Paul Levy's reflections following our "Open Space - Beyond the Dogma" session

Fri May 30 14:02:52 PDT 2008

Congratulations to you and Paul. Sounds like a rich conversation! To the
extent that it (the conversation) serves to break folks out of the notion
that there is "one right way" I think it is very much to the good. And if it
also manages to banish whatever this "cult following" might be, I will be
vastly relieved, pleased and delighted. If there is a message for me (from
me) here it goes as follows: OST is and always has been a halfway technology
- something useful until we can get to the real thing. 

>From the beginning it has been vary clear to me that the most useful thing
that could happen to Open Space Technology is that it simply disappears - no
longer done because it was no longer needed. What is also clear is that the
power of Open Space is not some magic I may have performed (with or without
temple bells, talking sticks, whatever) - but rather the profound and
fundamental force of self-organization in the cosmos. We did not create it,
invent it, and certainly don't "do it." Happens pretty much all by itself.
When we get to that happy day and feel totally at home in our self
organizing world, having learned to align ourselves and projects to its
power paths we will effectively be at home in our universe (thank you Stuart
Kauffman) - and no help needed, certainly no help needed from OST!

But that day of being at home in our universe is not yet, I think. A lot of
us persist in the notion that we can and should organize self organizing
systems. An oxymoron at the least, and a disaster at the worst! Under the
circumstances, OST is very helpful - but it is helpful like training wheels
on a child's bike (thank you Chris Corrigan). The simple process that we
have experienced over 20+ years can get us to the point that we are "up and
riding" - but the objective is not improve the wheels (process) but to take
them off. Of course, we can always paint them a different color, add ball
bearings, or whatever - but I am not sure that really gets us ahead in the
game. In fact it may actually retard our progress. Worse yet, we could get
so intrigued with the improvement of the product that we loose sight of the
fact that the real objective is to carry it off to the dump! And if we get
attached to these training wheels, Lord Help us! 

So at the end of the day, I do salute the effort, but my critique would be
that it is neither deep enough nor radical enough. Throwing out orthodox
dogmatism is always a crowd pleaser, I guess. But I would be much more
interested in more effective ways to eliminate the training wheels.

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

Open Space Training  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com

Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com 

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Jack
Martin Leith
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 2:55 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Paul Levy's reflections following our "Open Space - Beyond the
Dogma" session

Paul has sent me his reflections on the session we hosted in Brighton on 14
May. I've posted them here: www.jackmartinleith.com/?page_id=212. If you
want to comment, please send me an email (jack at jackmartinleith.com) or post
to this list, and I'll add your ideas to the web page.

On another matter, the current issue of Molly Gordon's coaching newsletter,
Authentic Promotion, features an excellent article: Why Clients Don't Answer
Open Invitations. Although intended for people running small businesses, her
advice is equally valuable to anyone who needs to invite people to
gatherings of any description, including Open Space meetings. Here's a very
short extract:

Not All Invitations Are Inviting
When we moved to Suquamish a few years ago, we had an open house. We invited
friends and neighbors. Our friends came; our neighbors didn't. After a bit
of pondering, I realized that our friends felt invited. Our neighbors felt
notified. And you know something? They were right.

I've copied the article below.

If you enjoy the article, you can subscribe to Authentic Promotion, Molly's
weekly newsletter, here: www.authenticpromotion.com
<http://www.authenticpromotion.com/> . It's free, and I highly recommend it.

Wishing you an enjoyable weekend,

Jack

Jack Martin Leith | Unconsultant
Bristol, United Kingdom
Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)
Skype: jackmartinleith
email: jack at jackmartinleith.com
www.jackmartinleith.com <http://www.jackmartinleith.com/> 

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Why Clients Don't Answer Open Invitations

By Molly Gordon | www.authenticpromotion.com
<http://www.authenticpromotion.com/> 

As an Accidental Entrepreneur, you need clients and customers. And if you're
not 100% confident that folks are interested, you may feel that the best way
to approach getting clients is with an open invitation.

After all, you wouldn't want anyone to feel excluded, would you?

But being specific about which clients and customers are just-right isn't
about exclusion. In fact, it's exactly the opposite.
How are your just-right clients supposed to know you are talking to them if
you don't tell them?

The Problem with Open Invitations
The problem with open invitations is that there's no way for your just-right
clients to know you're aware of their existence, let alone that you actually
care about their concerns. 

>From your point of view, the open invitation makes it ultra-easy for them to
approach.

>From their point of view, the open invitation disappears into the background
noise of everyday life. To get their attention, you're going to have to be
more inviting.

Not All Invitations Are Inviting
When we moved to Suquamish a few years ago, we had an open house. We invited
friends and neighbors. Our friends came; our neighbors didn't.

After a bit of pondering, I realized that our friends felt invited. Our
neighbors felt notified. And you know something? They were right. 
Since we were going to have the party anyway, I figured we might as well
invite our new neighbors (and I wanted them to know what the commotion was).
But the point of the party was to share our new home with friends, and
somehow that came through.

The moral of the story? If you truly want to reach your just-right clients,
you need to send an invitation, not an announcement.

What Makes an Invitation Inviting?
If you consider the invitations you receive, including advertisements and
marketing materials, you'll notice that the ones that draw you in have four
ingredients. I call them focus, fit, comfort, and response.

A focused invitation speaks directly to a specific recipient, not a generic
audience.

An invitation that fits is appropriate to the relationship and situation.

Invitations that tell us what to expect recognize our comfort zones.

Invitations get answered when they request a specific response.

Invitations in Action
Like me, you probably get invitations to charity fundraisers fairly
regularly. What distinguishes those consigned directly to the recycling bin
from those that get at least preliminary consideration?

Of those we consider, what determines whether we buy pricey tickets and
attend, make a modest contribution but don't attend, or decide to recycle
the invitation after all? 

The first cut depends on the focus. It's easy to tell whether you were
invited as an individual or as part of a target group. In the first case,
you've got some prior connection. In the second, they got your name off a
list, in which case, unless you just happened to have a yen for involvement
in the annual tiddlywinks playoffs, you're not interested.

The next consideration is fit. If you've been sending the Human Society $25
every December for ten years and suddenly get invited to a $500 per plate
dinner and auction, odds are that you're going to stay home. But you just
might pony up (no pun intended) $50 to attend a fundraising barbecue.

Assuming the occasion is a fit, you want to know what to expect. Should you
bring a gift? How will people be dressed? It's no fun to arrive at an event
in your work clothes, hungry and looking forward to dinner, only to discover
that you've walked into a formal cocktail party. No amount of olives and
maraschino cherries is likely to make a hungry guest comfortable.

Finally, there's the response form. A good one gives you options to
participate in spirit (send a check), in body (volunteer), or by attending.
It will be self-addressed and stamped so all you have to do is put it in the
mail. The clear request for an RSVP and/or a donation completes the
invitation.

Don't Wait Until You Renovate to Have a Party
If you think you need more experience or your business needs a Web site or
you have to have new business cards before you start inviting just-right
clients to work with you, stop. When the fit is right, the setting isn't
nearly as important as we think.

I used to think we needed a bigger house and more than six glasses
(unmatched) before we had people over. Then our friends Steve and Michelle
invited us for dinner and to watch an opera on video. (I know. Different
strokes for different folks.)

Like many Bainbridge Island homes in those days, Steve's and Michelle's was
an imaginative and functional space that wasn't quite finished. In addition,
it was crammed with interesting furniture, objects d'art, record albums
(remember when?), and books.
Oh, and they had two mature Great Danes. One slept on the overstuffed couch.
The other sat sentinel next to a huge purple armchair and dribbled into the
lap of its occupant.

All ten guests in that crowded room had a grand time, and I learned that the
secret to a good party is not the setting but the people.
What applies among friends applies with your just-right clients. The quality
of the relationship is a lot more important than the state of your Web site
or stationery.  Just apply the four ingredients of an inviting invitation to
your communications. Whether it's an email or an elevator speech, check for
focus, fit, comfort, and response.

Invite Them and They Will Come
The worst thing about open invitations in business is that they are a
self-fulfilling prophecy. We use them to avoid appearing pushy and to
protect ourselves from rejection.

But because open invitations aren't addressed to anyone in particular, no
one in particular responds. We wonder if even the open invitation was too
pushy. We worry that people really aren't interested.

Sometimes, we increase the scope of our invitation while getting quieter. It
doesn't work. (How could it?) 
Sometimes we try a noisier strategy out of desperation, following the lead
of a get-rich-quick guru. It feels icky, looks inauthentic, and doesn't
work. (How could it?)

Fortunately, there's a remedy: directly and thoughtfully addressing your
just-right clients.  It's slow (aren't most good things). It's sure. It
works.

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