FW: OS as a cornerstone

[Harrison Owen]

From: Harrison Owen [mailto:hhowen at verizon.net] 
Subject: RE: OS as a cornerstone



"Have any of you created a business that has OST principles built into its
structure?" (Corrine)

Funny thing, when we start talking about an organization, we very quickly
move to considerations of design and structure. Actually that is not so
funny (odd) because that is the way we have always done it. And everybody
knows that an organization (your businesses) is something you design and
structure. However, the conversation does become strange when we add the
notion (reality) of self-organization. The reason is simple -- if it really
is self-organization, "design and structure" is not something we do. By
definition that happens "all by itself."

You can really get into trouble should you come to the same conclusion I
have -- which is that there is no such thing as a NON-self-organizing
System. There are, however some mildly deluded people who thought that they
organized it. Heresy for sure, and probably crazy and if we were to follow
out the lines of that peculiar, personal pathology we could end in some
interesting places. But it would also be true that you would be much closer
to you goal of founding your organization on the principles of Open Space.
In fact you would already be there!

Here the logic is pretty straight forward. If OS "works" because
self-organization "works" (or said another way, OS is simply
self-organization at work) then the principles of OS and of
self-organization are one in the same. And to the extent that your business
is already a self-organizing system (there isn't anything else) you are
already following the principles -- but you may not be doing all that as
well as you might. Should you want to do it better, the steps forward are
pretty simple. Start with an invitation to all the folks who MIGHT care --
and of course if nobody cares, you won't have much of a business. Bring them
to a circle (as opposed to a hierarchy or bunch of silos) and welcome their
passion and responsibility (the whole person).  Well you know the rest, and
I'll bet it works like a charm. But one thing you don't have to worry about
is organizing and structuring. :-)

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 Deborah
Hartmann
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:02 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: OS as a cornerstone

Corinne Nelson wrote:
> Dear Michael,
>
> "What might our business look like if we selforganize"
>
> This is a lovely question - thank you for pointing it
> out!  
>
> One of the challenges we're facing is the physical
> number - it's truly the two of us (my husband and I)
> who are concerned with this topic.  That's not much
> fuel for OST, in my experience.
>
> Have any of you created a business that has OST
> principles built into its structure?  
Ternary Software has developed and uses Holacracy, a business 
self-organization strategy
http://www.holacracy.org/
http://www.ternarysoftware.com/

> I'm sure this is
> the place to find people who hav been there and done
> that!
>
> Warmly,
>
> Corinne Nelson
> 719.237.0710
> corinne_lynette at yahoo.com
>   

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