learning.com> ros at momentum-learning.com
 <http://www.momentum-learning.com/> www.momentum-learning.com
____________________________________________

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Peggy
S. Holman
Sent: Friday, December 03, 2004 10:45 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: [OSLIST] Academics from different disciplines

Friends,

I'm looking for examples for a colleague I'm working with on a
conference.  He's expressed a concern about OS in a situation among a
group, mostly academics, from different disciplines.  I haven't yet
allayed his fears.  Our exchange on the subject is below.  I'd
appreciate any stories or words of counsel from you.

Thanks for any support on this,
Peggy

 1.  I am in the midst of reading George B. Dyson's DARWIN AMONG THE
> MACHINES: THE EVOLUTION OF GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE.  Brilliantly done,
very
> provocative.  Lots of stories of brilliant people in the last 400
years
> envisioning, inventing, getting in trouble, etc., co-creating (and
> co-being) the dense weave of our increasingly interdependent world of
> digital and human intelligence.
>
> Aside from the fact that Dyson should be on the waiting list for the
ES,
> there is the fact that I don't understand 10-15% of what he says due
to
> jargon and unfamiliar conceptual / experiential frames.  This made me
> wonder:  With the ES [Evolutionary Salon], we are bringing together a
fairly diverse group who
> have fairly diverse languages (jargons) and conceptual/ experiential
> frames.  Will those who are speaking be patient and capable enough to
> familiarize the newbies to their universes and languages?  Will some
of
> the newbies want to get clear each step of the way, while others will
just
> want to move on, riding over the grey areas of semi-comprehension in
> search of the light ahead?  Will people who already know the language
and
> worldview of the speaker tolerate slow-downs to help others catch up,
when
> they could be surging ahead to some new insight with their
same-worldview
> colleagues?
>
> I've never arranged a conference with this diversity of (not just
views
> but) languages and experiential groundings.  Do you
> folks have any ideas about helping such cross-disciplinary
conversations
> work?  I may have some other people I can ask if we don't have the
> expertise among us.
>
>MY RESPONSE
1.  To your concern about people understanding each other, please, let
it go, or be prepared to be surprised.  The beauty of open space is that
people get their needs met, with all their differences. It is DESIGNED
for diversity; it's where it shines.

BACK TO TOM:
>
> Thanks for the advice, Peggy.  Coming from you, I just might take it!
:-)
>
> But I'm still wary -- not so much as a participant (I can tolerate a
lot)
> but as a designer (I feel responsible for not making any bad judgments

> that could have been avoided).  I'm interested in stories involving
not
> just differences in viewpoint, experience, etc., but differences in
> academic expertise and language. Do you have examples of
interdisciplinary
> academic Open Spaces?

>
> When I try to envision being in an OS session with Dyson and a bunch
of
> geeks, I can feel that either they or I would walk out in frustration.

> That's the law of two feet at work.  AND it is a failure to bridge
between
> the two worlds --
> which, in our case, is the primary purpose of the gathering....  How
to
> satisfy both needs...
>

___________________________________
Peggy Holman
The Open Circle Company
15347 SE 49th Place
Bellevue, WA  98006
425-746-6274
www.opencirclecompany.com
peggy at opencirclecompany.com
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