OS and ethics

Henri Lipmanowicz henri.lipmanowicz at verizon.net
Wed Sep 1 15:54:12 PDT 2004


I am intrigued by the observation that, during the process of
discussing/thinking whether to accept or not an assignment, it seems to
be unavoidable to include explicit or implicit assumptions about what
will happen and/or what one's contribution will generate. In other words
future outcomes are part of the considerations.

What would happen if one started from the premise that future outcomes
cannot be predicted? How would that affect one's reasoning and decision?


Henri

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Lisa
Heft
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 1:20 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: OS and ethics


Great conversation, all.

I agree with Harrison that this is about not just OS but - whatever the
methods we use - our own individual thoughts and decisions about who we
can choose to serve and when we draw the line for reasons of conscience
and our own values.

I think for any facilitation job, it is important that we see if this is
the right fit for us as well as the client, and if it is not we can
refer that job to someone else or just say no.  And that for me, this is
a case-by-case decision.

I know that there are amazing, healthy people in every institution or
corporation that we see all too easily as a big block of sameness.  We
have the lucky part: the leaders who ask for Open Space - to me - are
the visionaries.  They are the people who say 'I am not in control - I
do not know the answer - we are greater if we tap the wisdom, passion
and responsibility of the greater group'.

So here I am imagining: some tobacco company supervisor who wishes to
call all the employees of a manufacturing facility together to do an
Open Space on how to re-design their work and their facility so they
will have less on-the-job injuries and a healthier workplace.  That
sounds good to me.  Within a weapons manufacturing facility I would like
to think that there are supervisors who might see that their staff is
(let us pretend) grieving a massive layoff - and that Open Space might
help them process that griefwork.  That (though personally I would like
there to be less use for weapons manufacturers and I would like them to
close down) as a service to humans trying to do their best in a very sad
environment, also sounds good to me.

Would I take a job for those companies?  I'm not sure.  I don't like the
products and I think they are doing harm.  But maybe - as in any contact
with a prospective client, as I am getting an intuitive sense for who
they are personally and if I feel it's a 'fit' between us (as much as
whether Open Space would or would not be appropriate as together we
clarify their needs and situation) - just maybe I feel they are one of
those jewels inside a massive organization who are doing a really good
thing with their staff or the surrounding community.  And that
facilitation might help them stay healthier and appreciate each other
more.

I did have a great series of conversations with someone within a huge
organization where we (you and I) might not have agreed with that
organization's product or what we perceive to be their values.  And what
they were doing was something the local residents were not happy with.
But legislation had already occurred allowing it to happen and so it was
a 'done deal' as they say in the States (for you folks who do not have
English as a first language: it could not be fixed; it was going to
happen anyway).  However, there was an amazing guy who worked within
this organization who wanted to hold Open Spaces with the community and
with people in his organization who cared about the community anyway, so
they could have a space for anger and grief, for frustration and hopes,
and maybe, just maybe, provide some insight into how things could work
better the next time.

Would you consider doing an Open Space with this guy and this community?

Actually, he was for other reasons unable to go ahead with this Open
Space.  But I was going to say yes.  And my greatest concern is what
others would assume about me if they saw that company on my list of
clients.  I wondered if I would lose some potential work from one
organization who might look at my client list and not like another
organization they saw there.  So really this particular facilitation
situation felt good and clean to me but I knew I would wrestle
afterwards with whether to list that organization on my client list or
simply omit it because of what *others* would think about me.  And
that's a whole *other* conversation we could have here.

At one point in an earlier conversation on this list, I said that I
might even facilitate an Open Space for a gang.  Because I have worked a
bit with gangs, and gee if they wanted to have an Open Space on making
peace with another gang I'd like to help.  Or if they wanted to figure
out how to get more education even though they are not in school, I
would like to help with that, too.  Because in doing an Open Space I
also think I'd help people see each other in new ways, breathe a little
bit in a nutrient-rich environment, experience passion, difference or
even rage in a way that says its okay to have feelings, and so on.
Which I think would be glorious for individuals in that life to be able
to feel.

Would I do an Open Space to help a gang figure out how to obliterate
another gang?  Or a tobacco company how to make secret chemicals in
candy addict children to cigarettes before they ever smoked one?  Or a
weapons company to build a mine that looks like a candy wrapper so it
could be picked up by a child?  Absolutely not.

But I also wouldn't help a peace organization do an Open Space on how to
burn down a military base.

So it is case by case which would let me know where to draw my line.

Interesting stuff,

Lisa
________________________________

L i s a   H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g  S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106   USA
+01 510 548-8449
 <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net
 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net

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