Muddling Through and planning

[Mikk Sarv]

Muddling through isn't so far from planning  as it seems, if we think that
the word 'plan', in Italian  'piano' has in Italian language also parallel
meaning 'silent', well known by musicians.

In order to muddle through one has to become truly silent and let himself to
be driven to desired goal, without predicting how to get there.

About year ago there was in OSlist discussion about role of silence in OST.
Thinking about silence gets us closer to the real content of planning.

Mikk Sarv
Estonia
mikk at ilm.ee

----- Original Message -----
From: "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 3:51 PM
Subject: Muddling Through


> Lucus Wrote: My feeling is that "muddling through" is all that we've got
> left. We may even become good at it, I hope!
>
> Lucus seems to be suggesting that "muddling through" may be our last
option.
> I rather think it is the only option, and always has been. And becoming
good
> "muddlers" should be our first priority. For those of you unacquainted
with
> British-speak "Muddling through" is what happens when all plans fail and
> still a positive result emerges. It seems to be mysterious, particularly
> when one assumes that careful planning and detailed execution is the only
> way to move forward.
>
> I am by no means suggesting that planning and good execution is
irrelevant,
> but I think it is incredibly important to fully understand the nature and
> limitations of both planning and execution. There are those who see
planning
> as an exercise in creating the future -- and therefore execution becomes
the
> implementation of that desired future. Implicit in that understanding is
the
> assumption that we could actually comprehend/understand the myriad forces
> and variables in our world and therefore come up with an accurate plan
> leading naturally to effective execution. Nice idea, but fatally flawed.
>
> I think the good news of the moment is that the limitations of our
> capacities are becoming painfully obvious. We do not, will not, nor have
we
> ever had sufficient grasp of the complex and fast moving elements in our
> world/country/company/organization (what I have called "raplexity") to
> enable the creation of effective plans which lead naturally to elegant
> execution. This is a real blow to the old ego (individually and
> collectively) but, I believe, an essential first step towards dealing with
> our lives, to say nothing of our sanity. When reality and our perception
of
> reality are wildly out of phase, that is indeed crazy making, and may in
> fact be the definition of insanity itself. We call that a "break with
> reality."
>
> Plans (at best) are rough approximations of the territory that lies ahead.
> They are man-made maps, and like all such things -- good as far as they
go,
> but never mistaken for the territory they depict. To think otherwise is to
> invite disaster -- as is painfully exemplified by the current American
> adventure in Iraq.
>
> On the subject of muddling through -- I do believe we can (and must)
become
> good muddlers. Not as a matter of last resort, but rather as a first
> priority and possibly the beginning of wisdom. Our own adventures in Open
> Space may be well characterized as a School for Muddlers. I think we have
> learned a lot.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> 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
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>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Lucas
> Gonzalez
> Sent: Thursday, November 04, 2004 4:04 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: FW: Connecting with Lets Talk America
>
> > Have conversations with those who think differently than you
> > turned ... chilly?
>
> I'd add "Are you ready to rethink whatever you think?".  My feeling is
> that space opens inside, mostly.  Invitations (to oneself, to others)
> may be powerful, sometimes.
>
> >From here (a small island off the coast of Africa, a warm and sunny
> day),
>
> Lucas
>
>
>
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