FW: Causing Trouble

Tenneson Woolf tenneson at berkana.org
Thu Mar 22 07:41:29 PDT 2007


Thank you for voicing this. It has helped me to name something that I have
seen many times and has made my skin crawl each time, without knowing why.

 

A prevalent management strategy seems to be “how to create obligation.” I
contrast this with the simple invitation to “co-create.” The former feels
like a never ending job that continues to require more and more effort, but
in a way that will never accomplish the most possible (or even more). It is
three parts manipulation, perhaps cajoling, perhaps retention of power, and
one part human to human synergy. The latter feels calls deep down to the
core of the human spirit, without even needing to be too funky, which seems
to enliven us through its simplicity. 

 

OK, maybe it isn’t all that simple. And yes, many approaches work to some
extent in many circumstances. But this fundamental distinction – obligation
vs invitation to cocreate – speaks volumes for me.

 

Thanks all.

 

Tenneson 

 

 

 

Tenneson Woolf

 

The Art of Hosting

tenneson at berkana.org

www.artofhosting.org <http://www.artofhosting.org/> 

801 376 2213

 

Dyer Institute for Leading Organizational Change

tenneson_woolf at byu.edu

www.dyerinstitute.byu.edu <http://www.dyerinstitute.byu.edu/> 

801 422 2665

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 5:27 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: FW: Causing Trouble

 

From: Uwe Weissflog [mailto:Uwe.Weissflog at t-online.de] 
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 6:28 AM
To: hhowen at verizon.net
Subject: Re: Causing Trouble

 

Dear Harrison,

what you say resonates with my experience and my heart. After numerous Open
Space events in high-tech businesses and universities I have come to similar
conclusions. Humberto Maturana's says in one of his books: "... but creating
and managing are basically different. I co-create, by consciously living in
the Now, making life more harmoniously - without enslaving other people".
But this, apparently is the dilemma we face when opening the space: the
self-organising and co-creating power of people becomes obvious and collides
with the desire of some who want have power over people.

I had cases, where after very successful Open Space events (for example one,
which resulted in 3 patents) higher management simply stopped it because the
structure did not fit the "normal way of life" in the company - what a waste
of possibilities.

I'm now very careful when and how to use Open Space - sometimes it seems
better to say no - for the sake of the people involved.

-- 
Uwe Weissflog
Pathway Guidance - Europe(TM), GbR
www.pathwayguidance.eu
uwe.weissflog at pathwayguidance.eu
Rinnengärten 1
D-34516 Vöhl-Marienhagen, Germany
+49 5635 99 11 97 (fon)
+49 5635 99 39 34 (fax)
+49 175 521 76 56 (mobile)

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