What have we learned?

[Harrison Owen]

Thank You Jack! And with that Thank You comes a continuing invitation to
everybody else to share what they have learned. Since threads have a way of
disappearing in this wonderful forest of ideas, which is OSLIST, I will take
this opportunity to repost my original invitation with updates. Just in case
anybody wonders what it is all about! :-) 

 

The Invitation

 

In 1985 the first Open Space happened in Monterey California. This year (in
case you haven't noticed) is 2005. In short OS has been around for 20 years
(not counting the 14,000,000,000 years previously). So what have we learned?

 

My hope would be to inspire/goad/embarrass/encourage each one of you to
reflect on the past 20 years (or at least that part of the 20 years in which
you participated in the OS community) - and offer up your understanding of
what you, personally, have learned - about Open Space, yourself in Open
Space, about organizations in Open Space.

 

Although it is doubtless Politically Incorrect - I suggest a rule for our
discussion. Pretend this is a closing circle, and we are passing the Talking
Stick. Take a moment, maybe even a LONG moment (days/weeks) to reflect on
what you have learned, and then talk as long as you want. And not just the
"good stuff" - the pain and disillusionment as well, if that is your story.
You have the stick! And please NO COMENTARY! I suggest that we just let this
roll without response - just like a Closing Circle. 

 

There is no rush to completion, and I believe you will find that creating a
considered response will be a rich and rewarding opportunity. As they say -
"We've come a long way, Baby," and remembering just how far and how deeply
we have traveled will be a rich moment indeed. For newcomers and old hands
alike, observations on our personal experience can only enhance our
collective wisdom, I believe. For my part I have opened a space on
openspaceworld.com as the temporary archive for our thoughts. You can check
it out by clicking on http://www.openspaceworld.com/os%20learning.htm   

 

 

I look forward to whatever comes next as a birthday present from each of us
to all of us, after 20 years.

 

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 Jack
Ricchiuto
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 10:45 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: What have we learned?

 

It's interesting. I starting "doing" Open Space about the same time I
started researching for my second book, "Accidental Conversations." I was
learning about the presence and power of dynamic, organic, emergent systems
in the natural sciences that so well paralleled the physics and ordinary
magic of Open Space. My interest in self-organizing systems started in my
work with organizations in the 1970's and Open Space seemed very logical and
natural to that learning.

 

Now after countless Open Space events, mostly very humble in size and scope,
I open space with the confidence and grace that comes with the experience of
doing so. And why not. It's not about who we are individually. 

 

In Buddhism - my personal frame of reference - caring follows knowing. In
Open Space, my caring follows my knowing that we will engage each other in
new ways whenever given the chance. And we will dare to dream larger dreams
if given the chance to dream together.

 

This is both the passion we inhale and responsibility we exhale in the
circle of being from which emerges our doing and having.

 

My story is that I was born into a world that calls me to freedom in my
connectivity and that I am so deeply grateful for the privilege of being in
this community.

 

 

 

Jack

 

~~~~~~~~~~

jack ricchiuto

two.one.six/three.seven.three/seven.four.seven.five

www.designinglife.com <http://www.designinglife.com/>  /
www.appreciativeleadership.org <http://www.appreciativeleadership.org/>  

 

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