advanced butterfly

Mon Aug 21 07:09:10 PDT 2006

advanced butterflyWendy -- You got it! I believe. ("Perhaps one day, we won't even see topics posted-just a crowd of butterflies and bumblebees swirling in mandelbrotish ecstasy!  Wink wink.  <big grin>") 

Way back at the beginning of this conversation I referred to an OS which just simply went into flow-state by the second day. Pre-determined groups virtually did not exist. It was all Bumble bees and butterflies. And without question it was one of the most exciting, energizing and productive Open Spaces I have ever been privileged to be a part of -- and the best part was that my part was to sit in rapt attention at the edge of a blazing inferno of creative energy. And in terms of a parallel conversation on the LIST -- I was totally an "addendum" -- and to be truthful, much less than that. When the thing ended we found ourselves sitting in a circle that just naturally formed (no bells!). The mood was deep, silent satisfaction. After a bit I said something like, "Is it over?" -- and the sponsor of the event turned to me and said, "Oh, you're still here." Perfect.

On occasion, I have referred to Open Space Technology (the formal process) as a "half way technology," by which I meant that is was just something we did until we did not need it anymore. (Half way to the goal, as it were.) And in my mind it has always been critical that we NOT allow the "technology" to stand in the way of the goal -- which I see as being fully and consciously what we already are -- self-organizing critters. To this end I have practiced (and suggested that others might do the same) the noble art of "Thinking of one more thing NOT to do." My intent has been to continually strip away supporting structures and processes which were no longer needed, or never needed in the first place. In the majority of cases I found that the things that we did (I did) in the beginning, such as community building activities, etc were very pleasant and yet did not seem to add materially to the capacity of the group to function well. Just open the space and everything seemed to take care of itself. Over the 20 years that I have been immersed in this great experiment I have found my initial findings to be confirmed on a continuing basis. Do less -- and you get more.

It was in the spirit of "thinking of one more thing not to do" (doing less and getting more) that I made my comment about "addendum." I certainly had no intent to cast aspersions on Reinhard's work, even less on the marvelous contributions and insights of the artistic community, which seems to have concerned Josef. And for sure I would agree with the observation that western businesses are rational to a deep fault, excluding massive amounts of the human experience and potential to the detriment of the business. That said, I have found it wonderful that in Open Space whole people continually show up, and most especially that people who have forgotten (repressed, subverted) their wholeness rediscover who and what they actually are, in all of their varied dimensions. 

I suppose where I may take some issue with both Reinhard and Josef concerns the need to provide additional services, methods, techniques (in the Open Space environment) in order to facilitate the emergence of whole people. Part of the difficulty is that when such "services" are provided the people (participants) tend to see their emergence as whole people as the product of that service -- and not be fully aware that in a very real sense they did it all by themselves, and further that they are ultimately responsible for their own emergence. I am sure that neither Reinhard nor Josef would fall into what I might call the "Do-Me syndrome" -- in which people come to some gathering or event and expect to be "done-to" by the "experts." But that happens, and I see no value added, only the continuation of a destructive dependency on "The Experts."

In any event, I guess I am very happy to be an "addendum" -- thinking of one more thing not to do. With luck I will totally work myself out of a job, leaving nothing but Bumble bees and Butterflies! Yes!

Harrison 

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD  20854
USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website www.openspaceworld.com
Personal Website www.ho-image.com

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Тясто Марина В. 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 7:50 AM
  Subject: Re: advanced butterfly

  Exactly. Thank you, Wendy. Love,

  Marina
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Wendy Farmer-O'Neil [mailto:wendy at xe.net]
    Sent: Monday, August 21, 2006 3:30 PM
    To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
    Subject: advanced butterfly

    Dear Peggy and all,

    What a rich conversation!  What wonderful questions to sit with!

    What is coming up for me, Peggy, is that it is not a new technology that we are waiting to see emerge, but rather that we are witnessing the growing pains of a new competency in open space.  I was blessed to experience rich butterfly behaviour in Moscow at OSonOS XIV.   Pairings and small groups sprang up, unposted, all about the space, over all three days.  These groups honoured the principles and the law of OS and flourished in it.  There were very personal, intimate conversations that occurred there-deep and lasting relationships formed.  And each person I witnessed, had the openness, the energy, and the courage to trust in Spirit and in the practice of deep invitation. Even in the most delicate of conversations, a newcomer was welcomed in as the right person at the right time.  I suggest this is the edge of a new competence emerging in OS events-that OST, when embodied fully, can bring as rich rewards to our relationships as it has to our innovations in organizations-with no alteration in the technology.  I sense that the private meetings, the limited invitations, are a relic of our pre-OS consciousness that we are ever more quickly transcending.  That the urge to non-convene? a group of one, two or more people will grow.  That the participants' trust in the field to generate the precise invitation required will grow.  The right people, the right time, whatever happens, be prepared.  I suggest that as participants' capacity to sense the energy of the field and to work with it grows, the need to exert external controls will dissipate. 

    Perhaps one day, we won't even see topics posted-just a crowd of butterflies and bumblebees swirling in mandelbrotish ecstasy!  Wink wink.  <big grin>

    Cheers and love,

    Wendy

    Wendy Farmer-O'Neil

    Prospera Communications & Consulting Services

    1-800-713-2351

    www.wordgravity.blogspot.com

    www.openspacesangha.blogspot.com

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