A Capital Idea

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Thu Feb 8 07:37:02 PST 2007


Ralph - I always like the way your mind works! I would take what you propose
all under the heading of getting the middle man out of the way. Or
something. Maybe we might call this the "disappearing OST." We could go a
little further and understand that "opening space" is a basic human act -
usually productive of such things as innovation, respect, creativity, fun.
On the other hand "closing space" is (unfortunately) another basic human act
- usually productive of regimentation, sterile thinking, and constrained
actions, loss of agility. OST then might take its proper place as simply one
way of going about "opening space."  It is certainly useful in certain
situations, and neither appropriate nor needed in others. And actually why
would you go to all the bother of making signs, inscribing post-its, setting
up chairs in a circle if you could just open space? I like it.

 

Harrison

 

Harrison Owen

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Ralph
Copleman
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:40 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: A Capital Idea

 

Hi,

If we seek to have what we do become the norm, let's begin by normalizing
the way we refer to it.  Perhaps we ought to stop capitalizing the term Open
Space.  We don't see formats that are otherwise commonly used with capital
letters, do we?  I don't ever see...

"Panel Discussion"
"Committee Meeting"
"Staff Meeting"
"Meeting"

...in organizational communication.  Why would we make "Open Space" an
exception?  I suppose "OS" is okay if we need an abbreviation, or "OST" if
you insist, but I never capitalize "future search" for example, when I use
it or write it, and that's a technique that is not likely to blend into
ordinary daily application.  From now on, I open space, rather than convene
an Open Space meeting.

Ralph Copleman 

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