Anti Laws of OST

Andrew Rixon andrew at babelfishgroup.com
Mon May 25 16:23:50 PDT 2009


Thanks Harrison.

 

I must confess that my interest really isn't in whether the 4 principles are
principles or laws.

 

Having recently read Phil Zimbardo's time paradox I couldn't but help to see
how all 4 "principles" seem to relate to time.

 

One of Zimbardo's interesting writings is around how we (often without
knowing it) carry around with us a time perspective. The time perspectives
he talks about are:



1.	Future (The well known westerner approach to planning and all things
about the future)
2.	Present Hedonistic (Make the most of now)
3.	Present Fatalistic (It's going to happen anyway)
4.	Past Positive (Gratitude)
5.	Past Negative (Woe to me)

 

Which time perspective would you choose to help you be most "healthy" ?

 

Zimbardo's answer is we (especially in the west) need to be Highly Past
Positive.

 

You can even do your own assessment of what time zone you're living in here:



http://www.thetimeparadox.com/ 

 

Know any jokes about time? :-)

 

Warm regards,

Andrew

 

--

Andrew Rixon PhD
Director
Babel Fish Group Pty Ltd
Skype: AndrewJRixon
Mobile: 0400 352 809
Fax: (03) 8610 0162 
Email: andrew at babelfishgroup.com
URL: http://www.babelfishgroup.com/


Interested in Story and Narrative? Be sure not to miss our national
conference October 8 and 9th titled: "Celebrating Story: Approaching change
one story at a time". Download the interactive brochure here
<http://www.babelfishgroup.com/files/CelebratingStoryConference.pdf> .

 

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: Tuesday, 26 May 2009 4:59 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Anti Laws of OST

 

Just to render the whole thing non-sensical, the 4 principles and one law
are neither laws nor principles actually. To be honest they are just my (and
others') observations of what seemed to be happening in any case. In a word
they are descriptive as opposed to descriptive - You could say it is all a
joke. Rather like "technology" in the phrase Open Space Technology. The
joke, however turned out to be outrageously funny - because somehow or
another truth broke through. We are in serious trouble! Everybody knows that
what happens in Open Space simply can't happen. Unfortunately it does - and
that makes a joke out of a whole mess of other stuff - like most of what we
think we know about meetings, the management of meetings, and management
itself. Double trouble!!

 

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 

OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives
Visit:  <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html>
www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

 

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Derrick
Mathews
Sent: Monday, May 25, 2009 9:44 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Anti Laws of OST

 

Hi Andrew

 

I am unsure if you can have anti laws with regard to the principles.

 

First of all the process is based on "SELF" (the most important concept
here)-organisation which involved participation or non-participation which
involves human choice.  Even if you adopt a Doris Day approach (Que Serra,
Serra, whatever will be, will be, the future's not ours to see, que serra,
serra, am I giving my age away knowing this song lol) your choice to let
things happen is an intervention and so you have influenced the process
making what happens the only thing that could have.

 

If you do not turn up then you have had an influence  of non-influence on
the process and outcome so you have been involved and have been part of the
right people.

 

What ever happens is the only thing as if you are "involved" your
involvement changes the dynamic and outcome, likewise if you are "involved"
via no-involvement you affect the dynamic in a different way and as I stated
above what then happens is the only thing that could have.

 

Likewise when it starts is because someone made a choice to start it and you
are "involved" or "not" which still has impact and similarly it's over
because there is a choice made that it is over via group consensus or an
individual's choice that for them it is over.

 

Everything is in some way linked and interdependent and what we choose to do
or not do, ripples out to affect all around us.

 

We just need to always endeavour to impact in a positive way.

 

Anyhoo, hope this adds to the confusion.

 

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------

And on another thread, where are the most unusual places that folks know OST
has happened?

 

I recently had the pleasure of opening space for a great group of young
people (that's anyone younger than me) from  about 9 different parts of
Europe who had come together In Londonderry to be involved in an Up-cycling
project of Trash to Treasure which also involved a 1 day OS.  

 

One participant selected the swimming pool as an additional breakout space
and it was one of the best attended sessions with the details of the
conversation recorded at the side of the pool by anyone out of the water.

 

Maybe the fifth unspoken principle is;

Where ever it happens is the right place/only place it could have happened

 

 

Regards

 

Derrick

 

 

 

Why not check out our website to view our services .
www.DerrickMathewsConsulting.co.uk
<http://www.derrickmathewsconsulting.co.uk/>  

 

"Let the choices you make today, be the choices you can live with tomorrow."

Soon to be 2Wolves      

Derrick Mathews Associates Consulting 

22 Bridge Street

Kilkeel

Co. Down

BT34 4AD

Tel:      + 44 (0) 560 266 2591

Fax:     + 44 (0) 28 4176 1162

Mobile: + 44 (0) 7870 136 090 

E-Mail: derrick at derrickmathewsconsulting.co.uk 

 <http://www.derrickmathewsconsulting.co.uk/>
www.DerrickMathewsConsulting.co.uk

Skype: derrick.mathews

You can also find me on Facebook

 

Facilitation |  Mentoring | Coaching | Training

       Open Space Technology Facilitation

 

Helping Organisations to Chart their Course

 

 

 

 

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Andrew
Rixon
Sent: 24 May 2009 02:10
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Anti Laws of OST

Dear All,

 

Recently I've been pondering / wondering about what might be the Anti-laws
of OST.

 

For instance.

 

"What isn't happening are all the things that should be"

 

Or

 

"What didn't happen are all the things that should have"

 

As opposed to.

 

"Whatever happens is the only thing that could have or did"

 

What are your thoughts on other "complimentary" anti-laws? :-)

 

Warm regards,

Andrew

 

--

Andrew Rixon PhD
Director
Babel Fish Group Pty Ltd
Skype: AndrewJRixon
Mobile: 0400 352 809
Fax: (03) 8610 0162 
Email: andrew at babelfishgroup.com
URL: http://www.babelfishgroup.com/


Interested in Story and Narrative? Be sure not to miss our national
conference October 8 and 9th titled: "Celebrating Story: Approaching change
one story at a time". Download the interactive brochure here
<http://www.babelfishgroup.com/files/CelebratingStoryConference.pdf> .

 

 

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