Report from the field
Harrison Owen
hhowen at verizon.net
Sat Jul 14 05:16:53 PDT 2007
Alan - I like what you are doing here! And yet I felt a cautionary flag fly
at some points. You said (the sponsor said), "I invite everyone to express
your passion and responsibility for things you feel are important. Let's see
where Open Space takes us!" Nice, and I also think it is worth while
remembering that Open Space doesn't take us anywhere. We do the "taking."
Open Space, as a process, only invites us to do what we all can and do do,
naturally. Success for me occurs when we get rid of the middle man (OST).
And I find these thoughts take me further to consider the role of the
facilitator. No question that experience is a plus when it comes to the
subtle art of doing nothing, being fully present, and totally invisible :-).
I think it is also true that anybody with a good head and a good heart (more
heart than head) can play the role very effectively - just as effectively as
someone with years of experience! It is not only that Open Space is so
simple (which it is), it is also just natural, which is another way of
saying that everybody has equal access, provided they choose to walk through
the door. The other day I got a note which said in part, "I was surprised to
find out that there was a hierarchy in the OST community and everyone having
a specific place to hold, voices are not equal and politics prevails in
certain circuits Just the same old same old... I'm not sure this is what
you envisioned with OST." I have no idea what the specific circumstances
were, and less interest in finding out. But presuming that we have the
creeping tentacles of elitism sneaking in - a good dose of the Law of Two
Feet and a clear recognition of the Universal License of Open Space
(everybody has one by birth) should do the trick. Or something.
Harrison
_____
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Alan
Stewart
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 3:47 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Report from the field
Harrison and All
Picking up your focus on respect and how it emerges .
Tom Atlee, who you may be aware of, <http://www.co-intelligence.org/>
http://www.co-intelligence.org
articulates very nicely the 'reason' why processes such as Open Space are so
critical to bringing forth a spirit of 'We are in this together.'
Or, in these words which I found when poking around in Jack Ricchiuto's
<http://www.designinglife.com/> www.DesigningLife.com , to help promote
awareness of
"Our behaviors change only if we decide to belong together differently."
Margaret Wheatley, author of 'A Simpler Way'
Tom notes: "Co-intelligence, dialogue and democracy all flourish best among
peers. It isn't a matter of everybody being equal in every way. It is a
matter of everyone having comparable power to influence the outcome of their
interactions and, most importantly, everyone giving each other respect.
This is, unfortunately, seldom the case. Most of us have deeply ingrained
ways of not respecting each other -- sometimes without even knowing it. This
is one of the main reasons that we need "processes" and "facilitators" to
help us get good results from our meetings and conversations."
As those of us who facilitate/host conversing processes know, the according
of respect occurs spontaneously and naturally when conditions for self
organizing are in place. And that this happens (at least for now) in the
hands of skilled and experienced process facilitators working with sponsors
who intuit the potential value in letting go of control.
In the case of the group with whom Vivien Pau and I were working in Shanghai
last week:
The notion of 'circularity', which comes from cybernetics - the study of
self organizing systems (or of how 'one thing leads to another') - may be
useful in understanding what transpired.
Being treated with respect was not a novel experience for the participants
in this instance. For what was readily apparent to us was that the CEO (an
Aussie) habitually accorded respect and trust to his colleagues. This led
him to take a 'risk' of bringing in OST for the company's deliberations even
though he had not ever experienced it. He did so at Vivien's suggestion,
whose professional judgment he trusted having engaged her services last year
with good outcomes. In turn the team of 40 people 'dived in' when trusting
the process as their 'boss' - who they greatly respect - said it was OK.
None of these other people had ever heard of OST prior to the event.
We supplied the form of words with which the CEO introduced the Open Space
component. These concluded with:
"I invite everyone to express your passion and responsibility for things you
feel are important. Let's see where Open Space takes us!"
As I reported the process fitted very well with their existing ways of
interacting with each other. And their consistent feedback at the closure
indicated their delight that Vivien and I had accepted their invitation to
open space for them.
Now they have the language and the experience to carry them forward with
greater vigor and awareness.
And we are inspired likewise.
My observations on the role of young women as integral team members brings
this to mind:
If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but
for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and
ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never.
Soren Kierkegaard
Go well
Alan
.
----- Original Message -----
From: Harrison Owen <mailto:hhowen at verizon.net>
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2007 8:15 PM
Subject: Re: Report from the field
Alan - the experience of respect in Open Space is a first for many people,
and may be the first step to renewal, creativity, and for some, healing.
There seems to be a natural progression from respect to trust to hope. At
least I have seen it play out that way on countless occasions. This
progression is most obvious (and most needed) in highly conflicted
environments. I guess it is most obvious there because people usually
experience so little respect that it comes as very much of a surprise. It is
a constant wonder to me that people can survive in situations bereft of
respect and literally dripping with a level of pathology that for me is
incomprehensible. It is an even greater wonder (mystery) that these same
people can consider this situation to be "normal." If the "situation" were a
concentration camp, that makes a certain amount of sense - but more often
than not we are talking about a "perfectly respectable" business or
corporation. Then again, I guess it is not so strange for the standard
organizational structure seems perfectly designed to limit, even eliminate,
essential human connection, to say nothing of respect. Folks are locked in
boxes and deprived of information all in the name of efficiency,
effectiveness and productivity. The name of the game is fear and control.
Nothing new here, and hardly a deep insight - but under the circumstances
Open Space is definitely revolutionary, if only because people are invited
to leave their cages. The greatest wonder may be that we are ever invited to
open space.
Harrison
_____
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Alan
Stewart
Sent: Saturday, July 07, 2007 7:54 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Report from the field
Hi All
To resume the flow post July 4 holiday and Live Earth connectings (still
going strong in the Western hemisphere) ...
Here for your information is a brief report on a happening last week in the
East which you may find helpful for your
purposes. This is slightly adapted from what I sent it initially to a
marketing agent here in Hong Kong.
"Am back after a very productive few days in Shanghai co-facilitating a
workshop which featured an Open Space component for the senior management
team of a large international hotel company. This was with my friend and
colleague Vivien Pau.
They got Open Space in one. By this I mean there was no stopping the flow of
respectful interaction. For example, the CEO and the most recent recruits
talked to each other animatedly if they found themselves in a session which
they felt strongly about.
>From your barest soup con [small taste] experiencing of group conversational
processes you may have a glimpse that when all feel totally respected and
included remarkable outcomes are likely.
Among these are new found deeper relationships and associated questioning
from which emerge changed mindsets, creativity, innovation, collaboration,
commitment. The overall result? $ and Joy.
The immediate outcome of the two day event was a clear set of strategies by
which to achieve defined goals by the end of next year.
And a request for me to change my flight so as to stay on to party with them
after the closure. <smile>
The 40 people present - from all around China - included several young
women, ie around age 30-35 (in my 'take') who were very articulate and who
contributed with great confidence. Wondrous to observe!
You may be most heartened to know that organisations whose financial success
is based on such an open corporate culture exist in China. For others are
sure to follow when given the opportunity to notice what may happen when
they engage the services of skilled facilitators."
With warm regards
Going well
Alan
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