The Question(s)

Harrison Owen hhowen at comcast.net
Sat May 28 05:34:10 PDT 2005


Craig wrote: In other words, looking
back, I believe that through questions, I tried to open space.  Sometimes  I
am certain I missed on my estimation, sometimes I hope I didn't, but
regardless, hopefully, whatever happened, needed to happen."


Craig -- I think you have hit on a very critical point. The centrality of The Question. And The Question is a big space maker. Really opens things up. And I think it is reciprocal. When space opens, the question(s) emerge. So, for example, should you get fired (made redundant) you suddenly experience a whole mess of open space. And inevitably a whole mess of questions, some of which you hadn't thought about for years, if ever -- explode into your awareness. Not the least of these questions is, "What am I going to do with the rest of my life?" Pretty raw and existential! And that question metastasizes into a lot of other questions -- How do I pay the mortgage, educate the kids, fill my days with meaning. And what sort of meaning would be meaningful? 

Getting fired is certainly a question maker and a spacemaker. but it is not the only space maker. Good things create space too. So if you suddenly receive a million dollar grant you were not expecting -- all sorts of great questions arise. And curiously enough, not all of them are pleasant or positive. If I suddenly receive a million dollars does that mean I have to change my whole way of life? Maybe you like things just the way they are?

Point is -- The Question is never an abstract one. And if it is totally abstract, it is not The Question. The Question, arising in the open space of our lives, for whatever reason, demonstrates its validity for us when, and only when it becomes a significant emotional event. In short, we care about it. And if you don't care, you are not there. Simple as that. So if somebody else, looking at your situation, says, "I think the question is. . ." but you don't care -- that ain't the question. Happens all the time, as for example, should a father look at the life style of his son, and ask, "What are you going to do with your life?" -- and the response of the son is (explicitly of implicitly), "I don't care" -- Nobody home, nobody there, nobody cares. At least the son doesn't care.

Which makes another point. Questions become critical for me only when I care. It must be my question. I must be the asker. And no matter how many times somebody else asks precisely the same question, even in relation to me -- it doesn't make a bit of difference (no space is open) until it is my question.

Now back to Open Space (Technology). I guess you knew that was where I was heading :-) 

I think of every Open Space gathering as a (potentially) question rich environment. That is why I always suggest to people that they phrase the theme as a question, as opposed to a statement. But it has to be their question, not my question. And if there is no question, there is no space, and there is no need for an Open Space Gathering. And most importantly, it has to be a question they care (passionately) about. Please note -- this is not about answers. You can have all the answers in the world, and they are totally useless until you have the questions. Which is one reason why having a whole bunch of experts in attendance at an Open Space on the grounds that they "might" have the answers to a question that somebody might ask -- is pretty much a waste of time and effort. The ticket of admission is CARE --  Careing for The Question. And of course, those who care (enough) will be there -- which is why in my experience -- whoever comes are the right people. No ifs, ands, or buts.

So maybe we could reduce our understanding of genuine facilitation to The Art of Asking the Question?  But I think it may be a little more sublte than that. As a facilitator I must remember that my question is irrelevant. Their question is the only one that counts (for them). So we probably need to move one step further out of the way -- and see our role as creating the conditions under which The Question may be asked. And best of all -- do that without saying a word, or as few words as possible. 


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: Craig Gilliam 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 1:53 PM
  Subject: Re: Growing Together at the Emerging Edge of Evolution (long)


  Peggy said:
  My conclusion: there are times that support, provided sparingly and always,
  always with the intent of letting go, is of service.

  If I am hearing you, the way I have come to frame this Peggy is, that for
  years, when working with congreations or organizations, I was very
  nondirective, using primarily questions, and it is there challenge to move
  or not to move.  But the more toxic, anxious, or less mature
  theorganizations/congregations seemed to be, the more difficult time it had
  even hearing the questions, much less responding to them.  I came to believe
  that my either/or was too dychotomistic (I guess that is a word),  too
  reducationistic, for it depended not only on where I was, but also where
  they were.  It became more of an art than a science.  I would have to make a
    determination of where they were, and meet them there. The challenge ws to
  be nondirective enough to challenge them to move forward, but being
  directive enough, that I  stayed in connection.  In other words, looking
  back, I believe that through questions, I tried to open space.  Sometimes  I
  am certain I missed on my estimation, sometimes I hope I didn't, but
  regardless, hopefully, whatever happened, needed to happen.  And that is
  something of what I think I hear in your discussion about the other
  processes in addition to OS?  How do we meet people were they are or is this
  too much of a compromise, or rationalizing other needs/issues going on?
  Thanks, Craig



  <html><DIV>
  <P>W. Craig Gilliam</P>
  <P>3762 Red Cypress Dr.</P>
  <P>New Orleans, LA  70131</P>
  <P>504-393-0309</P></DIV></html>

  <br><br><br>----Original Message Follows----<br>From: Peggy Holman
  <peggy at opencirclecompany.com><br>Reply-To: OSLIST
  <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU><br>To:
  OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>Subject: Re: Growing Together at the
  Emerging Edge of Evolution (long)<br>Date: Fri, 27 May 2005 08:54:38
  -0700<br><br>Harrison said:<br><br>Through my eyes it has always appeared to
  me that there is precious little that occurs at a deep level in WC, AI, and
  FS -- that does not also occur in OS. Further, that the deepest moments of
  the preceding three happen when the space (for whatever reason) is most
  fully open...if the common point of power is open space -- why not just Open
  Space? Not much else needed.<br><br><br>Harrison, I deeply and firmly
  believe that all roads lead to Open Space.  And yet, I do work with AI and
  occaisionally TWC and I applaud the work of my fs colleagues.  Why?  Because
  they are where a client is willing to start AND they lead to Open
  Space.<br><br>Years ago I remember you telling me that anytime you do
  something for another, it disempowers them.  Anytime I consider supporting
  someone in some way, I think of this.  As I've experimented with this
  through the years  (mostly by not stepping in to help), I saw others support
  someone that I had left (lovingly) to find their way on their own.  In many
  cases, that helping hand gave the person or group the start they needed to
  take the next step on their own.  My conclusion: there are times that
  support, provided sparingly and always, always with the intent of letting
  go, is of service.  That is how I hold any work I do that requires me to do
  silly facilitator gyrations like asking people to do activity a, then
  b.<br><br>The critical, critical discipline for me is to continually ask
  myself my favorite Harrison design question: "what's one less thing to
  do (and have this be whole and complete)?"  I know without hesitation
  that anytime things start getting complicated that it is time to step back
  and ask, "what is the intent?" and "what is the minimum
  required for this to occur"?<br><br><br>You said:<br>...it is not The
  Designed Process (AI, FS, WC, or OS) but rather the natural gift possessed
  by all of us that deserves the credit.<br><br>...I seriously doubt that the
  genesis of all that good stuff happened because of brilliant design and
  application. It happened because a total natural and pre-existing phenomenon
  was allowed to do its work. Most importantly, this phenomenon was NOT the
  creation of the conference designers and facilitators. It was in fact the
  natural "possession" of the group as a whole, and each individual
  present.<br><br><br>Absolutely!  Goodness knows that I wouldn't dream of
  taking credit for their work!  I do believe that what is useful is naming
  what is happening (e.g., speaking the law and the principles) so that they
  have the gift of consciously knowing what's working and can take it with
  them when they leave.<br><br>To that end, I have taken to describing the law
  of two feet with the phrase "Take responsibility for what you
  love".  While simply another way of talking about passion and
  responsibility, it has remarkable potency.  In fact, I learned something new
  about the implications of this invitation.  On my way to breakfast on the
  third morning, one of the many luminaries at the gathering stopped me with a
  clear, crisp call.  She said that she'd just "gotten" what it
  means to take responsibility for what you love.  She explained that she had
  been excluded from a journal on a subject in which she is an acknowledged
  expert.  She had been hurt and fretting about it and wasn't sure what to do
  with the angst.  She told me she woke up with my face in hers saying,
  "take repsonsibility for what you love" and immediately knew what
  she had to do.  She started composing a letter to the publisher telling him
  that he needed to publish something of hers and indeed, that he needed her
  as a keynote at an upcoming conference.  And with that, she could let go.
  She went on to say (and this is where my new learning comes in) that in the
  past she would have told herself that it was her ego talking and let it go.
  What the phrase "take responsibility for what you love" did for
  her was help her discern calling from ego.  It gave her the power to act
  appropriately.<br><br>Wow!  She did the work.  No question.  Yet those words
  -- take responsibility for what you love --  the essence of Open Space, made
  it possible for her to clearly see herself and her power in a new
  way.<br><br>As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get any better.<br><br>from
  sunny
  Seattle,<br>Peggy<br><br><br><br>*<br>*<br>==========================================================<br>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>------------------------------<br>To
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