on inviting and asking questions and BEING a Ferrari

[Harrison Owen]

Thank you.

 

Harrison

 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20845

Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>


Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Mike
Copeland
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 8:29 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: on inviting and asking questions and BEING a Ferrari

 

Harrison Wrote: When I see people using Open Space "just" as a meeting
management tool, I don't have much problem in suggesting that there might be
broader applications and implications. As I said to an executive of a large
multi-national, "I think you need to understand that you have just bought a
Ferrari - but you are using it to go to the corner market. The car will get
you there, but that may not be the best use of the car." And when I see
people performing at inspired levels in an Open Space and also having fun -
only to return to the drudgery of Monday morning where they are miserable -
I must honor their choice for sure. But I also feel more than a little
sadness.  

 

 This is beautiful Harrison I really get the message with this metaphor, now
I'm really going to let you have it:

 

When I first discovered open space, which was over two years ago, I
discovered that I had been seeking something a kin to this process for a
long time. As an environmental educationalist and facilitator I use to
despair at the behaviors and actions I would use when facilitating groups:
I was in control and would intervene;  of course I always knew best where
the group needed to go!? I would feel exhausted at meeting's end and
instinctively knew, that even though I had a loud voice and a forceful way,
that facilitating this way was not good. Possibly a flicker of integrity
within said "you don't really like to be treated like this so why do you
treat others this way?

 

My problem was: how to translate my personal beliefs into my work? I  had
certain principles which I lived by.  These were beliefs honed by ten years
of grief as I dealt with two bouts of cancer.  Principles which I discovered
and practiced which had brought me out of the pit of hell. It was these same
principles which I daily flouted when facilitating because I knew of no
other way! 

 

It was like I worked for years in isolation in my old shed restoring an old
smashed up car and turned it into a Ferrari. Then when I brought it out I'd
take it four wheel driving and wonder why it got so beaten up. Thank god I
found this stuff called open space! Open space is the race track that
facilitates my Ferrari's best performance. It enables me to translate the
years of personal work into my working life. 

 

I have just returned from delivering a freshwater education unit with school
children in a local creek.  I did the whole thing in open space.  I
demonstrate the process of looking for fish and bugs and then let the kids
loose.  Questions and enquiry came spontaneously, some kids even panned for
gold instead. Quite honestly I am relieved of the responsibility of
entertaining 60 kids and they follow their own passions. The teacher was
amazed the kids stayed focused on bugs and fish for the whole two hours.; no
cudgels, no sergeant major stuff!

 

Thanks Harrison for having the eyes to see it.  You know we are catalysts
for a huge cultural shift that is happening in our world. I firmly believe I
need to be living in open space myself if I am to facilitate in this way. It
is very much a case of Open Space starts at home.

 

Mike Copeland  

 

 

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