Seeds of self-organisation
Cliodhna Mulhern
cliodhna at flowstone.org.uk
Thu May 21 02:35:39 PDT 2009
Thank you Wendy. I learn mountains from these postings though I save
only very few. This one goes in my archive to be enjoyed again and
again...Big thanks to all for prompting Wendy to this vivid posting...
Cliodhna
UK
On 21 May 2009, at 07:17, Wendy Farmer-O'Neil wrote:
> Hi John,
>
> It is still all self-organization--which is the point. We are all
> in the ever-emergent flow of all that is. End of story. Whether
> you are engaged in nurturing the flowers, smelling the flowers, or
> paving them over, you are part of a self-organizing system. Self-
> organization isn't a panacea for all that ails us, it IS the way
> things work. Good, bad, ugly. Period. The degree to which you
> understand this and can consciously capitalize on it--determines
> your personal experience of freedom (responsibility). The deeper
> your understanding of self-organization, the more choices you have
> at your disposal for how you want to respond to influences in your
> environment--coercion being one of them.
>
> This is where having a bit of Aikido under your belt (sorry) can
> help. Coercion is simply a vector of intention that is attempting
> to either pull or push me off my center. If i am dedicated to non-
> violence and peace, i want to get out of the way of that vector at
> the same time as protecting the other person from their own bad
> intention. So, if i check in with my own center and discover that
> this vector is a pull, i don't resist the pull, i enter firmly
> (keeping my own center). The person doing the pulling is now off
> balance; i have taken their center. They have to now respond with a
> new intention. If the vector is a push, again i don't resist it, i
> turn. I see what they want me to see and in the process, take their
> center while keeping mine. Again, they now must respond to me with
> a new intention. This takes very little effort on my part, but a
> lot of effort on theirs. Which of us will tire first?
>
> So how does that look in interpersonal interactions? Here is a very
> basic example: I am standing around smelling the roses. Mmmm.
> Someone comes up and says, "Don't you have something more productive
> to do?" I can say, "Thank you. I hear you value hard work and
> effectiveness." I have taken an aggressive, angry, blaming vector
> and stepped to the side of it, avoiding the blow. I have offered my
> own vector of generative and appreciative reflection and kept
> connection to the other. The conversations we can have from here
> are endless. I have avoided solidifying into conflict. I am still
> flowing, still have my full repertoire of possibilities. And i have
> opened space for the other person to have many more possibilities
> also.
>
> All we can do, John, is take responsibility for what we care about
> and open space with a smile inviting others to do likewise.
> Does that help at all?
> Cheers,
> Wendy
>
> On 20-May-09, at 11:26 AM, John Rapp wrote:
>
>> Harrison,
>>
>> How do you view coercion? "Force is not the way at all," enjoins Lao
>> Tzu. But my own experience is that those of us who smell & allow the
>> flowers to bloom are subject to others who prefer to push the river.
>> They may/often fail, eventually. They affect a lot, now.
>>
>> Best,
>> John
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On May 20, 2009, at 5:19 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Christy -- I hate to seem like piling on -- but from where I sit
>>> self
>>> organization is well beyond the seeding stage. It is in full bloom
>>> and has
>>> been for 13.7 billion years. It is just that some people won't stop
>>> to smell
>>> the flowers. Their loss.
>>>
>>> Harrison
>>>
>>> Harrison Owen
>>> 189 Beaucaire Ave
>>> Camden, ME 04843
>>> 207-763-3261 (Summer)
>>> 301-365-2093 (Winter)
>>> Website www.openspaceworld.com
>>> Personal Website www.ho-image.com
>>> OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
>>> Michael M
>>> Pannwitz
>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 4:43 AM
>>> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>> Subject: Seeds of self-organisation
>>>
>>> Dear Christine,
>>> I intrigued myself with your images:
>>> unleashing self-organisation, stuffing the genie back into the
>>> bottle,
>>> seeds taking root...
>>> Even though I assume to understand what you mean, it struck me
>>> that I
>>> want to be more clear on the following:
>>> - there is no way to "leash" self organisation
>>> - its never been in a bottle
>>> - its already deeply rooted, regardless of how much control or
>>> ignoring
>>> is employed.
>>> I know that an OST event can be shut down hard and quick when
>>> control
>>> takes hold but, of course, self-organisation will not be shut down.
>>> To me, these "subtleties" are important, because I humble myself
>>> with
>>> them and liberate myself from wanting to figure out the system or
>>> being
>>> attached to outcome...helping me to focus ("simply")on attempting to
>>> hold time and space.
>>> Greetings from Berlin where the first radishes of the year found
>>> their
>>> way from our garden to the kitchen table today...
>>> mmp
>>>
>>> Christine Whitney Sanchez wrote:
>>>> John & Rory,
>>> ......
>>>>
>>>> John, what is also of interest to me is when the sponsors seem to
>>>> be
>>>> ready to unleash self-organization and once the genie is out of the
>>>> bottle, want to try to stuff it back in. In those cases, I watch
>>>> for
>>>> where the self-organization seeds have taken root, even if the
>>>> formal
>>>> system seems to be ignoring them.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for the great discussion.
>>>>
>>>> Warm wishes from toasty Phoenix,
>>>>
>>>> Christine
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>> *
>>>> ==========================================================
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>>>>
>>>> Christine Whitney Sanchez
>>>> Collaborative Wisdom & Strategy
>>>> 480.759.0262
>>>> www.christinewhitneysanchez.com
>>>> Skype: christinewhitneysanchez
>>>> P Please consider the environment before printing this email
>>>>
>>>> On May 14, 2009, at 8:26 AM, Rory O'Connor wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi John & Christine,
>>>>
>>>> I'm probably more practised in Spiral Dynamics that OST - which is
>>>> not
>>>> saying a whole lot. What I thought Spiral Dynamics could bring to
>>>> OST
>>>> was insight into how we might engage with people at all stages of
>>>> the
>>>> process - from forming the theme i.e. someone living in CO/Red Life
>>>> conditions is not going to want to sit around and reach consensus
>>>> on a
>>>> theme. Likewise, DP/Blue and ER/Orange are probably going to have
>>>> different questions that need to be answered in order to feel
>>>> comfortable with the process. I do find that people living in FS/
>>>> Green
>>>> are probably most open to Open Space because of the emphasis on
>>>> valuing
>>>> other human beings. GT/Yellow might use it if/when it is
>>>> appropriate to
>>>> the Life Conditions of the people they are working with. They may
>>>> opt
>>>> for something else if THAT is what is required.
>>>>
>>>> It's not to say that OST would not work, it's just that how it's
>>>> introduced may need to be tweaked. And again, my caveat on all this
>>>> is
>>>> that I have only facilitated a handful of OST events
>>>>
>>>> I'd love to explore more about how both OST and Spiral Dynamics
>>>> might
>>>> inform each other, and look forward to your response.
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>> Rory
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 14 May 2009, at 15:52, Christine Whitney Sanchez wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi John,
>>>>>
>>>>> I suspect many of us on the list have "dabbled in Spiral
>>>>> Dynamics".
>>>>> I've seen OST as a second tier methodology that works all the way
>>>>> down
>>>>> the spiral. How about you?
>>>>>
>>>>> Warm wishes on this beautiful Phoenix morning,
>>>>>
>>>>> Christine
>>>>> * * ==========================================================
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>>>>>
>>>>> Christine Whitney Sanchez
>>>>> Collaborative Wisdom & Strategy
>>>>> 480.759.0262
>>>>> www.christinewhitneysanchez.com
>>>>> Skype: christinewhitneysanchez
>>>>> P Please consider the environment before printing this email
>>>>>
>>>>> On May 13, 2009, at 12:33 PM, John Rapp wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Michael/Peggy & fellow OSTers -- I've used OS/WR principles for
>>>>> many
>>>>> years in my work, which is mainly in & around law firms. I did 2
>>>>> major open spaces, both for 100 so people, in Jakarta (1999) and
>>>>> Taipei (2002). Both were very successful on the day, and
>>>>> sources of
>>>>> sadness after, as the "powers" chose to ignore 99% of what came
>>>>> up.
>>>>>
>>>>> I want to try again, as one of my personal missions is improve the
>>>>> world by changing the practice of law/yers. I'd love to help, and
>>>>> hear others' experiences with law. And anyone who has dabbled in
>>>>> Spiral Dynamics in this context would pique interest too.
>>>>>
>>>>> Best
>>>>> John
>>>>>
>>>>> On May 9, 2009, at 10:55 PM, Peggy Holman
>>>>> <peggy at opencirclecompany.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I did an OS with a law firm a few years ago. It included all of
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> support staff and none of the attorneys. It was a productive,
>>>>>> successful meeting for them. The main thing I'd say is that we
>>>>>> were
>>>>>> a strange cultural mix. They never really felt that comfortable
>>>>>> with
>>>>>> me, but they sure liked the experience. As an example of the
>>>>>> cultural challenge, I often suggest a few minutes of silence
>>>>>> when a
>>>>>> group gets together at the end of the day or on the second
>>>>>> morning.
>>>>>> This is one of the few groups that made it clear that this didn't
>>>>>> work for them. It just made them uncomfortable. So, after
>>>>>> trying it
>>>>>> once, we simply got on to talking about the day.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 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 Apr 30, 2009, at 7:10 PM, Michael Wood wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am talking with a bunch of lawyers in a couple of weeks about
>>>>>>> "sustainability" in the legal profession. i.e. sustainability of
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> lawyers themselves since they often seem to work under such
>>>>>>> punishing conditions - depression on the increase etc.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Any stories out there about use of Open Space in law firms?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Michael Wood
>>>>>>> * * ==========================================================
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>>>
>>> --
>>> Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
>>> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
>>> ++49-30-772 8000
>>> mmpanne at boscop.org
>>> www.boscop.org
>>>
>>>
>>> Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 468 resident
>>> Open
>>> Space Workers in 73 countries working in a total of 139 countries
>>> worldwide
>>> Have a look:
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>>>
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>>
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>
> Wendy Farmer-O'Neil
> CEO Prospera Consulting
> wendy at xe.net
> 1-800-713-2351
>
> The moment of change is the only poem. -- Adrienne Rich
>
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Cliodhna Mulhern
flowstone
Mobile : 07929328513
Phone : 01244.312758
Email : cliodhna at flowstone.org.uk
Skype : cliodhnamulhern
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