Properties of circles

Sat Jan 10 08:23:18 PST 2004

Oh, I love it when we pull the covers off of Chris, or -- as in this
case -- Chris shows his real hand. Always more going on than meets the
eye. And Michael shares my own feeling/observation that when doing an
OS, the less said the better. Form the circle and move on. Or maybe Be
the Circle, and don't talk about it.

That said, this circle of conversation is grand. And to pick up a point
that Michael raised -- Other geometries of meeting exist and are used --
each with their own peculiar ambience. I find it instructive to think
about them, and those thoughts always bring me back to the primacy of
the circle as truly fundamental to meaningful and deep human
communication.

Typical geometries would include the rectangle (as in sitting at a
table) -- and my experience is that every time folks get in this pattern
the mode is negotiation and dominance -- It is "our side" vs "your
side". And of course all eyes go to the head of the table in search of
the leader. If two individuals are sitting at either end, you are very
likely to have a tug of war. You don't have to say a thing -- it just
happens. It is interesting to note that what starts out as a friendly
lunch can quickly degenerate into a us and them. And I think the culprit
is the table (rectangle).

And then of course we have the Dense Square -- otherwise know as
classroom arrangement. There is a certain advantage with this in that it
eliminates ambiguity. No question about who is in charge, and what the
general status of combatants might be. Those sitting in rows are stupid,
and the one(s)at the front is smart. Only one thing to do -- Sit Down!
Shut up! Take notes!

I'll take the circle every time.

Harrison

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
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Chris
Corrigan
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 11:09 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Properties of circles

Hi Michael, and others:

Okay, let me rephrase this.  I'm not looking for a script for opening,
I'm looking for more perspectives on what circles do for process.  It's
a theoretical question, not one of practical significance!  How's that
for candour?

Seriously, I am interested in this primarily because I am currently
looking at how process is a significant arena of colonization and why
recovery and transcendence of indigenous process is a truer and deeper
form of decolonization than simple systemic change.

As part of this inquiry, naturally I have been working with circles,
both in Open Space and in other process, including many indigenous
processes here in Canada.  And I have noticed that circles have
important impacts on process both from an observational view and from
the perspective of a participant.

And thus my inquiry about what other have observed circles "doing."

So?

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
> Pannwitz, Michael M
> Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 3:18 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Properties of circles
>
> Dear Chris,
> just walk the circle and get people to focus on each other.
> Skip the rest.
> Greetings from Berlin
> mmp
>
>
> On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 15:00:48 -0800, Chris Corrigan wrote:
>
> >Hi folks:
> >
> >I was writing out the basic script that I use for opening OST
meetings
> >last night and while reading it I noticed that I spend a lot of time
> >introducing people to the ideas and properties of circles.  I think
> >circles are fundamentally important to process, and so I'm collecting
> >other people's notes and properties of circles.
> >
> >So here is my script with the three things I usually do to bring the
> >circle to awareness.  Have a read and then ask yourself what you can
add
> >to this.  What are the other cool properties of circles?
> >
> >                Circles are really rather neat forms of geometry
because
> >they force us to have a look at things in a particular way.   For
> >example in a circle, we don't really know who "the leader" is.  In
fact
> >we may be forgiven for thinking that the leader is either not here,
or
> >is each one of us.  And as a leader who is not here cannot do
anything,
> >it must be that each one of is a leader.
> >
> >                Also circles teach us that there are some things that
> >can only be done by groups.  For example, you will notice that this
> >circle of chairs isn't really a very good circle.  It's actually a
> >strangely distorted ellipse.  That is because for one person to set
up a
> >perfect circle of chairs on their own is a nearly impossible task.
But
> >I'll show you a small miracle.  I'll stand in the centre here and ask
> >all of you to stand by your chairs.  Now square up so that you are
> >facing me and when you've done that check to see that you are sitting
> >slightly behind your two neighbours.  Now sit down.  Have a look
around.
> >You have just made a perfect circle.  This is something only a group
can
> >do and it took only a few seconds.  If I had had to do that it would
> >have taken me hours.  This is important to note.  It's as if we all
> >carry the coordinates for calibrating a circle within us but they can
> >only be activated by acting along with several others.
> >
> >                Finally, here's one more thing about a circle.  If I
> >stand in the middle then you will all agree that you are looking at
me.
> >But none of you will agree that you have the same view of me.  You
can
> >see me, but your perspective is absolutely unique.  It is not shared
by
> >anyone else.  We agree on the object of our observation but none of
us
> >share the same perspective.  Remember that today as we work on these
> >issues.  Without each perspective we would not have a full picture.
If
> >you were all behind me then none of you could say with certainty that
I
> >had a face.  By surrounding me we have the whole picture, but we have
to
> >ask one another about the pieces that we are missing.  If you folks
> >sitting behind me want to know how many fingers I'm holding up, you
have
> >to ask this person I'm facing.  That's how it is with problems too.
> >Remember that today.
> >
> >
> >So what else can we build into our openings about circles?
> >
> >Chris
> >
> >[PS Florian.some of this probably qualifies as "even"]
> >
> >
> >
> >---
> >CHRIS CORRIGAN
> >Bowen Island, BC, Canada
> >http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> >chris at chriscorrigan.com
> >
> >(604) 947-9236
> >
> >*
> >*
> >==========================================================
> >OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> >------------------------------
> >To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> >view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
> >Visit:
> >
> >http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
>
> Noch 8 Plätze zu vergeben zur 3. Lernwerkstatt für open space-
> BegleiterInnen vom 25. bis 28. Januar 2004 in Vlotho. Jetzt anmelden
> www.michaelmpannwitz.de/o_lernwerkstatt2004.htm
>
> Michael M Pannwitz, boscop
> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> FON: +49 - 30-772 8000   FAX: +49 - 30-773 92 464
> www.michaelMpannwitz.de
> www.openspace-landschaft.de
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
> Visit:
>
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html