Givens -- Again

catherine carmody carmodyc at ns.sympatico.ca
Thu Nov 18 11:31:10 PST 2004


Hi Harrison:

Your question about the word "missile" gave me pause to ponder for a moment!
And, I know that I did mean missile.  Here's why.

When you talked about the intense feelings that came up for you - that they
resulted in you allowing your fingers to do the walking - that resonated for
me.  In my view of the world, when you feel passionately or intensely about
something, when it comes from deep in your body, and, you allow yourself to
stay with it and write - wonderful information flows out through your
fingers - words that can change the world.  If you pause too long and
"ponder" and analyze those words through your intellect, the magic
disappears.  So often the writing takes the form of a "missile", a
"projectile", something that is profound or designed to "shake things up -
which you do so well on an ongoing basis!  Missive (now that I've looked it
up in the dictionary and know what it means)  is much too tame for what you
write!

Now, having said all of that, I still have no "logical" or "intellectual"
idea why I used the word!  It just came to me - just seemed "right"!

Sincerely,
Cathy


----- Original Message -----
From: "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 12:03 PM
Subject: Re: Givens -- Again


> Thanks Cathy for the kind words. . . but I am wondering. Was your use of
the
> word "missile" ("Your missile this morning was so great...") a typo,
> Freudian slip, or did I really toss a bomb? Perhaps you intended
"missive?"
>
> Harrison (with a smile)
>
> 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
catherine
> carmody
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 10:41 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Givens -- Again
>
> As a long time "lurker" on the OSList, I've found that there have been
very
> few times when my interest and passion kicks in to the degree that I feel
> inclined to respond.  This is the one!
>
> Harrison, while we haven't yet met, (but if you come to Halifax next year,
> we will) I have to say with all sincerity that your contributions to the
> list serve, and those of a few others are the only reason that keep me
> interested and reading.  I shall also go out on the limb and say that
Chris
> Corrigan is another one whose contributions inspire me greatly.
>
> While over the past 4 years I have faciliated and co-faciliated approx. 30
> open space gatherings in this part of the world, I have found that the
> pondering over givens has rarely made a difference..........
>
> Your missile this morning was so great that I just had to acknowledge your
> thoughts.  I say hurray.......no more givens!  The less intervention the
> better...........and I totally agree that we do not give participants the
> credit they deserve when given the opportunity to trust themselves.
>
> While the majority of my current life work happens to be in the realm of
> coaching individuals in accelerating their consciousness - when it comes
> time for group process, Open Space Technology is the only way to ensure an
> effective process.........and I make no apologies for my belief!
>
> Keep the thoughts coming Harrison.......it takes no stretch in my
> imagination to understand why you were the one who developed the concept!
> You are a true inspiration and the "keeper" of this listserve.
>
> Sincerely,
> Cathy Carmody
> Halifax, N.S.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net>
> To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> Sent: Thursday, November 18, 2004 10:45 AM
> Subject: Givens -- Again
>
>
> I am not quite sure why the specification and definition of "Givens"
should
> have butted its way into my consciousness - but it did and frankly I was
> rather surprised at the intensity of the feelings (thoughts) evoked.
Anyhow,
> I let my fingers do the walking and the following appeared on my screen. I
> share it with the thought that others may have had similar thoughts (or
> different) - and that we all might learn from kicking the old stand-by
> around one more time...
>
>         Givens refer to those immovable issues, conditions, or situations
> which must be taken into account prior departure on any planning or
> executive activity in our organizations. To do otherwise would seem the
> ultimate folly, inviting disaster before the first step is taken.
> Identifying the Givens is also very much in line with the dominant
paradigm
> when it comes to improving our organizations. That paradigm is the age old
> problem/solution model which has seemingly served us so well. After all,
> logic would tell you that you must identify all the problems before you
can
> find the solutions. Of course, it often turns out that we identify so many
> problems that solution of any sort is impossible. And if that doesn't
occur
> it is quite likely that the vast majority of the problems identified
impinge
> only marginally, if at all, on our capacity to move in the direction we
were
> intending. However, we feel better for having done our "due diligence" by
> minutely surveying the treacherous terrain before us.  Identifying Givens
is
> a subset of problem identification, if only because most of the Givens
seem
> like problems, albeit insoluble ones. Givens must be accepted and we go
from
> there.
>         In the narrower world of Open Space practitioners and practice,
some
> considerable amount of time and effort has been devoted to contemplating
> Givens. At the general level, it has been argued that the identification
of
> Givens is the essential first step in any Open Space engagement.
Supposedly
> this will make the management in the situation feel better knowing that
the
> untouchables will remain untouched. Given the normal anxiety levels that
> precede an Open space event it seems wise to assure the establishment that
> the crazy horde of participants will not do violence to the organizational
> sacred cows. Base budget, structure and policy are all carefully fenced,
or
> totally removed from the table. The procedure of identifying Givens also
> seems to make sense in terms of protecting participants from possible
> frustration and anger should they disturb a sacred cow - and then get
their
> hands slapped or even worse, be ignored.
>         Despite the obvious logic in the fastidious identification of
> Givens, I have always found myself uneasy, even impatient with the
approach.
> This may say much more about me (illogical and rash) than the approach,
but
> my reasons, as nearly as I can state them, are as follows. First, most of
> the Givens I have encountered were not that immutable. Secondly, truly
> immutable Givens were so well known and accepted as not to require
mention.
>         Thirdly, specifying Givens limits the space of possibility. The
net
> result is almost inevitably the sub-optimization of group performance.
> Simply put, when some areas/elements are placed outside the arena of
> discussion, powerful and valid approaches to the job at hand can never
even
> be considered. I am reminded of the comments of Dale Robertson, who at the
> time was the Chief of The US Forrest Service, when some of his staff
> proposed placing existing legislation and regulations in The Givens
category
> as we approached a major Open Space on the future of the Forest Service.
He
> reminded his staff that while the Service could not operate in defiance of
> the law or standing regulations, both law and regulations could be
changed.
> Further, if the Forest Service was to fulfill its mission, such change was
> inevitable.
>         Fourth and finally, I find the whole "Givens Business" grossly
> insulting to the participants (as opposed to The Management) in the Open
> Space. The implication is that those participants are so ill mannered,
> incompetent, and untutored as to need careful instruction regarding what
> they may and may not think and talk about. Personally, I would take all
this
> as a gold plated invitation to think and talk about precisely what is
> forbidden. But then again, I am rash and illogical. Of course it may also
be
> that the participants are truly unruly, irresponsible, idiots, but if so
> this does not speak well for the hiring practices of The Management.
>         I find it to be preferable to assume that those assembled have the
> best interests of the organization at heart, even if the perceptions of
> those interests does not coincide with those of Management. With some very
> minor modification I would say the same thing for groups of all sorts. And
> in all cases I find the compulsion to specify Givens to be prejudicial,
> pejorative and demeaning - all productive of an atmosphere diametrically
> opposite to sort I would hope for at the onset of Open Space.
>
> Harrison
>
>
> Harrison Owen
> 7808 River Falls Drive
> Potomac, Maryland   20845
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
<http://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
>
>
>
>
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