the dark side of circle practices -- and related themes

Tue Jul 13 07:02:26 PDT 2004

Zelle -- I think you have hit the nail precisely on the head. We need all the help we can get when it come to being fully and productively in the moment -- a clear witness to the ongoing power of self organization. I think it also becomes clear that the task is also a very simple one -- Just be in the moment. No learning, no technique will get us there, and while all (AI, Dialogue etc) can be helpful in terms of pointing us in the right direction, helping with first steps, reminding us of what is important . . . At the end of the day you just have to Do it. In my own experience, there comes a point when the details and complexities of the techniques (approaches) stand in the way of the experience. Case(s) in point were the several instances when a colleague suggested doing a Dialogue in the midst of an Open Space. Although I deeply respect the process and the thought/research that lies behind it -- I also found the experience annoyingly restrictive. Doubtless my annoyance arose from my innately prickly personality -- but I found myself wondering why we were engaged in this elaborate process when dialogue (small "d") was happening all around us, all by itself. Don't talk about it, don't think about it, don't "process it" -- just do it. I have had the same experience with AI. There is absolutely no question that the insights and approach embodied in AI can and does bring a group of people to some good places they may never have visited before. But again -- when difference is appreciated as a matter of course -- as often seems to be the case in Open Space (self-organizing system) why not just appreciate the appreciation?

My real hope in raising some the issues that I have was/is to open some space beyond Open Space Technology, Appreciative Inquiry, Dialogue, Community building and the like. If it is true that difference is appreciated, deep conversation achieved, community enlivened, etc -- all as the natural concomitant of a well functioning self-organizing system -- how do we build on that? This is not so much a matter of "doing a better Open Space" -- but rather doing better in the open space of our lives. In "The Practice of Peace" I attempted to use what I perceive to be the learnings from Open Space (start with invitation, convene a circle, welcome passion and responsibility) as a first approximation. But I think it is only that, a first approximation. Where do we go from here?

Harrison
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Zelle Nelson 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Monday, July 12, 2004 6:25 PM
  Subject: Re: the dark side of circle practices -- and related themes

  some thoughts on our role as facilitator...

  Harrison Owen wrote:

...And what about all those other great experiments -- Dialogue, Appreciative
Inquiry, Community Building, and I suppose "Circle practices" (although I am
not quite sure what they are)? Speaking just for my self -- I must say that
each of these have been profound teachers. From the practitioners of
Dialogue I have learned what intense and productive communication can be
like. From Appreciative Inquiry I have learned the incredible power of a
positive, appreciate approach to my fellow human beings. And from Scott Peck
and Co. I have learned much about the nature and function of effective human
community. Each of these has opened my eyes, sharpened my attention, and
raised my expectations in terms of what and how we can function at optimal
levels both individually and collectively. But my deepest learning occurs
when with open sharpened,  eyes I see exactly the same things happening in
Open Space -- all by themselves, and all without the overt intervention of
some prescribed, facilitated process. I find my emerging conclusion to be
basically mind-blowing -- although some may take it to mean that I have
blown (lost) my mind. It seems to me that genuine dialogue, deep
appreciation of difference, and the manifestation of real community are all
the natural concomitants of any fully functional self-organizing system. If
this is true, the real focus should be on enabling/allowing the
self-organizing system (which we all are) to do what it alone can do --
rather than trying to "fix" apparent and real problems encountered along the
way with special interventions and added processes, as fascinating as those
processes and interventions might be. As I said, Don't fix it if it ain't
broke -- just make sure that "it" (good old self organizing system) has
plenty of time and space in which to breath.

Harrison

  Zelle writes:

  I'm oscillating between two prime pillars: 1) Learning and adopting tools (Appreciative Inquiry, Dialog, etc.) to help us interact ultimately in a state of grace*** 2) Living, being, experiencing as our path to learning and as a way of life.

  ***sidebar*** Living in a State of Grace means coming from a place where peace is our ultimate goal in any relationship rather than striving to keep the status quo of a relationship at any cost. When we hold onto our idea of a relationship at any cost we are coming from a place of fear - fear of loss, fear of pain - Living in a State of Grace does not mean we hold the relationship as a sacred cow, but rather we hold the people involved as sacred. I never want to see you walking down the street and feel I need to cross over to the other side to avoid talking to you, whether we agree on certain issues or not. To learn more about how to more fully live in a State of Grace visit www.stateofgracedocument.com***

  The way of being I hold is a paradox. In Open Space I can use the tools I've learned towards better relationships with others and myself. And I can practice being in Open Space, living as the waves and tides of my internal and external world compel me to move, act, speak, listen, and be. I seek to live by the principles of Open Space, since I see the act of formally opening space as an acknowledgment of what is already out there to be lived. I need neither skills nor advanced training to take responsibility for myself and my passions, yet in my experience, I more richly engage in bountiful relationships when I utilize skills and tools which I have been taught or have created to facilitate living the reality of responsibility and passion.

  To address what Harrison wrote:  
"It seems to me that genuine dialogue, deep
appreciation of difference, and the manifestation of real community are all
the natural concomitants of any fully functional self-organizing system. If
this is true, the real focus should be on enabling/allowing the
self-organizing system (which we all are) to do what it alone can do --
rather than trying to "fix" apparent and real problems encountered along the
way with special interventions and added processes, as fascinating as those
processes and interventions might be."Having learned many skills and tools which enable me to better know how I wish to be in relationship with others has greatly enhanced my ability to act and move within a "formally" - being in circle, stating the law and principles, creating a marketplace of ideas - opened space. I am more "fully functional" within a "self-organizing system" because of the tools I have learned. Leaving space open for others to learn techniques within the bounds of a "formally" opened space, in my experience, can be beneficial. Our challenge as facilitators of Open Space is to know when to hold um and know when to fold um - know when to offer aid in facilitating dynamically changing relationships and when to simply hold space for each individual to find their own way and their own learning. As I've seen from posts here and heard from discussions with colleagues the ultimate path to knowing when to do what comes full circle back to following our passion and our responsibility on an individual basis as spirit arises. 

  When "formally" holding space I like to provide opportunities for topics to be posted relevant to facilitating the resolution of the questions addressed in the invitation, including opportunities for learning tools and processes that foster fruitful relationships. These opportunities must, in my opinion be as voluntary as the other topics which arise. Often these opportunities are offered outside of the "formally" opened space and are not a prerequisite of being involved in an Open Space event.

  In my experience once I "formally" open space I rarely do anything but hold space and try to bounce back any attempts to bring me in to facilitate a discussion, by saying something like, "This part of the meeting is yours. You have the ability and the responsibility to follow your own two feet and solve problems and challenges on your own." Outside of "formally" opened space I tend to still stay out of trying to "teach" something that I "know" unless I am invited to do so.

  In my experience tools and skills which help us to be more fully present in dynamic relationships (Appreciative Inquiry, Dialogue, State of Grace Documents, Byron Katie's Loving What Is) focus on 
"enabling/allowing the self-organizing system (which we all are) to do what it alone can do"Do we need these tools to be and self-organize into active, responsible, passionate bodies? - No. Do these tools enable and allow self organizing systems to be more fulfilling, fruitful, and rewarding? - In my experience, Yes. As long as these tools and skills are not "required" as a ticket for admission into a seemingly open space.

  With Grace and Love, 

  Zelle 

  ************ 
  Zelle Nelson 
  Engaging the Soul at Work/Know Place Like Home/State of Grace Document 

  www.stateofgracedocument.com 

  zelle at maureenandzelle.com 
  office - 828.693.0802 
  mobile - 847.951.7030 

  Ravenswood - Isle of Skye 
  2021 Greenville Hwy 
  Flat Rock, NC 28731 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Artur Silva" <arturfsilva at yahoo.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2004 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: the dark side of circle practices

  --- chris macrae <wcbn007 at easynet.co.uk> wrote:

    The process starts erring to absolute democracy of
everyone must have
equal time contributions to speak at each phase
      (...) In other
    word's the circle's communal harmony ... can
      co-create such
    deep love of nice
behaviours to each other that it misses the biggest
spiral out above our
communal thinking's common denominator
      That's interesting, Chris.

I have been, at times, in situations like that one -
circles (or squares) where everyone must "be in
place", must "speak in his turn" and must have a "nice
behavior".

They call this democratic, but in fact it is a
dictatorship. In a democracy I can stay silent if I
want. When everyone is obliged to speak that is not
democratic. This can be a "rules' dictatorship"
(created by the rules previously defined,) a "leader's
dictatorship" (the leader(s) imposes that everyone
must speak), or even a more interesting type - a
"majority's dictatorship" (where the rule is created
at the moment by the majority).

Apart from claiming to be democratic, this type of
groups/sessions also claim that they are following
"good principles". The two I have heard more often are
"appreciation" (like in "appreciative inquiry") and
"dialog".

Democracy (and Open Space) are made of dialogs AND of
discussions. If one suppresses discussion and impose
dialog (as in "everyone must be nice to each other and
hear the other with appreciation") then there is no
democracy and no open space, I think.

Apart from the fact that there are some people that I
don't want to hear with appreciation (say, Bush, to
give only one example) the point is even more strange.
"Playing the appreciative game" (an expression I have
created just know) is only one form of "playing games"
- and that is the essence of Argyris and Schon's Model
1.

If, in a meeting or organization, one imposes dialog
and appreciation, then a close session or organization
will come to place.

Artur

PS: I never heard to call this "circle" and even less
Open Space. But I would not be too surprised if some
would call that. I have already referred to a
respectable group of practitioners of "Communities of
Practice", USA based, that not long ago claimed that
they had used "Open Space" (OST) in a meeting because:

- they assembled in a circle
- they gave participants the opportunity to ADD issues
to a large group of issues pre-prepared by the
organizers
- they divided the large group in small groups to
discuss those issues (by choice of the organizers, if
I recall well - but I recall well that there was no
reference to "the law" - people were not expected to
leave their group! That would not be considered
"appreciative" to the other group members, I
suspect...)

But don't worry about what some people do "in your
name", Harrison. You can always remember what some
have done (and are doing) in His name. And at least
about you I know that you exists - something I am not
prepared to say about the Other...

__________________________________
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