doing self-organization

[Harrison Owen]

Pat wrote: "I am in total agreement that we can work with or we can get in
the way of it and inhibit it.  I guess what I was saying that it requires no
work to sustain it."  


Pat -- I think what I have been learning is that while a self-organizing
system works (by definition) all by itself, and for sure we neither created
nor invented it, we still have a role to play which can be critical to the
ongoing function of the system. How you understand that role (whether it is
"work" or a privilege) is obviously a matter of personal perception. But
there is a role either in the narrow confines of an OS event, or in the
larger realm of any or all of our self-organizing systems. In a previous
note I listed what I believe to be the Eight Essentials: 1) Do your Home
work, 2) Issue an Invitation, 3) Come to the Circle, 4) Welcome Passion and
Responsibility, 5) Remember the Four Principles, 6) Observe The Law, 7) Keep
Grief Working, and 8) Formalize the System.

If we did none of the above, it is quite likely that the system would still
perform at some level. Even if we make what I take to be an egregious error
and attempt to substitute our understanding of structure and controls for
the emergent structure and control which the system has manifested, the
probability is that the system will continue, which is a testimony to the
natural endurance of a self-organizing system. And parenthetically, I would
argue that we can thank this natural endurance for the continued existence
of our systems (organizations, companies, countries) in spite of our
malfeasance.

Having said all of that, I still think there is much to be done, and many
skills to perfect -- most of which is not covered in the standard MBA
program :-)

Take for example the business of invitation. And here I am thinking not only
of the invitation for an Open Space Event, but the larger invitations to all
those who might care to join us in the creation or renewal of a major
project or business venture. A truly inviting invitation must be clear,
focused, attractive, and with sufficient specificity to get the "guests" to
the right place, time, and state of mind -- while still remaining open
enough to encourage high levels of creativity and innovation. I suppose that
some people can do all of this just naturally, but I think we all can do it
better with thought and practice. Might I say "work?"

And of course, an effective invitation is not simply a matter of words on a
piece of paper. The personhood of the "inviter" is also important. At some
deeper level I think we must be the invitation we seek to make. To make the
point obvious just think of what happens when the "words" say "Please come!"
but the body language says something quite different.

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 Harrison
Owen
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 7:42 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: FW: doing self-organization

From: Pat Black [mailto:patoitextiles at gmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 7:17 PM
To: hhowen at verizon.net
Subject: Re: doing self-organization

I am in total agreement that we can work with or we can get in the way
of it and inhibit the it.  I guess what I was saying that it requires
no work to sustain it.  We actually have to expend more energy to get
in the way of it and inhibit it.  I totally agree that OS is a way to
get out of the way of our it and let it flow.  I just think we are
actually conserving energy doing that rather than expending it.
pat

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