Excuse my Ego
Harrison Owen
hhowen at comcast.net
Wed Oct 27 15:41:28 PDT 2004
I googled myself. Odd practice, but I find stuff I had totally forgotten.
Case in point is a great interview done in Berlin some years ago - great
interview in the sense that the interviewer really knew the "buttons" to
push. And she did. I would love to think that I was brilliant, but I don't
think I quite make the grade. However, if you are looking for a little more
material on our favorite OS check out
http://www.open-forum.de/Interview-Harrison-Owen.htm
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
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>From Wed Oct 27 18:46:42 2004
Message-Id: <WED.27.OCT.2004.184642.0400.>
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 2004 18:46:42 -0400
Reply-To: diane.gibeault at rogers.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Diane Gibeault <diane.gibeault at rogers.com>
Subject: FW: A small matter of curiosity
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Hi Chris,
It has also been my experience that people meeting in Open Space are much
more focussed on their experience than on the material conditions and its
probably because they have a greater passion for the theme of the meeting
than for the sandwiches. Some may use their two feet if food isn't great but
the dining area always seems full of participants and some butterflies hang
in for a while too. Groups do change locations at time...to go in the sun or
a bigger space. The freedom they have makes them forget to complain if there
was a problem or else they fixed it. This is a dream come true for event
organizers and at the same time, it's not an anomaly with OS and neither is
your group in my impression.
Diane
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Chris Kloth
Sent: October 26, 2004 1:33 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: A small matter of curiosity
You wrote:
... an interesting question from a client...one we both found as amusing as
we did curious.
This past year she began working for the Ohio Coalition On Sexual Assault.
One thing they have done for many years is host an annual conference based
on the traditional "expert" workshop model. As we all know from the lore of
open space and direct experience, their evaluations consistently said that
the workshops were fine, but the real valuable part of the conference took
place between formal sessions. In addition, there were always many
complaints about the food and room conditions...not matter how good or bad
the conditions really were.
At her suggestion the organization decided, with considerable trepidation,
to hold this year's conference entirely in open space. The evaluations were
outstanding...all of the predictable feedback when people are provided a
setting within which to express passion and exercise responsibility.
But here is the curiosity...despite rooms that really were consistently too
cold or too hot or too noisy and food that was tasty, but not as portable as
it was supposed to be, there were no complaints about food or rooms! She
said that she has been planning and conducting meetings and conferences for
many years and has never had so few comments on rooms and food.
Her questions, which I offered to pass on to the list, is "When people take
responsibility for their work and find that they are spending their time
doing what they need to do, does that lead to such focus that the rest of
the conditions don't matter? Do people accept responsibility for making
choices within the space and, therefore, factor food or room conditions into
the decision to stay or use their two feet? Or was this group an anomaly
and this is just one of those moments that happens for reasons we will never
know?"
Was denken sie?
Shalom,
Chris Kloth
ChangeWorks of the Heartland
250 South Virginialee Road
Columbus, OH 43209-2052
Phone: +1 614.239.1336
Fax: +1 614.239.1336
E-mail: kloth at got2change.com
URL: www.got2change.com
Think globally, act locally.
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D890523722-27102004>Hi=20
Chris,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D890523722-27102004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D890523722-27102004>It has=20
also been my experience that people meeting in Open Space are much more =
focussed=20
on their experience than on the material conditions and its probably =
because=20
they have a greater passion for the theme of the meeting than for the=20
sandwiches. Some may use their two feet if food isn't great but the =
dining area=20
always seems full of participants and some butterflies hang in for a =
while too.=20
Groups do change locations at time...to go in the sun or a bigger space. =
The=20
freedom they have makes them forget to complain if there was a problem =
or else=20
they fixed it. This is a dream come true for event organizers and =
at the=20
same time, it's not an anomaly with OS and neither is your group in=20
my impression.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D890523722-27102004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D890523722-27102004>Diane</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D890523722-27102004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D890523722-27102004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST=20
[mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Chris=20
Kloth<BR><B>Sent:</B> October 26, 2004 1:33 PM<BR><B>To:</B>=20
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> A small matter of=20
curiosity<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D890523722-27102004>You=20
wrote:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D890523722-27102004></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D890523722-27102004><FONT=20
color=3D#0000ff> ... </FONT></SPAN>an interesting question =
from a=20
client...one we both found as amusing as we did =
curious.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This past year she began working for =
the Ohio=20
Coalition On Sexual Assault. One thing they have done for many =
years is=20
host an annual conference based on the traditional "expert" workshop=20
model. As we all know from the lore of open space and direct =
experience,=20
their evaluations consistently said that the workshops were fine, but =
the real=20
valuable part of the conference took place between formal =
sessions. In=20
addition, there were always many complaints about the food and room=20
conditions...not matter how good or bad the conditions really=20
were.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>At her suggestion the organization =
decided, with=20
considerable trepidation, to hold this year's conference entirely in =
open=20
space. The evaluations were outstanding...all of the predictable =
feedback=20
when people are provided a setting within which to express passion and =
exercise=20
responsibility.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>But here is the curiosity...despite =
rooms that=20
really were consistently too cold or too hot or too noisy and food that =
was=20
tasty, but not as portable as it was supposed to be, there were no =
complaints=20
about food or rooms! She said that she has been planning and =
conducting=20
meetings and conferences for many years and has never had so few =
comments on=20
rooms and food. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Her questions, which I offered to pass =
on to the=20
list, is "When people take responsibility for their work and find that =
they are=20
spending their time doing what they need to do, does that lead to such =
focus=20
that the rest of the conditions don't matter? Do people accept=20
responsibility for making choices within the space and, therefore, =
factor food=20
or room conditions into the decision to stay or use their two =
feet? Or was=20
this group an anomaly and this is just one of those moments that happens =
for=20
reasons we will never know?"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Was denken sie?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Shalom,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Chris Kloth<BR>ChangeWorks of the =
Heartland<BR>250=20
South Virginialee Road<BR>Columbus, OH 43209-2052<BR>Phone: +1=20
614.239.1336<BR>Fax: +1 614.239.1336<BR>E-mail: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:kloth at got2change.com">kloth at got2change.com</A><BR>URL: <A =
href=3D"http://www.got2change.com">www.got2change.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Think globally, act =
locally.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>* *=20
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=20
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To =
subscribe,=20
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of=20
oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:=20
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about=20
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: =
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist=20
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