An OS "critique" and response

[Harrison Owen]

I was being a little bit too curmudgeonly, for sure. And Chris is precisely right (is he ever wrong?). Having some useful maps of the territory is extraordinarily helpful under any circumstance and particularly when you find yourself in the strange waters of OS. Just a matter of historical record I personally began with the maps, and only later discovered how useful they could be. Odd way of saying things, but my earlier work (30 years ago) centered on the levels of consciousness and the way in which the stories we tell (our mythology) reflects those levels -- and the whole concern was the process of transformation in organizations. And here is the three martini story -- a friend, David Bell Isle and myself were sitting on the lawn of a wonderful conference center contemplating the state of the world (with help from our spirited friends -- we each had one and a half) and our limited ability to assist our clients in the turbulent environment in which they found themselves. David and I were both deeply committed to what was known then and now as Organization Development, but it seems that just about the time we had figured out a nice, linear, rational process, and actually gotten our clients started along the road -- all hell would break loose. One more wave of transformation! It seemed to us that we needed a different and maybe deeper way of looking at things and doing our work. For lack of better words we chose to call it Organization Transformation. It turned out that some other folks had been drinking the same martinis, or equivalent, and had come up with similar thoughts. It was a pretty motley crew including John Adams, Frank Burns, Linda Ackerman, Peter Vaill, Lisa Carlson and a few more. The end result was the convening of The First International Symposium on Organization Transformation with me playing the titular role of host or something. We had little idea where it would all end up, but I particularly liked the root meaning of "symposium." Turns out it comes from two Greek words meaning "with drinking." Anyhow, Organization Transformation was born and seems to be a continuing phenomenon even today. I think we are now up to OT 23 or 24. 

But back to the maps. If we were going to make any sense out of the process of transformation, which in the moment is always terribly confusing, to say nothing of chaotic -- we desperately needed some good maps. For my self, I found the work of Ken Wilber to be particularly helpful (Spiral Dynamics hadn't put in an appearance at that point) -- but the problem was that Ken was largely focused on the transformational process with individuals, and I was concerned with organizations. Definitely related, but somehow different. I found myself pondering the question, "What are the organizational analogues to the individual levels of consciousness?" Ken's work was (and is) a mass of scholarly detail, totally fascinating, but more than I needed, I thought. It seemed to me that what might be called the "original version" which is known as the Great Chain of Being might be sufficient for my needs. Very roughly, the Great Chain describes 7 levels of consciousness -- Nothing, Body, Mind, Intellect, Soul, Spirit, and finally -- Nothing. Since it is rather difficult to talk intelligently about "nothing" you are effectively left with 5 levels (Body, Mind, Intellect, Soul and Spirit). These converted in my fertile (and febrile) mind to organizational equivalents which I termed Reactive, Responsive, Proactive, Interactive, and Inspired. If you are interested in the details, I have spilled a lot on ink on them in several books -- but the point at issue is that when Open Space came along, I found much to my surprise that folks would enter at one level and many would then seemingly manifest a higher level -- Transformation before your eyes, if you could believe your eyes. For individuals who seemingly epitomized the level of Intellect -- Soul would break out. And for organizations that were solidly and proudly Proactive, suddenly they began to behave as an Interactive organization! Now for sure, lots of folks didn't make the trip, and of those who did, the vast majority returned to their old ways when the event concluded. But there were always a few who found their life permanently changed. Most remarkable. It seemed that the simple act of opening space enabled, in many cases, a transformative shift. Why all of this should be occurring is the perplexing opportunity of the moment, I think. but that it occurs is a matter of ongoing experience, at least my experience. 

But to notice what is happening, you do need a map -- else you are left with massive shifts and no sense of reference. Maps can be exceedingly helpful. And -- I think we all learn painfully -- maps are very limited and never to be confused with the territory. They are simply approximations, our best guess as every sailor knows when they encounter that odd rock or current that was not supposed to be there. 

Wow -- I did go on! But I do love maps and a martini or two isn't bad.

Harrison

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


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Chris Corrigan 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 1:49 PM
  Subject: Re: An OS "critique" and response


  Tracy, my own take on this stuff is that OST has actually led me to things like Spiral Dynamics and Integral Theory and not the other way around.  I think OST facilitation is fundamentally a practice first, and the theory comes later once you see what is going on and get curious about how it all happens.  

  For me maps like this always help me to help a client to understand the deeper implications of what is going on, why OST seems to be (and is) so transformational.  But it's important to use language that works for you and for the sponsor.

  Ken Wilber is one person whose thinking has helped a lot.  Michael Herman's work has really been most useful in adopting this stuff to OST for me.  And there are many others, including Stuart Kauffman, Meg Wheatley, Angeles Arrien, David Bohm, Steven Johnson, Peggy Holman and Anne Stadler, Alan Stewart, Christina Baldwin, Fritjof Capra. Pema Chodron, Otto Scharmer, Adam Kahane, William Issacs and Peter Senge who have all been influential in helping to map the territory I find myself on as a result of using OST. 

  Cheers,

  Chris





  On 8/30/05, Envision Halifax <info at envisionhalifax.ca> wrote: 
    I am now kicking myself a bit for missing the session in Halifax on Spiral Dynamics but at the time, the topic sounded strange for someone new on the scene. In reading this very interesting discussion I have collected a few pieces from people that brought me to a question. As someone new, trying to learn and navigate the sea of information:



    Is there real value in learning about Spiral Dynamics as it relates to opening space and for those of you who are familiar with SD, how has it helped you with opening space? (I think Funda was starting to get close to connecting this with her post)





    Pieces of posts on this topic that made me consider why I would take time to learn more about SD…



    I don't have a clue who said what to whom -- but what I do know is that when  you open some space -- folks get to work. 
    The rest of it is kind of immaterial. (T-1, T-17 --). Harrison Owen



    …Anyway, I think systems that create hierarchies are inherently faulty, no help for it.  That includes programs that 'certify' somebody to do something they are already perfectly capable of doing all by themselves or by just following instructions with a lot of heart.
    Paul Everett



    ...all human beings move in and out of levels of development, levels of consciousness and levels of understanding.  I might be green about social issues, orange about art (orange is second tier, above green) and red about homophobia in the same moment.  Few human beings live frozen, stuck in just one way of being for all issues in life.  As a workplace meeting takes place, for example, participants might move in and out of memes like shifting sands.

    Tree Fitzpatrick



    I really respect all of the thoughtfulness and work that people have put into posts on this topic and others. I will visit the links, thank you for the resources.

    Tracy





    Tracy Boyer

    Volunteer Coordinator   

    Envision Halifax

    PO Box 941

    Halifax CRO, NS

    B3J 2V9

    902.425.5741

    Fx. 902.425.6904

    www.envisionhalifax.ca



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  -- 

  CHRIS CORRIGAN
  Consultation - Facilitation
  Open Space Technology

  Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot 
  Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com 

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