Future Search

Harrison Owen hhowen at adelphia.net
Sun Jun 18 05:33:07 PDT 2006


Sorry I am a little late with this -- been having some email problems. And Eric, I can certainly see your point about having more strings for your bow, and more tools than a hammer, lest the whole world become a nail. And at some level, Open Space Technology is one method amongst many others, to be used (or not) depending on the circumstances. However I think this conversation might take place at a different (deeper) level, and the question changes. The critical question for me is always how to create the conditions underwhich a particular group can function in an optimal fashion. In approaching this question, I confess to a certain pre-conception -- that all human systems are self organizing. Or put in slightly different terms -- There is no such thing as a non-self organizing system. There are only some misguided folks that think they did the organizing and control the system. 

I recognize this assertion can be provocative -- but the more I think about it the more I feel comfortable with it. It is true that people spend a lot of time organizing and controlling. But the organization created is really (in my opinion) only a map which will hopefully correspond with the territory. But maps do not create the territory. And once we move from abstract (paper) design to implementation (execution) all the best laid plans  are thrown into a totally self-organizing world, and become just one more piece in the self-organizing stew. 

Optimal function of any organization occurs, in my judgment, when an organization (and the people in it) has sufficient room (space) to operate fully and effectively as the self-organization it is inherently . Restrictions, of one sort or another reduce agility, capacity for adaptation, opportunity for learning (all of which self-organizing systems do quite well). When the restriction is sufficient, the organization will strangle.

So the real question for me is always, How much open space can be offered such that the organization can be fully and effectively what it is -- self-organizing? Some approaches provide lots of space (FS), some virtually none (Strategic Real Time Change), and only one -- all the space anybody cares to deal with (OS).

At the end of the day, it is all about opening space. The only question is how much? Personally, I have never encountered an organization that could not negotiate Open Space. I have met managers, MDs, CEOs who get very nervous -- maybe even too nervous. But that, it seems to me, is their issue. I do try to be helpful -- but to quote another old saw, "You can take a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." 

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: Erich Kolenaty 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 6:00 AM
  Subject: Re: Future Search


  Dear Tree and Agneta,

  whatever you may have experienced and whatever you might think about other ways of bringing change into life except open hearts and open space - there is one little thing I want to remind to you:  Open Space always works, if you can fulfill some conditions - we discussed this many times. 

  Unfortunately sometimes you find yourself in a place where you CANNOT fulfill these conditions for specific reasons and you know, that open space WILL NOT work properly. So you have to look for other options and future search sometimes is one of them.

  Paul Watzlawick once wrote a very nice aphorism: "I you only have got a hammer, every problem appears to be a nail" 

  Erich from sunny and lovely Vienna

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Tree Fitzpatrick 
    To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
    Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 2:21 AM
    Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Future Search


    Thank you, Agneta, for writing what you did.  This is how I feel about most large-scale change methodologies:  they try to make me think about what they think I should think about, they try to start and stop conversations, when I should talk, with whom I should talk.  There can be lovely exchanges but, fundamentally, somewhere, in any tool but OST, there is someone, somewhere, deciding what people should think, do, say, and, even want.  Pish posh.  

    The only change tool I have ever come across that truly welcomes the emergent, the evolutionary, is open space.  Well, I take that back:  an open heart is an excellent change methodology, also.

    Thanks, Agneta.


    On 6/12/06, Agneta Setterwall <agneta.setterwall at telia.com> wrote: 
      Hello!
      Some years ago I attended a couple of future search conferences, and also a training in the method. I don´t know if I was perhaps not the right person, but I got angry and frustrated many times, not to say worse words. They tried to make me think about what the facilitator told me to think of, and they tried to make me stop think when the time was out, they tried to make us start conversations, and to stop conversations, they decided which group we should talk in, and they sliced the gruops and put us in new constellations not when we wanted but when their method so required. We then had to agree on what was left or at least keep our mouths shut. That was the "common ground". 

      Still, it was much of the time nice, interesting and a creative clima - I  thought that it was an interesting method, giving much more room for participants than many other. But after that I met Open Space...and I understood that I will never never recommend Future Search to anybody, if Open Space is an option. 
      This is my opinion. Perhaps I am wrong.
      Agneta,
      in a too hot Uppsala, Sweden

      Vliex, Carla (cvl) wrote: 
        Hi Lenore

        We are doing with soem people in the netherlands a research and an article on Future Search and one on Open Space. There are many differences but to keep it simple.  If you want to know waht people really think, want, wish, go for use Open Space but hen your never know with what tey will come....  (it is often a concern of sponsors). Future Search is, I think a more structured process, you go form one predefine step to another. It will bring the participants sure to a common ground on what they want. As for Open Space you also get the diversity, the differences ans the disputes..... I think a three day Open space is more fun and gives a more complete picture. 
        my two cents

        Carla


        Met vriendelijke groet,

        drs. Carla Vliex
        Adviseur Organisatie Ontwikkeling 
        ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
        Twynstra Gudde Adviseurs en Managers 
        Stationsplein 1, 3818 LE Amersfoort 
        Postbus 907, 3800 AX Amersfoort 
        033-4677761
        06 53927407
        Internet www.twynstragudde.nl 











------------------------------------------------------------------------
        From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Lenore Mewton
        Sent: zaterdag 10 juni 2006 14:26
        To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
        Subject: Future Search


        Hello All;

        I have an OS related question- I've only recently come across the Future Search process and training. While it has several components similar to OS and World Cafe- and perhaps other participative processes- I'm wondering if any uses this process- and if so, does it dovetail with OS? Do you use it differentially - in specific situations? One major difference that I see, initially, is the length of time for these workshops, 2-3 days.

        Thanks, in advance, for any thoughts/info. on this!

        Best Regards,

        Lenore
        _______________________________________________
        Lenore Mewton- Organizational Consultant
        Executive, Leadership and Career Management Coaching
        (ph) 781-639-2659 
        lenore at lenoremewton.com
        _______________________________________________
        * * ========================================================== 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 
      * * ========================================================== 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 



    -- 
    Warmly,
    Tree Fitzpatrick
    Hearthkeeper * * ========================================================== 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 

*
*
==========================================================
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/20060618/14f47cee/attachment-0016.htm>


More information about the OSList mailing list