The Question of Openness

[Pat Black]

The issue of boundaries is a fascinating one to me.  In the living, boundaries that define life are semi-permeable membranes.  Solid concrete boundaries like the walls you described Harrison spell certain death to the living.  The living transform their space with their living making it toxic to their current needs for living.  Permeability allows for toxic waste to escape to the environment and be used for other processes while allowing new nutrient rich materials to pass through the membrane into the cell.  Only what the cell can use passes through the membrane.  That is what insures its living.  For me this is the heart of the brilliance of Open Space, particularly the principles like "whoever comes is the right people etc."  It all fits perfectly with the organizing principles of creation which have delivered life.  

I think of the individual people who show up for open space as the organelles and nutrients of the cell.  Each one has a contribution to make, even the ones that create toxicity.  Each component can only be themselves and I suspect they are blind to the concrete ways the selfs aggregate into collaboration and ever new creation.  The new creation is the surprise and surprises prepare the ground for ever new creations.  The measure of success in these groups of people who come together to open space is, were you surprised, how were you surprised?  If we are present in the creation there is always surprise, there is always revelation.  

I do some work with organizations, non-profits usually, that work for balance in the world. Typically they are social justice groups, environmental groups, peace workers.  Typically the people in these groups are very heady.  They understand the world through their developed analytic skills and linguistic abilities and their passionate response to injustice or unbalance.  When different groups start working together on joint issues things often break down around linguistic descriptions or what I think is actually their orientation to the problem, their viewpoint or perspective.  So one of the things I often do is have participants draw pictures with big fat crayons of their viewpoint of whatever the issue is.  Then we look at the pictures and describe what we actually see, like the picture is all red.  Then we describe what we thing the artist is trying to say,  how we feel, what we learned, how we feel  about the learning until the collective ahas begin.  The ahas are of course the surprise percolating as the deconstruction of concrete boundaries allow permeability.  

And Harrison in the case of the Artist institute the invitation was open to anyone in the state so he was invited and has come more than once.  One of the great things about Bill is through his holding of space instead of management of the situation  the situation resolves itself and the provocateur is always welcome as the demolition expert for those concrete walls we are all prone to building.
pat black
Date:    Sun, 1 Jan 2006 11:00:26 -0500
From:    Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
Subject: The Question of Openness

Open Space is a curious beast. It is open, but always within certain
boundaries. Absent the boundaries, and there would be no defined space =
(to
be opened). So whatever Open Space is all about - it is not about the
elimination of boundaries. They seem to come with the territory. But =
that
said - we have obviously not said it all. Just a start!

First there is the nature of the boundaries. For some people, when you =
say
"boundary" the conjured image is immutable concrete walls, all set about
with razor wire. Now that for sure is a boundary, and perhaps necessary
under some conditions. The concrete wall is a boundary established by =
the
powers that be with the objective of containment (The Berlin Wall - =
keeps
the citizens in), or protection (The Great Wall of China-keeps the
barbarians out). Or maybe both? But that is definitely not the sort of
boundary I would anticipate in Open Space.

For me, the boundary in Open Space has a very different origin and =
function.
The boundary in Open Space has its origin in the people who care to show =
up.
This is obvious even in purely physical terms. To be sure, some one =
person
may rent the hall and set up the chairs, but you don't have an open =
space
until the people arrive. No people, no open space - and also no =
boundary.
Just a bunch of empty chairs! But when the people come, as they usually =
do,
the assembled circle of folks describes the edges (boundaries) of an =
empty
space. And while nothing is physically present there is still a massive
presence consisting of all the (as yet unspoken) hopes and fears of =
those
who cared to come. The people create the boundary and its function is
neither to contain nor protect them (the people), but rather to provide =
a
welcoming space for all that they are and hope to become.

This people-created-boundary is not set in concrete, for almost as =
quickly
as it is established it dissolves into multiple new open spaces with =
their
attendant boundaries. And so it goes through an endless process of =
creation
and dissolution, stasis and disequilibrium. In the moment (perhaps a
nanosecond) it all seems quite fixed, but in fact there is a continuous
flow. It is the flow of organism, or life. Were that flow to cease, life
would cease; the open space vanishes with a poof!=20

So much for the poetry and abstractions! This understanding of bounded =
open
space has some very practical implications and applications, I think. =
For
example, the notion that the space/boundaries are created by all those =
who
cared to come casts the role of "The Organizing Body" (be that the =
Corporate
Executive Committee or a single person) in a rather different light. It =
is
not about exclusion, but rather inclusion - of all those who might care =
to
come. Obviously there may be some practical limitations (the room is too
cramped, the budget too small), but each of these represents a =
compromise to
the potential power of the open space. And to be sure, life is always a
series of compromises which just have to be "lived with." But that does =
not
make them any less compromising.

However, when the organizing body seeks to exercise its role in an =
exclusive
fashion - all under the heading of insuring that the "right people" show =
up,
it always seems to me that "compromising" turns into its completed state =
-
Compromised! As Michael H. points out such situations do exist, as when =
it
is determined that the Open Space is "only" available for Senior =
Management.
As if Senior Management was the only folks who cared?!?!?

And what about the strangers? Particularly those strangers who are =
deemed to
be socially unacceptable? Pat Black tells of the "Provocateur" who =
showed up
at the Arts Open Space. Doubtless, he or she was not on the guest list. =
And
I am sure that his/her performance made many of the participants =
distinctly
uncomfortable, all the while offering Bill Cleveland (the facilitator) =
an
anxious moment or two. But I would be willing to be any amount that the =
open
space became full, exciting, and rich - filled with deep learning =
moments of
surprising sorts. And none of that could have occurred with the =
obnoxious
stranger.=20

So anyhow, Open Space has boundaries for sure. But we may want to =
explore
their nature, origin, and purpose. It could be they are not what they =
seem.
Be prepared to be surprised!

Harrison
NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!
hhowen at verizon.net
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen

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