Keepin' Busy

Fri Jan 13 04:40:16 PST 2006

Sorry about the virus - all my email is scanned - but---??? And your
conversation with Arny is fascinating. I have known of his work for years
and a number of close friends have been very much involved, all of whom, not
incidentally, are also using Open Space. One in particular, Anne Stadler,
might have a lot of insightyou're your conversation. My question always when
it comes to combining Open Space with whatever is - what's the advantage?
And my experience has been that much, if not all, of the sorts of things
that are elicited by approaches like Appreciative Inquiry, Future Search,
Dialogue, Community Building (a la Scott Peck) etc - appear naturally and
without prompting in Open Space. There may be differences in pacing and
immediate levels of intensity, but that over all, and at the end of the day.
. . it all hangs out in Open Space. And - I don't think it has much to do
with Open Space being a superior approach, because as an approach there is
hardly anything there (which may be the point). The operative power (as I
see it) is the power of self organization, and I am therefore led to the
conclusion that what you see in Open Space is the well functioning
self-organizing system - which in turn is naturally productive of an
appreciative approach, dialogue, and real community. So why fix it if it
ain't broke? Or as I've said on occasion to my friend Marv Weisbord (Future
Search) - Marv, I think you are working too hard.

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 

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Phelim
McDermott
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 8:29 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Keepin' Busy

Cheers Harrison, 

Dont know why but with other people if i just press reply it goes to the
oslist but with you it goes to your personal email so i have to remember to
change it. However i've noticed from other list communication your email has
a CHAOS VIRUS attached to it! 

Thanks for support. I  would love to send your comments on to the group if
that's ok. 

If people want to inspect the proceedings in more detail they are at the
improbable website. On 

www.improbable.co.uk 

or direct to  

http://www.improbable.co.uk/show_example.asp?item_id=17. 

Now look what happens when you open space.....  Just got an email back from
Arny Mindell. re the open space event here... 

Arny's email:

Dear Phelim, this is superb! Thank you; thank you.

At some point, could you tell us

a. what POP can learn from open space

b. what open space needs to learn

we adore you and are so happy to know you and your great work, love you amy

and arny

here's my reply to him...

(I'm a bumble bee now you see)

Arny, Amy

Yes yes yes we MUST HAVE that conversation  its very important....

OPEN SPACE is amazing amazing amazing..

creates massive fluidity of identity and  rank and creativity creativity
creativity and community for free.. never had such a hit like this since
worldwork... amazing feedback from people saying they've never felt so part
of a community.. We had a couple of theatre critics in there who said they'd
never had conversations with theatre people like they had over the weekend
and they sat in groups about "how would it be if we killed them!!"

Open space/worldwork?

I think they might be parallel worlds that could learn from each other
(sisters maybe) but my guess is trying to mix them up too much might weaken
the flavour of the different soups. Lots of moments in open space that are
the beginnings of worldwork processes but trying to do a process by leading
it into worldwork might really be odd as the whole thing is about giving up
control and trusting the tao of the group. it seems to support people in
really believing in their impulses as "The law of two feet"  means you
really have to take responsibilty for your learning and awareness. A room
full of participant facilitators and leaders creating new forms. Very
moving. As a facilitator the learning is about doing nothing and letting
nature take its course and nature just does it....

HOWEVER  I couldn't have held the space and facilitated like i did if i
hadn't  been facilitating  a regular  weekly worldwork/theatre forum called
"COOKING CHAOS"... for the last three months teaching worldwork skills to
actors and running a group process. the metaskill of detachment and openness
to diversity and ability to hold tension and different weather systems is
essential to keeping the space open. It's so much about not doing with total
presence. Open space  really creates deep democracy...  tangible in the air.
Extraordinary flat ..level.. landscape of energy lines, were visible between
the people. I'm  Interacting with people very differently afterwards very
congruent with subtle impulses connects you to your path of heart. feel like
change is possible and simultaneously feel less personally responsible. Less
attached to outcomes but outcomes from weekend feel like they will happen
without pushing. Someone said that with all the emails and people calling us
Improbable must feel swamped with responsibility to look after things and it
feels like THE OPPOSITE it feels shared. I feel like part of a natural
organism like a termite colony that could build a beautiful cathedral just
by being who we are. My work is doing me and i feel like myself. I'm more
assertive and less pushy. Low level depression of theatre community had
lifted from the group, after two days. Open space lets the structures fall
away as you embrace chaos and transformation is possible. New structures
created out of love and connection. I've never seen people doing real work
and writing and deep discussion so free of their inner critics. FANTASTIC.
and afterwards people ask me how it went and i've never felt so free to SAY
how well it went. 

World Work / Open Space:  mmmmmhhhh?

Maybe two days open space then two days worldwork or other way round but i
think Harrison is absolutely right that interrupting the opened space with
something else would be a disaster. 

Some of the break out groups who'd been doing cooking chaos with me had sub
groups using worldwork techniques and that's good i think. but it was
seasoning in the soup that happened within the whole pot. 

Worldwork seems to be a steeper learning curve as it can get so hot so fast
i think. 

Open space is more like impro i think. 

What does open space need to learn from Worldwork? 

I put a question on the group about this:

"I noticed at d and d some hotspots which seemed like the start of some
group

processes.. interested to know whether you take action and do work.? or if
you

trust the open space pot to deal with it? Little brewing questions."

someone just replied

"I felt that.  And was aware of it...felt like there was learning and change

there to be had a couple of times, but the 'normal' nature of the polite

interaction didn't quite go for it..."

I think it's about time... 

They can learn from each other by doing them both I think.... the
connections are already there. 

THE REAL QUESTION IS WHAT CAN WORLDWORK AND OPEN SPACE LEARN FROM THEATRE
AND IMPRO? !

just kidding!

and thanks Harrison and all others involved in developing OST for the gift. 

Love and respect to you all..

Phelim

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