Opening space 24X7 --Wave Riders Unite!

Wed Dec 16 11:14:08 PST 2009

yes, exactly, about 'fails'.  guess that should have been in quotes.  it's
same as we always say about posting an issue and nobody comes.  it can't
fail.  there's always information in it.  and several choices about what
could do next.

reminds me too, that i've often described the process of open space as a
cascade of invitation.  part of the power, i think, is that a leader or
leadership groups somehow launches the "invitation" to a meeting, then he or
she take the first three minutes of the meeting to share what i always
suggest to them is "the story of how we got here."

sometimes it's the short form of the history of the whole org, other times
it's a quip about how we all made it here in the middle of this snow storm.
then, the invitation is for each person to do what the leader has already
done... make an invitation, name and issue, pick a place and a time, and
then kick off the conversation with three minutes (i always bow to michael
pannwitz for '8:00am to 8:03' sponsors introduction) about why the issue
they posted is important to them... how they got to here, to caring about
this issue.

so the first bit in the cascading is that the leader invites, and then
invites everyone else to invite.  great power, i think, in asking folks to
do what they themselves have already done.  (for this same reason, this is
why i always hand-write my posters, cuz i'm about to ask participants to
scribble their own issues, so i figure that mine should be scribbled too.)

next part of cascade is that particpants capture and process their notes,
which i often refer to as 'an invitation to action, or at least an
invitation to others who weren't part of the conversation to get involved.'
and many times some of the actions will be 'have another meeting.'  and so i
point out that the invitation to those next meetings don't need to be hardly
anything more than the scribbles that made the breakout meetings possible.

so the coherence and integrity that come from a leader modeling what he/she
is asking others to do, and then supporting the relative ease of convening a
breakout or followup meeting, are two important dimensions of 'being
inviting' as a leader.  implicit in these the first is some stablility or
confidence in the value of their own example, their own presence, and a
comfort with who they are and what they can and can't do or control
personally.  and the wisdom to support in the simplest ways possible, like
tape, markers, circle, for everyone else to pick up and do their own part.
self-organizing.  this comfort, clarity, integrity, confidence, i thikn,
lets the caring come through, and suddenly they are "being inviting", not
just "doing it".

practice implies doing it  again and again until we can 'be' it without the
props of the doing.  and over time controlling leaders become inviting
leaders.  i was saying just the other night at my neighborhood association,
talking about invitation, and pointing out that if we bring more and more
invitations to the fore, if this is how we do neighborhood, then what we get
over time is a more and more inviting neighborhood.

so this gets to my last point about invitation (at least for the moment!)
...if we live in open space and open space is inviting... then we must live
in the midst of invitations, a whole bunch of things just trying or waiting
to happen.  at the neighborhood group, it's common to bemoan the lack of
volunteers to do things... but that's really a lack of volunteers to do what
a few board people think should be done.  meanwhile, people are convening
all kinds of little things that could benefit greatly by being supported
with a community bulletin board.  on bowen island that bulletin board is
what chris corrigan calls "invititation corner", a vacant little piece of
land just off the ferry, where posters of all sorts go up and invite
gathering.

and i always go back to your very first words to me, ever, harrison... when
i asked in the kickoff of my first open space breakout session about how to,
in a word, organize people/work/organization... you said "i don't.  i go in
and ask what's working and then ask how to grow more of that."  what's
working is inherently inviting.  "working" and "inviting" are not separate.
and i've always found this to be true... when i look for what's working,
that's where i always find the bits of language, story, structure, action
that are the fodder for inviting more of what works.

so the only failure possible might be a failure to notice what's really
working and why?

m

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates

http://www.michaelherman.com
http://www.ronanparktrail.com
http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org
http://www.openspaceworld.org

312-280-7838 (mobile)

On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 9:48 AM, Steve Cochran <scochran305 at gmail.com>wrote:

> Thanks for opening this dialogue, Harrison.
>
> I'm wondering how *any *invitation can be regarded as failing if we
> enbrace the 'whoever comes...' principle?
>
> Best to All - Steve
>
> On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 10:15 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>wrote:
>
>>  Good Stuff Michael and Denise -- And I wonder about "failed"
>> invitations. If failure means that we didn't get precisely the folks we
>> wanted to come -- there could be a number of reasons for that, not all of
>> them bad. For example it could be that the issue we were so excited about
>> really didn't have all that much going for it. And all those folks who
>> failed to respond positively were just brighter than we were. Our "failed"
>> invitation simply saved a lot of time and energy which might better be
>> applied to something else. And just suppose all those folks did come out of
>> some sense of "should" or "ought" -- and the whole affair turned out to be
>> just as flat as they thought it might. Now -- how happy are the folks? And
>> what do you think would be the likely response the next time you offered an
>> invite?
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison Owen
>>
>> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>>
>> Potomac, MD 20854
>>
>> USA
>>
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>>
>> www.openspaceworld.com
>>
>> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.
>>
>> BOISESTATE.EDU <http://boisestate.edu/>] *On Behalf Of *Michael Herman
>> *Sent:* Wednesday, December 16, 2009 12:09 AM
>> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>> *Subject:* Re: Opening space 24X7 --Wave Riders Unite!
>>
>>
>>
>> oh this is fun.
>>
>> for me, this business of inviting has long been the center of the ongoing
>> practice of opening.  what i noticed some time ago is that "inviting" is
>> something that we can *do* as a business practice, somethign we can try and
>> repeat and refine.  but it's also something that we can, as individuals,
>> *aspire* to *be*.  the practical inviting is essential for performance.  but
>> the latter, the aspiring, is where spirit shows up.  if we are a space for
>> that.
>>
>> as for the accepting or not.  being trained in economics and finance,
>> straight through a rather serious mba program, i have always understood
>> invitation in terms of markets and prices.  any invitation is just like a
>> bid or offer in any market.  the text of an invitation is like a price.
>> it's got to be stated, announced.  but it also might need to be adjusted.  i
>> like what denise says about getting to "core" because core is from french
>> coeur, heart.  when an invitation fails, it's usually because i've started
>> from something other than heart.
>>
>> the way i think of markets, despite the financial training, i mostly think
>> in terms of farmers markets.  the guy who brings tomatoes or blueberries or
>> whatever has poured some chunk of his life energy into tending and
>> harvesting that crop.  it's him. it's his care.  his responsibility in those
>> baskets.  it's what he has to offer.  so invitation is the same.  it just
>> has to be offered.  the danger is not that an invitation might be declined.
>> the danger is in caring, in being full of somethign, and not sharing it,
>> letting it go to waste.
>>
>> so the invitation to a meeting or simply into relationship in a passing
>> smile on the street, is about being a space that doesn't know what will
>> happen next, but shows up anyway.  alive.  ready.  enough.  and inquiring.
>>
>> anyway, these are some first thoughts that didn't want to rot.
>>
>> m
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Michael Herman
>> Michael Herman Associates
>>
>> http://www.michaelherman.com
>> http://www.ronanparktrail.com
>> http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org
>> http://www.openspaceworld.org
>>
>> 312-280-7838 (mobile)
>>
>>  On Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 9:59 PM, Denise Tennen <denisetennen at comcast.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>>
>>
>> For me, when an invitation I extend is refused, I take another look at the
>> invitation (especially when I think the person and project would be a good
>> fit).  In some ways it feels like my whole life is about learning to extend
>> vibrant, inspiring invitations (this often helps me get to the core of what
>> I'm trying to accomplish), as well as receiving the response with acceptance
>> and love.
>>
>>
>>
>> I also notice that it is useful to reconnect with my own sense of
>> inspiration about the project - that seems to make a difference in the whole
>> interaction around the invitation - whether or not the invitation is
>> accepted.  My being centered and inspired helps retain the relationship
>> regardless of the response.  I am always thankful for a clear no...
>>
>>
>>
>> On Dec 15, 2009, at 3:32 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>  Denise --
>>
>>
>>
>> So this is all great! And my question is how can you do the same thing
>> every day with every project, organization start-up, whatever…
>>
>>
>>
>> I think you are hinting at the problem of making a REAL invitation… Not
>> the sort that we all have received knowing full well that we will be shot at
>> dawn if the invitation is not accepted. Or at the very least -- FIRED!
>>
>>
>>
>> So what would happen if all our invitations were real? Which means they
>> could be refused. And then what?
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison Owen
>>
>> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>>
>> Potomac, MD 20854
>>
>> USA
>>
>> Phone 301-365-2093
>>
>> www.openspaceworld.com
>>
>> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>> ] *On Behalf Of *Denise Tennen
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, December 15, 2009 2:17 PM
>> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>> *Subject:* Re: Opening space 24X7 --Wave Riders Unite!
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks for these thought-provoking words.
>>
>>
>>
>> As far as invitiation - in my work as an artist supporting large groups to
>> come together to create collaborative works of "permanently" installed art
>> for their (the participants') communities - Invitation is the only thing
>> that works.
>>
>>
>>
>> My underlying belief is that engagement in artistic endeavors is a useful
>> piece in the puzzle of creating a peaceful world.  I've found that eople
>> creating art together generally aren't engaged in fighting
>>
>>
>>
>> here are the ingredients of invitation, for me, that I believe contribute
>> to good flow:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1) getting the word out is critical,
>>
>> 2) the "stickiness" (see Malcolm Gladwell and more particularly, the
>> brothers Heath in their book Making It Stick) of the invitation and project
>> description heavily affects the outcome in terms of participation and
>> engaged-ness of participants.
>>
>> 3) having the setting ready before the participants arrive so I'm not
>> distracted by DOING and can keep my attention on BEING PRESENT with the
>> participants
>>
>> 4) having a structure in mind and at the same time being willing to let it
>> go at any moment
>>
>> 5) keeping participation voluntary (a bit tricky when I am operating in a
>> classroom setting where the children are basically in the position of being
>> "sitting ducks")
>>
>>
>>
>> As far as the invitation, my on-the-ground work is lots of word-of mouth,
>> who knows who.  Increasingly via internet - helps spread the word quickly,
>> although in the end, nothing beats the realm of the personal, one by one
>> invitation.
>>
>>
>>
>> Different age groups respond to different methods (snail mail/flyer vs
>> internet etc)
>>
>>
>>
>> my beginning thoughts on this for now...
>>
>>
>>
>> Denise
>>
>> On Dec 15, 2009, at 7:26 AM, Harrison Owen wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> Several days ago I sent a note to what I thought was going to be a small
>> group of friends, inviting thinking about opening space every day, what that
>> might mean, and how to accomplish all that in specifics. In effect, I was
>> taking off from my book "Wave Rider" which is my best shot on the subject to
>> date -- with the expectation that there is much more "out there" in terms of
>> ideas and actions. Along the way I did suggest that OST (as the meeting
>> approach) might be getting in the way of the larger discussion. Even worse,
>> I facetiously (jokingly) invited everybody to join "The Imperial Society of
>> Wave Riders!" Well you can imagine the uproar this caused. Here I am
>> suggesting that we eliminate OST and become imperialists! Not a good day --
>> but I do think the proposed discussion has merit. In fact from where I sit
>> it may just be the most important discussion we could have.
>>
>>
>>
>> Given the state of the world (no need for detailed analysis) superior
>> human performance achieved in a peaceful fashion seems like a very good
>> idea. Or put another way how do we find the intelligence and energy to deal
>> with the massive issues we face without killing each other? I believe that
>> the 25 year Open Space experiment has clearly shown that superior
>> performance in a peaceful manner can be achieved any time we open space. It
>> may not be perfect, but it works better than just about anything else, and
>> for sure it is a lot less work. The reason for all this is that we are not
>> really doing anything. Rather, we are inviting the system (business, family,
>> organization) to do what it can do all by itself. Self organize. We are just
>> helping people to notice that -- and when they do magic seems to happen.
>> Peace and high performance show up. If we are honest about it, I think we
>> might realize that OST is in some real ways a fraud and a joke, at least it
>> becomes all that if we take credit for the power and effect of the process,
>> and the special way that we might "do" it. Rather like taking credit for the
>> power and effect of gravity -- which will continue no matter what we do!
>>
>>
>>
>> Anyhow, I believe the community that gathers here online (and anybody else
>> who cares to join us) is uniquely positioned to engage in this discussion
>> not just at a theoretical level but at a very solid practical level. We have
>> the shared experience of hundreds of thousands of Open Spaces. And we have
>> something else -- the shared experience of life in our community. As the
>> world might see it the "Open Space Community" is a pretty strange thing. It
>> has no boundaries, no formal organization, leadership, or corporate status.
>> Membership is pretty much whoever shows up -- and the party has been going
>> on for 25 years. Odd but very effective. Indeed there are multiple formal
>> organizations in the world who with might greater effort have accomplished
>> substantially less. Think about it! Multiple Global and regional meetings. A
>> world wide reach. More training programs than you can name. And absolutely
>> nobody is in charge. There has never been a Business Plan, and if a budget
>> exists it has never been found. Is it all just a gossamer dream, a fanciful
>> delusion, or something much deeper and more important? I vote for the
>> latter. I think this is a conversation that needs to happen, not to the
>> exclusion of all others, but this is where my passion is.
>>
>>
>>
>> Anyhow I invite you to share and think about our common experience -- and
>> let our experience be our guide. As a starting point we might just begin
>> with invitation. What would happen if all our projects began with invitation
>> as opposed to assignment?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
> --
> Steve Cochran
>
> Sustainability Strategies LLC
> National Center for Sustainability
> US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development
>
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