Is anything possible?

[Harrison Owen]

Thomas -- I hear what you are saying, and I can certainly understand why
certain executives would want to hold onto some "givens" (which I read as
"controls"). And these are the same people who want certainties and
guarantees. The only problem is there are no certainties, no guarantees in
this life. There never have been, and there never will be. Yes, of course,
there is one -- Life will end. But in the interim between beginning and
ending -- everything is at risk, everything is uncertain. And that, of
course is both the joy and terror of living. Dee Hock of Chaordic
Organization fame has a nice phrase (amongst many) in his book. Dee was also
the CEO of one of the world's largest corporations: Visa International. Goes
like --

"Life is not about control. It's not about getting. It's not about having.
It's not about knowing. It's not even about being. Life is eternal,
perpetual becoming, or it is nothing. Becoming is not a thing to be known,
commanded, or controlled. It is a magnificent, mysterious odyssey to be
experienced."
 
Harrison 

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com 
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Thomas
Herrmann
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 5:35 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Is anything possible?

Dear friends in Open Space
I am wondering where you find those leaders in organizations and
corporations who are willing to support whatever will emerge from an
OS-meeting? Unfortunately my experience is that this level of trust is very
hard to find. I´ve also experienced leaders closing the space down, which
could have been avoided if they had had some givens to hold on to.

I always do my best to give the sponsor the possibility to make an informed
decision about if they think OST is the meeting format they´d like to use.
Using the concept of givens, I think makes it possible for the sponsor to
open authentic space within the reality of that organization. Well, as
he/she who is accountable perceives that reality anyway.

Then of course it is important work to minimize the givens! And next time
there may be fewer...

But this question is not easy, if we´d have had an OS-meeting 15 years ago
in Gothenburg about making the town internationally known, building an East
Indiaman at a cost of 500 000 000 SEK would probably have been far exceeding
any thinkable givens....now it is on its journey to China!

So the question may be - is anything possible? And are the persons in charge
willing to take responsibility for whatever happens - without any givens? I
agree there is a difference when working focusing primarily within an
organization where someone is in charge - or thinks he/she is in charge.

I have a given tomorrow morning, have to get up early so:
Warmest regards and good night
Thomas Herrmann         Phone +46 (0)709-98 97 81
Open Space Consulting   Fax   +46 (0)300-713 89
Pensévägen 4
434 46 Kungsbacka, Sweden
Email: thomas at openspaceconsulting.com
www.openspaceconsulting.com

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