Time for Self-Organization

Tue Nov 25 11:13:33 PST 2008

Harrison just spoke to something I've been mulling quite a bit as  
systems are becoming more erratic.  Throughout the months of the US  
presidential campaign, I must have heard the news media say, "this is  
unprecedented" more times than I ever have.  And now it is being said  
about the financial mess.

This  is a very important time.

I'm seeing some shifts in the types of requests I'm getting.  The work  
with the National Institute of Corrections is an example.  They came  
to me because they knew they wanted something "emergent".  They were  
incredibly nervous about it all but stuck with it.  During the last  
morning, as we prepared for the convergence work I described in an  
earlier e-mail (10/10/08 Three action planning approaches in Open  
Space - plus one more), the project director said something that  
continues to ring in my ears.  People were trying to get clear about  
what was being asked of them in identifying where the project should  
focus its attention.

The client told the group that his board was asking him questions  
like, "what are you doing?" and "what do you expect to achieve?"  It  
was clear they had him on the hot seat trying to get answers to  
questions they were used to having clarity on before launching a major  
project.  And he gave them an answer that made me cheer.  He said, "we  
don't know.  We're making it up as we go along.  If we had the  
answers, why would we go to all this trouble?"

And just to put this even more in perspective, the head of the agency,  
who launched this project to "transform the system of corrections",  
was appointed by Bush's Attorney General.  (I wonder if he'll be there  
after the transition to Obama?  I hope so.)

As systems are breaking down or not serving their purpose well, people  
in unexpected places are looking for original answers.  And because we  
are associated with self-organization and emergence, the OS community  
could well be where they turn.  As Harrison says, we know a lot about  
self-organizing systems.

What does this mean for us as a community of practice?  For us as  
individual practitioners?

It is a good time to reflect on how we can best equip ourselves to be  
of service during this fertile and likely rocky time of change.

appreciatively,
Peggy

______________________________
Peggy Holman
The Open Circle Company
15347 SE 49th Place
Bellevue, WA  98006
425-746-6274
www.opencirclecompany.com

For the new edition of The Change Handbook, go to:
www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook

"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get  
burnt, is to become
the fire".
   -- Drew Dellinger

On Nov 25, 2008, at 10:36 AM, Michael M Pannwitz wrote:

> Could it be that it wasn't Obama that won the election but the way  
> space was opened for unfolding millions of selforganized initiatives  
> with all the benefits of broadened leadership and high performance?
> If it does not let itself be controlled or shut down it might have  
> the capacity to perhaps keep things going towards a more peaceful  
> and productive ride...Obama and Congress will not be able to provide  
> the transformation needed, selforganization will...
> So, where does that leave us grand facilitators?
> Greetings from Berlin
> mmp
>
> Harrison Owen wrote:
>> I could be very wrong, but it seems to me that recently there have  
>> been a
>> number of indications that people are finally taking self  
>> organization
>> seriously. The latest comes from a Washington Post Story dealing  
>> with the
>> Obama campaign - which they note was massively self organizing. To  
>> see for
>> yourself, go to:
>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402
>> 119.html I think this uptick in interest and awareness could be  
>> very important to
>> this community. We know a lot about self organizing systems and  
>> living
>> creatively with them because that is what OST is all about. This  
>> knowledge
>> and experience is something we can and should share. If nothing  
>> else this
>> sharing will enable us to break out of the "better meetings box,"  
>> and join
>> what I take to be the infinitely more important conversation about  
>> high
>> level organizational function - which translates into efficiency,
>> effectiveness, profitability - to say nothing of surviving and  
>> thriving in a
>> crazy (self-organizing) world. Harrison
>> Harrison Owen
>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>> Potomac, Maryland   20854
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>> Skype hhowen
>> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/ 
>> >
>> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>> Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe,  
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