SpaceInvaders

[Harrison Owen]

Chris has banished Space Invaders! At least from his vocabulary. And Lisa has offered some more than useful reflections on the subject. However, as the originator of the term, at least in the realm of Open Space, I might take some exception. Not because I am wedded to the words, but because I am aware of the reality -- but maybe that is just my reality or a fundamental flaw in my character and awareness. But every so often I run into folks who seem to have an incredible capacity to suck all the oxygen from the room. Call it what you will, but the statement is, "My way or the Highway." Left to their own devices, the available space is reduced to minus quantities. Why people behave in this fashion (fear, ignorance, early childhood trauma?) is always a question, but the presence and impact of the behavior seems pretty real to me. The issue, at least in terms of our function as facilitators in Open Space, is what (if anything) do you do about it?

My learning has been that a rush to judgment can be fatal. But that does not mean that judgment can or should be totally suspended (more on that later). It is particularly important, I think, not to confuse my personal level of discomfort with the needs and desires of the group. It may just be that the discomfort I feel is but the painful edge of growth as I find myself pushed well beyond my comfort zone into realms I neither know or care to know. But it is even more important to recognize that my discomfort, while interesting and possibly significant, is totally immaterial. The core issue is the function of the group and its growth.

You might recall that in my book, I made the distinction between benign and malignant space invaders. Benign space invaders are those sorts of folks who through an excess of enthusiasm, passion, whatever -- feel that their idea, approach, insight is the only one. And they can take up an awful lot of space making the point. But it turns out that they really only want to make sure that they will have the space for expression -- and when they come to understand that the space available is basically infinite and that their ideas will be "on the table," everything works out just fine. A Malignant Space Invader is rather a different sort. They want the whole enchilada, regardless. Even more nefarious is their willingness to close down the space until they are the only game in town. 

Dealing with a benign space invader can be tedious, anxiety producing -- a real pain. But the strategy is very simple. Just keep opening space and keep it open. Concretely this may mean taking a firm grip of your chair and put away all thoughts of jumping in to save the day. In my experience that obnoxious space invader almost inevitably turns out to be benign at the 99.999% level. And by holding the space open, the individual involved finds the room they need and maybe even more important the whole group finds that its sense of the possible is expanded and its own capacities for innovation and exploration enhanced. Real growth is almost inevitably painful, but definitely worth the trip. 

But then we have the .001% -- the genuine article. A real, died in the wool, malignant space invader.  Interestingly, I have encountered fewer and fewer of them over the years which may have something to do with my failing eyesight or an expanded capacity to hold space in extremely uncomfortable environments -- but I occasionally run into them. And then what?

To make this more specific, I once ran into a Boss who had signed on for Open Space, and then discovered that she could not stand the atmosphere. At morning announcements on the 2nd day she made it very clear that the only permissible agenda was her own. The shock was palpable, and the real progress the group had made to that point now in total jeopardy. And I am standing there holding space. At issue was the group's integrity, and not incidentally my integrity as the person who had been standing there saying all those nice things about the 4 principles and The Law of two Feet. I confess to no small amount of confusion and anxiety, but eventually my path became painfully clear. In a few words, I said -- to the boss and the whole group something like, "This is your organization, and it is your decision as to what it does or does not do. But I came here to open some space, which now no longer seems possible." And I left. 

And if you are wondering what happened next, I honestly can't tell you in detail. I wasn't there. But I did hear that subsequently a large number of folks chose to leave, and eventually the organization ceased to exist. I suppose I could take some satisfaction in that outcome, but mostly I felt a real sadness. An organization with great potential dissolved. But the good news, I suppose is that some wonderful people found their freedom. When it is over, it is over.

One of the things I learned out of all this was that at the beginning of a consultancy my client may have been the Boss, but once under way, my "client" became the whole group. And on the subject of "judgment" and the rendering of same -- it seems to me that there are times when you just have to call a spade a spade. 

Harrison

 
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD  20854
USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website www.openspaceworld.com


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