givens

[Jeff Aitken]

I appreciate this thread very much --

There may be 2 different definitions of "givens" here. The difference is subtle, but important.

For me, it's not "what cannot be discussed." I always say to a client: there is no way to restrict what gets talked about in Open Space.

Rather, for me the "givens" are those things about the organization that will not be changed without the consent of the leadership. Or in some cases, the laws of the land.

I often think of Jill Janov in The Inventive Organization (Jossey Bass, 1994): rather than having control over everything in the organization, she helps the leader see it this way: they want certainty about certain essential things in the organization.

Now, I like what is being said in this thread. Why announce givens that are probably obvious to everyone?

I opened space for a parish meeting in a Catholic church some years ago, and afterward the parish priest declined to approve several creative ideas that had come forward. I learned about the idea of "givens" shortly after that, and talked with some disappointed parish leaders, wishing I would have used "givens" in their meeting. But their feedback was, they knew that in five years the priest would retire, and a fresh new leader could support their creative ideas; they were in it for the long haul.

Jeff Aitken
http://riograndio.blogspot.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Funda Oral <fundaokan at superonline.com>
Sent: Nov 21, 2004 11:20 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: givens

So, when you ask the sponsor "are there any givens?"
aren't you acccepting the command and control way?
Could't that be rephrased as, for instance, "are there
any ideas or conclusions that you consider
undiscussable in this meeting?" (and then proceed in
the same direction you explained).

Artur

I think the art is how to make the "undiscussable"
"discussable"

Otherwise there is no use in doing an OST meeting.
It is better to take people to an enjoyment park so that
at least they enjoy themselves.

And as long as we don't discuss, as we postpone to discuss
the undiscussable, we postpone the potential for peace

Funda




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