re honouring each other

Fri Nov 20 01:12:26 PST 2009

this is just stunning.  all i ever said is that i would post anything
related to open space that anyone cared to send to me.  and that is pretty
much what i've done.  at times the site was designed to support public
posting, but there was never enough community interest or energy to support
that.

somebody called me yesterday and said, "this is why so many leaders won't do
open space.  this is exactly what they're afraid will happen.  someone will
use the openness of the space to attack existing leadership."

...and when that happens, if the leader responds (defend, control, or
otherwise counters the attacker) he/she is tagged as dominating.  his/her
open invitation is called phony.  and he/she is defeated.  if he does not,
the false accusations are allowed to stand, and he/she is defeated again.

*in the end, open space can not be sustained by those in positions of
leadership -- only by the kindness of the every one else.  *

this is critically important... attacking anyone else, but anyone with any
sort of leadership role is particularly vulnerable, closes the space.
that's why the rule is that everyone needs to keep learning and
contributing!

i never realized the meaning of this, but now i do recall that in lloyd
kepferle's university of kentucky rules for ongoing open space story, in
tales from open space, their ten rules addressed this specifically...

*Personal empowerment is constrained by the following:*

   - When a problem or opportunity is to be discussed, there must be wide
   notification of the meeting time and place so that anyone who is interested
   can attend.
   - Proposed solutions/ideas must be broadcast widely so that they can be
   acknowledged as organizational policies, programs, or procedures, or, if
   they are contradictory to organizational rules, another solution can be
   sought.
   - * Proposed solution cannot be hurtful to anyone else. *

i've been a member of this list since it started.  we've had some difficult
moments, but really surprisngly very few of them.  and i can't remember
anything like this.

*since when is our practice of invitation about inviting others to speak
badly about another person???*  hooray for public chastisement? would that
be learning or contributing???  this is just insane.

and for what?  because i'm supposedly blocking access to the internet???
this is nuts!

--

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 Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 1:43 AM, Kaliya * <identitywoman at gmail.com> wrote:

> Lets hear it for public chastisement....!  Hoorah!
>
> I do wish that others of you who have had negative experiences with Michael
> and the nature of the closed "open" site that he runs would speak up. I
> understand that you won't but know that I Tree and I are not alone.
>
> There was some dark shadow around this in the community and it is now open.
> I do feel that Micheal was being "deaf" to what I was saying and spouting
> back open spacisims rather then addressing the concerns.
>
> I do think that he was/a dictator and dominating and pretending he was not.
> These are not to me personal attacks from the perspective of naming strongly
> what I and others have seen unfolding.
>
> These are harsh words to some and I see them as naming what I see
> happening.
>
> Most of you all around the world have no experience of me or him in real
> life. sigh.
>
> I hope that in a year we will have a great web presence that is usefully to
> all and more open.
>
> I love this method it is at the heart of my lively hood - I make the
> majority of my living using it. It really matters to me that as my work and
> other people's work spreads and the web becomes more and more important that
> we have good resources online that look professional and help us all look
> better to a client base that does and will increasingly look online to see
> what is legitimate/real/professional about this wonderful thing we call Open
> Space.
>
> -Kaliay
>
>
>
> On Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 10:02 PM, alan at alanhalford.coma.u <
> alan at alanhalford.com.au> wrote:
>
>> Kaliya*
>> my feeling and experience is that if you are being direct, intense and
>> holding onto truth then  personal attacks are not necessary and if fact
>> detract from the directness, intensity and the truth.
>> blessings and thank you for the conversation
>> alan
>>
>>
>> Alan Halford & Associates
>> Business & Management Consultants
>> Mediation and Conflict Resolution
>> Open Space Technology Aficionado
>>
>> www.alanhalford.com.au
>> 0421 475 252
>> skype: alanhalford
>>
>>
>> *
>> *
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