OST as an "halfway technology"

[BJ Peters]

Right On Judi-- You will see that others of us agree with you! Here's
to the work you do opening more space. Best --BJ

On Monday, May 17, 2004, at 09:12 AM, Judi Richardson wrote:

> Hello Harrison and all,
>
> I have not read all the replies to Harrison's posting as I received the
> initial posting and printed it off to take with me as I travelled to
> Open
> Space for an international conference on Globalization.
>
> I am responding to your posting now that 140 participants have
> generated 40
> topics and moved to their groups.  A teacher arrived last minute with
> 30
> high school students -- and, as always, they add amazing things to the
> group.  I shall catch up on the replies to your posting upon my return.
>
> I was curious at the Halfway Technology statement and
>
> I see OST as a complete process.  We, as human beings, are here to
> evolve.
> For a point in time, people agree to gather, to suspend disbelief
> around
> some principles and one law.  In your posting, Harrison, you eluded
> that we
> do this just to be what we already are.  I consider the objective
> mirror of
> OST -- time out of time -- as a chance to see ourselves as we are --
> and
> once we do that we have to change.  I would love it if people see some
> of
> the habitual patterns they develop -- and drop those to become more of
> what
> we are -- fearlessly.
>
> Who am I to have the audacity to expect the group to go further?  It is
> their process.  It is up to their passion and responsbility to go
> further.
>
> You state, Harrison, that it would seem that OST is not to be
> considered.
> Why beat the drum of what we don't want?  I find more and more who
> want to
> explore the OST process -- in training and in practice.  I facilitated
> OST
> for 38 B. Ed. students once and they started doing their presentations
> with
> OST -- no training -- worked myself right out of a job there!
>
> My wanting more for an organization would be "closing space" -- what
> right
> do I have to project my disappointment on their process?  I see my
> work to
> build a relationship to the process, to the space, the form, in
> building the
> container as the content belongs to the group.
>
> OST - for however long is a snapshot in time in the evolution process
> --
> time out of time, out of habitual patterns, embracing creative
> tension.  I
> sat up last night with participants from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Australia,
> LeSotho, Canada and the US who wanted to ask questions and play with
> participatory processes.
>
> When I finish here I'm off to Toronto to facilitate a change process
> for an
> institution including a one and one-half day OST.  The next week I am
> opening space for Aboriginal Fisheries Works in the Department of
> Fisheries
> and Oceans.  And in the moment we close the space -- it is a full
> technology -- complete, perfect in its imperfection!
>
> And for now I see a few coffee cups to pick up! <grin>
>
> with deep appreciation for the reflection and looking forward to
> reading
> others responses!
>
> Judi
> __________________________________________________________
> Judith Richardson, MA
> Coaching & Consulting
> Optimizing Performance, Potential and Profitability
> www.ponoconsultants.com
> www.emergentfeminine.com
>
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