leverage points

EVERETT813 at aol.com EVERETT813 at aol.com
Mon Jun 20 11:03:35 PDT 2005


In a message dated 5/25/05 6:07:20 AM, masheikh at COGECO.CA writes:


> Therese Fitzpatrick <therese.fitzpatrick at gmail.com> wrote:
> >The principle "whoever comes are the right people" is, for me, the
> >most important principle in open space.  And beyond open space, I
> >believe it is an essential principle for the solutions to intractable
> >human problems to emerge.
> 
> Therese, I understand what you are saying, and what Harrison has been
> saying. The principle has a lot to do with "self-organizing" and not
> enough to do with the "goals of the system". Harrison confirmed his
> judgment, when he said only those who CARED enough to come, came.
> 
> Who comes depends on so many other things. Please have a look at the
> thread named "access" "access..to space" and related threads from April
> (and perhaps earlier). Yesterday, there was a wonderful example about
> access in Gerard Muller's "Story from the Field: talking stick", where
> there was access to disadavanteged people.
> 
> Consider one simple point: To what extent do invitations depend on who is
> giving the invitations? This happens whether you invite someone out to
> coffee, to your home, or to an OS Event. Would it make a difference as to
> who came if the wording of the principle got changed?
> 
> I find the word 'RIGHT" judgmental rather than value neutral. If we say
> instead "those who felt invited", that says something about both the
> host/s and the invitee/s. Re strangers, they would "feel invited" in some
> way, for them to participate. The invitation may be implicit rather than
> explicit.
> 

Masud: you are making a very crucial point.   Whoever comes........

In the mid-1960's, during the start up of President Johnson's "War on 
Poverty", they (the managers and organizers) were trying to broaden the reach of the 
program to include those who were the subjects, those in poverty.   They 
couldn't understand why so few showed up.   Andy Van de Ven and Andre Delbecq did a 
very significant study on the 'causes' as to why people are 
"chosen"----chosen to join a group, receive a promotion, do a study, attend a meeting, etc.   
Why is anyone chosen?

Their study showed that far and way the number one criteria was "To be known 
by, and proximate to, the decision-maker".   It trumped everything else, 
including training, degrees, curriculum vitae, experience, position, etc., etc.   
Thus, when we say "Whoever comes is the right people" we are speaking of the 
universe of those who are known by some decision-maker, are invited, and choose 
to come.   Of course, the nature of the invitation in OS is very wide and 
inclusive, but there are plenty of people who don't know and plenty of people who 
know, and wish to come, but cannot come for a myriad of reasons.   Hence, I 
feel the statement applies to this-time-and-place/space in Reality, with no 
judgments or regrets about who isn't there.

Sincerely,

Paul    

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