great succes for Open Space in the Netherlands

Mon Mar 13 15:12:37 PST 2006

Hi all

Last week we had a meeting with about 20 OD consultants in the Netherlands. Some who lecture about OD at University, some who do research on OD and some who work as OD consultants (like me).  I was invited to write an article an how Open Space works and why it works according to my experinces with Open Space. I used many of the things I have read over the years on the list! 
The article is going to be published in juni in one of our more prestige journals (for the dutch: Management en Organisatie).  And there will be a national congres on Open Space and other inteventions who really are interactive (appreciative inquiry, Future Search, and much much more) 

I was very honoured not only to be asked but that Open Space is goging to be even more 'hot' in the Netherlands. 

So if there are some reflections on the the next two items, it would help me very much to rewrite some parts of the article:
- why does Open Space work? (those academic boys and girls over ?here want to know something about theoretical background and start looking very upset as I told them that it just works).

- as Harrison wrote in his book Open Space; exapanding our now, Open Space has very ancient backgrounds (meeting in a cirkel, breathing, starting en ending 'time' and son on). What is more to say about these ancient ways of meeting? 

Anything or everything is welcome

warm regards
Carla 

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>From  Tue Mar 14 08:11:20 2006
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Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 08:11:20 -0500
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To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
Organization: HH Owen and Co.
Subject: Re: great success for Open Space in the Netherlands
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Carla wrote: "- why does Open Space work? (those academic boys and girls
over ?here want to know something about theoretical background and start
looking very upset as I told them that it just works)."

Good work Carla! As to why OS works I believe the answer is --
Self-organization. I have spelled out the details in a number of places
including, "Expanding Our Now," "The Power of Spirit" (Both published by
Berrett-Koehler) Also in "The Practice of Peace" -- with a final effort in
my forthcoming (I think) book -- which at this point is called "In Pursuit
of High Performance." There is no publisher for this -- and it will be a
while before I get far enough to look for one. You might also check an
article I did several years ago for the OD "Practitioner" I suspect they
have it on their website, but my version of the piece will be found at
http://www.openspaceworld.com/emergent_order.htm 

There are a lot of things that are strange (different) about OS, but from
the Academics' point of view one of the most disturbing is that it started
as a practice and went in search of a theory. This is precisely the reverse
of what "should" have happened, they seem to think. And if you are actually
looking for the origin of Open Space (at least my part in Open Space) you
will find it in the bottom of two Martini Glasses. True story! Sounds pretty
bad, but then again Penicillin was discovered in the bottom of dirty dishes.

Harrison  

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com 
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Vliex,
Carla (cvl)
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2006 6:13 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: great succes for Open Space in the Netherlands

Hi all

Last week we had a meeting with about 20 OD consultants in the Netherlands.
Some who lecture about OD at University, some who do research on OD and some
who work as OD consultants (like me).  I was invited to write an article an
how Open Space works and why it works according to my experinces with Open
Space. I used many of the things I have read over the years on the list! 
The article is going to be published in juni in one of our more prestige
journals (for the dutch: Management en Organisatie).  And there will be a
national congres on Open Space and other inteventions who really are
interactive (appreciative inquiry, Future Search, and much much more) 

I was very honoured not only to be asked but that Open Space is goging to be
even more 'hot' in the Netherlands. 

So if there are some reflections on the the next two items, it would help me
very much to rewrite some parts of the article:
- why does Open Space work? (those academic boys and girls over ?here want
to know something about theoretical background and start looking very upset
as I told them that it just works).

- as Harrison wrote in his book Open Space; exapanding our now, Open Space
has very ancient backgrounds (meeting in a cirkel, breathing, starting en
ending 'time' and son on). What is more to say about these ancient ways of
meeting? 

Anything or everything is welcome

warm regards
Carla 

*
*
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