SOS for OS!

Sat Apr 8 04:53:50 PDT 2006

Frank - I like the idea of an Emergency Action Kit for OS, but my problem is
I don't have a clue what might go in it. After all OS is just a lot of empty
space in which we do nothing (but be a lot). But that might work. Just get
an empty box with a good lid. Then sidle up to some un-suspecting sort and
say "Pssst - Want to see the Secret of the Universe?" If they say yes - open
the lid - and they will see exactly nothing. I guess that is our problem,
there is very little to see and not much to say. But you could try a little
underground activity. . . 

If you feel frustrated with the meeting, that pretty well guarantees that
some others feel the same way. Find them! Start with their frustrations and
open things up. For example if they were to say that they never get a chance
to talk about what they really care about - ask them what they care about,
write it down, post it, and get gone. Like that.

Opportunism is about the only way in that I know. If everything is going
perfect (or at least people think it is), nobody in their right mind would
try Open Space, particularly the people who are deeply invested in the
current mode of operations (the Organizing Committee). However, when you see
a crack in the surface, work on it! And if it is a bigger crack,
particularly one that looks like a real business issue with lots of
complexity, diversity, conflict, and immediacy - you may just have a winner.
Wait until all the folks have beaten their heads to a bloody pulp trying to
solve it, and then quietly suggest that there is an alternative. If they say
yes too quickly, tell them to think about it again before they do anything
as crazy as Open Space. If they really insist, well you might just open some
space .. :-)

In the meantime I would just use the Law of Two Feet. They may not know it
is The Law, but you do, and at the very least you might sustain your sanity.

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

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

Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com 

OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives
Visit:  <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html>
www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Frank
Deitle
Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 1:16 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: SOS for OS!

Dear Open Space Friends,

I just finished my first of three days attendance at a Fellowship for
Intentional Community organizational meeting in Madison, WI(www.ic.org). It
is not an OS meeting but I was expecting it to be at least engaging enough
for me to learn and contribute as these folks in the intentional communities
movement have been honing their process and facilitation skills for many
years. This evening I am feeling disillusioned and frustrated. And my
attempts at having conversations about Open Space have not been very
productive. I am not feeling very clear about how and where to focus my
energies for the next two days. I'd like to see Open Space be a more
integral part of the FIC toolkit and the intentional communities movement in
general--a movement I have a lot of passion for. And these are the people I
would think would jump for the next best process--if they only knew! 

So I'm seeking advise from the list on two matters. 1) I could use something
like a script sheet to talk about OS with these folks--like step by step
instructions. Maybe an Introducing OST for dummies. The thing is, I feel
like a pretentious bastard when I talk about OS and that's not how I want to
come across. To a certain extent I think these folks believe they are
getting along just fine doing things as usual (and of course in my opinion
(which I haven't stated) they don't really know what they are missing). 2) I
could use some list advice on how to funcion as an OS individual in a non-OS
meeting while maintaining some sense of integrity and respect. 

I think developing some kind of OST emergency action kit would be a good
topic for an OSonOS.

Love and Thank You,

Frank Deitle

* * ==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist 

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20060408/09697544/attachment-0007.htm>