that word again...

Fri Nov 26 17:08:08 PST 2004

Funny..I was just thinking the same thing.

:-)

Chris

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 18:15:37 -0500, Harrison Owen <hhowen at comcast.net> wrote:
> Rough translation -- "It just sort of happened" who knows how or why.
>
> 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
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Eva P
> Svensson
> Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 5:32 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: that word again...
>
> It is the recognition that the watercooler of serendipity said Jack...
>
> Serendipity - what does that mean? It's neither in my dictionary nor on the
> same on my computer. Now I have seen it a couple of times - but what is it??
> Can someone help my curiosity?
>
> Bästa hälsningar
>
> Eva P Svensson
> ...................................................................
>
> EPS Human Invest AB
> "Verksamhetsutveckling genom människor skapar
> långsiktigt välmående företag och organisationer!"
> Anåsbergsvägen 22
> 439 34  ONSALA
> Tfn: 0300-615 05
> Mobil:0706-89 85 50
> eva at epshumaninvest.se
> www.epshumaninvest.se
>
> -----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
> Från: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]För Jack Ricchiuto
> Skickat: den 26 november 2004 16:01
> Till: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Ämne: Re: givens
>
> If I have a personal agenda with the sponsor in
> the pre-event meeting(s) it is to help them to understand that the space
> already is open, no matter what they may think or do about it. HO
>
> This is so profoundly important. It is the recognition that the watercooler
> of serendipity - the informal organization - is where the conversations are
> always open, and often more creative and honest than those in the formal
> organization. And that the informal organization is the source of everything
> that ultimately happens in the formal organization anyway.
>
> Helping leaders and managers understand this is step one, I think, in a way
> that cultivates their trust with us and our trust with them. The next step
> is asking them a question like: what would you do if you could tap into a
> power that you couldn't control but that would make you more effective and
> happy about yourself in your role as leader/manager? If they express
> interest in the power, my role is to then to help them discover just that.I
> become their trusted guide in a new land.
>
> jack
>
> jack ricchiuto
> two.one.six/three.seven.three/seven.four.seven.five
> www.designinglife.com / www.appreciativeleadership.org
>
> > ------------Original Message------------
> > From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at comcast.net>
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Date: Fri, Nov-26-2004 9:00 AM
> > Subject: Re: givens
> >
> > I think I am becoming clearer about my point of discomfort with
> > "Givens."
> > Real Givens (as opposed to apparent) are truly immutable, or as close
> > to it
> > as such things go on Planet Earth. And for me that would include
> > Gravity and
> > the force of Self-organization, and maybe a few others which do not
> > spring
> > immediately to mind. Everything else is up for grabs, if not now then
> > later.
> > I absolutely concur with the notion that we must have serious and
> > probing
> > discussions with sponsors prior to an OS -- but the focus should not
> > (probably) be about immutable Givens, but rather about what I might
> > call
> > "existential conditions as they see them." For me this conversation
> > usually
> > starts with two questions. 1) Why do you want to do this gathering? And
> > 2)
> > If it all "worked," what would have happened?
> >
> > My focus is on a critical issue (for me). How open is the space? If all
> > we
> > are talking about is "motivating the troops" to implement the new
> > marketing
> > plan, for example -- it doesn't seem to me that the space is really
> > open,
> > and doing an open space would probably be counter-productive, if only
> > because the troops might just start to take it seriously and change the
> > plan, no matter what had been said about The Plan being a sacred Given.
> >
> > Most of the Givens I have heard people talking about are not truly
> > immutable. It may be the case that nobody wants to force the issue, but
> > the
> > fact remains that all budgets change, all procedures mutate, all
> > structures
> > evolve, transform, or die. If I have a personal agenda with the sponsor
> > in
> > the pre-event meeting(s) it is to help them to understand that the
> > space
> > already is open, no matter what they may think or do about it. Their
> > ultimate success will depend upon recognition of that fact, and a
> > willingness to involve everybody who cares in the navigation of that
> > space.
> > If they go for less, they will get less. And for sure I will not have
> > done
> > anybody a favor if I create the (false) impression that someone has the
> > power to keep certain things off the agenda and away from the Wall. Of
> > course we all have our foibles and blind spots -- and for some period
> > of
> > time, maybe even a long time -- we can get away with it. But I believe
> > it to
> > be true that a clear eyed view of things as they actually are is
> > useful.
> >
> > 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 Larry
> > Peterson
> > Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 5:52 PM
> > To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> > Subject: Re: givens
> >
> > Jeff:  I think you are on to something.
> >
> > "Container" or "Givens" or things that are not intended to be on the
> > table by the sponsor of an event are both social constructions and
> > acknowledgement of "something" that is there.  If I sit on a chair,
> > that
> > is gone, I will fall on my ass (or some other part of my anatomy) - I
> > take that as given.   If there is a business plan that requires board
> > approval for change - that is usually taken as a "given".  It does not
> > mean that it cannot be changed, but it is there now - just like Human
> > Rights Codes and others thing are likely there.  Of course, in Canada,
> > these things may be a little less open for immediate negotiation as
> > they
> > are in the US.  I don't think George saw anything in Iraq that should
> > be
> > taken a given, other than his socially constructed vision for its
> > future.
> >
> > I think it also relates to levels of awareness.  At one level there are
> > no givens, every moment comes into being with the opportunity for
> > novelty.  However, most rocks don't decide to decompose in a few days
> > -- granite takes a little longer.  Some of my clients, from their
> > perspective, have some real givens that they construct.  I think naming
> > and reducing the number of them is helpful as part of planning to open
> > space or deciding whether or not to open space in this situation with
> > this client.  Helping them consciously reduce the number of givens is
> > useful learning, I think.  Will open space work if that is not done -
> > yes.
> >
> > However, I am seeing the consequences over this two week period.  One
> > client I'm working with now on a series of 14 OS has had some real
> > variability in how she has set the context - how clearly she has told
> > people what this part of the government is wanting to do, to engage
> > them
> > in and the fact that it will not commit resources to the
> > self-organization it wants to seed in the community.   The quality and
> > energy of the events have been worse when she was not clear or
> > passionate (she got a cold).  People were more combatitive when she was
> > not honest with them from the beginning about the situation.  The OST
> > has worked every time to engage people and energy around the theme.
> > The
> > issues emerge in the convergence and next steps when the context is not
> > clearly and honestly set by the sponsor.
> >
> > Larry
> >
> > Larry Peterson
> > Associates in Transformation
> > Toronto, ON, Canada
> > 416.653.4829
> >
> > larry at spiritedorg.com
> > www.spiritedorg.com
> >
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--
-------------------------
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

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