Report From the Field (Longer than I thought it would be)

[Harrison Owen]

"Report from the Field" sounds pretty official and maybe even ominous, but I
certainly don't intend it that way. However, having just returned from a 3
week journey through the open spaces of Europe (at least some of them) I
have to say the field is in full flower despite the season. Blossoms
everywhere and it just sort of took my breath away.

The journey began in Bologna, Italy where some 65 good folks responded to
the invitation of Gerardo de Luzenberger along with his colleagues
Nicoletta, Frank, and the "Mayor" of Bologna, to come together for a
combination Introduction to Open Space and The Practice of Peace. Most were
from Italy but with a sprinkling from elsewhere: Holland, Germany and
Serbia. We met in a grand room (I mean GRAND) on the top floor of a 15th
century structure. Could have been a palace of sorts, right on the main
square of the city. In a word, we had space with a history. I had been to
Italy the preceding year (Florence) when about 35 brave souls took the
initial plunge into Open Space. Seems like the introduction was positive,
witness double the number of participants this time - and most impressively
- the level of activity over the course of the intervening year. I remember
particularly two wonderful young women from Sardinia who regaled me with
tales of the 8 Open Spaces they had conducted in the last several months.
Their enthusiasm was almost overwhelming and seizing the moment, I said,
"What you need here is the Open Space Institute of Italy." "How do we do
that?" they responded. "Simple" I said. "It just happened - and you are the
President and Vice President. You will only have to figure out who is which.
And just remember you don't have a shred of authority to do anything, but
only the power of invitation." It seemed like they might need a Secretary,
so I informed my host Gerardo that he had the job. Fortunately everybody
took my imperious manner in the spirit in which it was offered - all in fun.
But I think they took me seriously and I can't wait to find out what happens
next. 

Next stop: Berlin - the home of BOSCOP (Berlin Open Space Cooperative),
Michael Pannwitz and friends. The program was The Practice of Peace, and the
participants came from more countries than I can remember, probably most of
them lying to the East. Over the years, Michael and his colleague, Jo
Toepfer, have spent a lot of time in that part of the world. Most recently
they did a training program in the Ukraine and a number of their new
colleagues from that country joined us. And innovation was the name of the
game. On the first day I opened space pretty much by the book (in English) -
the next day, the language was Russian. And on the final day, not a word was
spoken. Michael P. is always one to push boundaries and the space was opened
in silence. Mind blowing and wonderful! I am not sure how it would have
worked had the participants been totally new to Open Space - but I guess
that is the next experiment. Talk about thinking of one more thing not to
do!! Our "Program Manager" was a delightful young woman by the name of Anna
- who had first experienced Open Space some 5 years ago while still in High
School. It seems that Michael had come to her school and from that point on,
she was part of the team. She did a wonderful job, and I think one of my
lasting memories of Berlin will be the number and energy of people well
below the age of 40 - which from my advanced condition seems very young
indeed. As I said, the flowers are blooming. One other thing that really
caught my attention was the elegant way in which all the logistics were
handled. Combining a German sense for detail and a very open way of being,
Michael and his friends at BOSCOP have created a model of how to set up
shop. I guess the whole thing would be a little bit of over-kill for small
groups, but anything over 50 participants and I can only say that BOSCOP
ROCKS. Seriously, Michael and friends have created a number of aids in the
logistics department which I know they would be willing to share. So if you
need some help or suggestions, you know where to go. And last, but certainly
not least - a Birthday party to end all birthday parties. Seems like my 70th
has been celebrated for most of this year, but Berlin surely put the cap on
the festivities. Needless to say we had Martinis for all and dancing for
those who cared - two of my favorite things! And birthday cards from all
over the world. Thanks to all of you from wherever!! You made my day!!!

Last stop: Helsinki. Finland is one of the few places in the world that I
had never visited and always wanted to see. It is not so much about the
land, although it is beautiful, at least as much as I could see of it in the
brief hours of sunlight. It is the people. Finns have a habit of wandering
around the world, and I have met a number in my travels. They always seemed
to be bright and welcoming with a marvelous, droll (some might say "sick")
sense of humor which I find wonderful. So when Pepe Nummi asked if I might
like to visit his country my response was immediate and positive. But then
we got to the question of what, exactly, I might do. Some sort of
"Introduction to Open Space" seemed appropriate, and I suggested my current
love affair with The Practice of Peace. There was a slight pause in the
email communication. The Introduction to OS was fine, but there was a
problem with Peace. It seemed that most of Pepe's contacts were corporate
sorts, and while there was no objection to Peace it was a little unclear
whether requests for attendance (read financial support) at a program on
Peace would pass corporate muster. And did I have an alternative? Seizing
the moment, I said, Sure! How about something like, "Opening Space for High
Performance?" Knowing that all corporate types and others concerned with the
bottom line are anxious to achieve optimal performance, I thought that might
really sell. And more to the point, it had been my experience (and I am sure
yours as well) that in Open Space people regularly do the impossible, and if
that meant creating a new product in record time - that is what they did.
High Performance! It seems that ever since Peters and Waterman wrote "In
Search of Excellence" - true High Performance had become the Holy Grail -
often glimpsed but never quite grasped. We have trained for it, designed for
it, schemed for it - but somehow it always seems to be just out of reach.
And then in Open Space ordinary people do the extraordinary. Regularly! But
how could that work, and more importantly, how could we make that work for
us?

Truth to tell a fascination with High Performing Systems had been an
affliction of mine since the early 70's when an old friend and colleague,
Peter Vaill wrote a paper entitled, "Towards a Behavioral Description of
High Performing Systems." It was a short paper, but it captured a lot of
attention, not the least of which was the attention of Peters and Waterman,
and it became part of the inspiration of their book. Some time last year I
was taking a sentimental journey through my "collected works of Peter Vaill"
(joke, for no such thing exits, but it should) - when I happened upon the
paper one more time and became re-entranced with those "Behavioral
Characteristics." But there was a difference, because it suddenly struck me
that what Peter was describing was precisely what I had been witnessing over
the past 20 years every time space is truly opened and people performed at
their optimum levels. Making a supra-logical jump it occurred to me that
when pursuing excellence (High Performance) all you have to do is open
space! But was Open Space Technology the magic? No! One more time it is all
about self-organizing systems. In simple terms, a high performing system is
just a self-organizing system doing what it does -- in style. Nothing new,
nothing added, just breath taking and totally out of (external) control.

So there was my program, I thought. And here is the sneaky part. I felt I
already had the logic of presentation and the necessary "overheads" (power
points) - just sitting there in the old Practice of Peace Program. All I had
to do was add some material on the behavioral characteristics of High
Performance (a la Peter Vaill) and change "Peace" to "High Performing
System" and I was home free! After all, a High Performing System is a
Peaceful System, or so I thought.

I confess to certain feelings of guilt and was reminded of the old joke
about the man coming into a clothing store to buy a suit. Seemed he wanted a
green suit, but the salesman knew they had nothing in that color. So the
salesman consulted with the store manager who said - "That's simple. Man
wants a green suit - Turn on the Green light." I told Pepe that story after
we had finished the program, but he didn't seem to mind, perhaps because
like a true Finn he appreciated "sick humor." But truthfully, I don't think
the humor was sick, and actually I feel another book coming on - unless of
course some of you want to write it before I get there. 

My time in Finland concluded in the appropriate fashion with Sauna and
Massage, including that wonderful part where you are standing outside in the
snow dressed in your all-together. Real treat, but I found the snow a bit
chilly on the feet. But all of that was more than compensated for by the
warmth of Pepe and his friends. Thank you!!!

Harrison   



NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!
hhowen at verizon.net
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>

Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
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