Organizational Transformation Conferences (was: Re: [OSLIST] ODWS - Journey through time; suggestions please !!)

Tue Jun 1 10:59:43 PDT 2010

Dear Jack,

Thank you very much for your work of archiving. It is nice to have an overview of the history of the OT-Symposia, especially the details of the beginning.
Regarding the ending; I heard John Adams talking about a nice ceremony to find a considerate ending to the OT-Symposia.

May be an addition to your list: Since I have experienced the Open Space Conferences, OT 9 and the following as a wonderful space for learning and transformation, I convened Symposia of OLT (Organisational Learning and Transformation) as an Open Space Conference every year from 1996 to 2004 in different places of northern Germany. We reached mainly german speaking OD-people from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In case it is of  interest, the places have been Uslar, Berlin, Uslar, Stadland Seefeld, Wqlsrode,  Salem, Hamburg, Päwesin, Ganderkesee.

Regards 

Ingrid

EBUS Institut für Entwicklungsberatung und Supervision
EBUS UG (haftungsbeschränkt) & Co. KG
Ingrid Ebeling • Am Alten Gehäge 6 • D - 30 657 Hannover
Tel.: +49-511-336 03 30 • Fax: +49-511-336 03 47
e-mail: ie at institut-ebus.de • http://www.institut-ebus.de

Am 31.05.2010 um 18:04 schrieb Jack Martin Leith:

> Thanks for raising this, Artur.
>  
> I've pulled a couple of old web pages about the OT symposia from my very dusty digital archives, blown off the cobwebs, and uploaded them to www.leithcocreation.com/ot.
>  
> Hope these are useful.
>  
> In 1988, John Adams (www.eartheart-ent.com) wrote:
>  
> Sometime during the very early years of this decade [the 1980s], probably in 1981 or 1982, a large number of people began to use the term organisation transformation to describe their work. During the Spring of 1982, a few of these people recognized each other at a conference outside of Boston, and began to discuss their common interest in concepts like vision, purpose, spirit in the workplace and global perspective.
>  
> Could it be that the ideas highlighted in red are taken as read (sorry - no pun intended) these days, and that OD has - to some extent - morphed into OT, as you mention?
>  
> The rest of the John Adams article can be found here: www.leithcocreation.com/ot.
>  
> With regard to your earlier email, I agree that PC is rife in the Open Space community, and that it is not safe to raise certain issues - not only in these posts, but beyond OSList.
>  
> Two years ago, Paul Levy and I announced a discussion session, Open Space 2.0: Beyond the Dogma. The announcement triggered some hostility and a heap of defensive responses. Paul received an item of what can only be called hate mail from a prominent member of the so-called OS community (perhaps more like what Scott Peck would call 'pseudo-community').
>  
> Pseudo-community: Where participants are "nice with each other", playing-safe, and presenting what they feel is the most favourable sides of their personalities.
> Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community
>  
> I've had similar responses to other posts, which is why I rarely post to this list these days.
>  
> 25 years down the track, if they survive that long, most organisational concepts and tools have splintered and evolved. Open Space hasn't, and I'm not sure this is a good thing. It seems to reflect a degree of orthodoxy.
>  
> I await howls of protest.
>  
> Thank you again, Artur. These things need to be said.
>  
> If some among you fear taking a stand because you are afraid of reprisals from customers, clients, or even government, recognize that you are just feeding the crocodile, hoping he'll eat you last. – Ronald Reagan 
> 
> Jack
>  
> Jack Martin Leith
> Leith Co-creation
> London, United Kingdom
> email: jack at leithcocreation.com
> Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)
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> 
> 
> On 29 May 2010 19:19, Artur Silva <arturfsilva at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear all
>  
> Thanks for the map, Jack.
>  
> The map, and some clarifications by Harrison, reminded me of a different thing.
>  
> OST was born in the "Organization Transformation Conferences".  
>  
> In WOSonOS in Berlin, I met a lady (that I cannot remember the name and later have not seen her again to ask for the contacts) that told me that the last OT Conference was to be held in London, but there were insufficient registrations and it did not took place. Nor any other after that.
>  
> In ancient mails, in the OSLIST Archives, I can see that OT22 took place in Scotland, in 2004, and OT23 was planned to take place in Milwaukee, in 2005. I also remember to later receive an invitation to London, and I even considered to go there (and profit to see my sister and my English family, in Brighton). But later I could not. But that exchange of mails is lost with a computer that crashed many moons ago.
>  
> If there is anyone that can complete the story from OT22 to the last one that took (or not) place, I would be grateful.
>  
> I would also like to understand why the OT Conferences died (without any trace that I could discover in the Internet).
>  
> And why have the OT Conferences died if the distinction between OD and OT is IMHO more needed now than ever before?
>  
> Maybe this can be somehow related with my previous post. 
> 
> If there is no longer a clear distinction between OD and OT, than OST and all the other "large group facilitation methods" belong after all to the same stream - OD.
>  
> Interesting, don't you think?
>  
> Regards
>  
> Artur
> 
> From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Sent: Thu, May 27, 2010 10:34:02 PM
> Subject: Re: [OSLIST] ODWS - Journey through time; suggestions please !!
> 
> Jack – I have always loved your “map” – if only because it provides me and  (indirectly I presume), and Open Space Technology with an impressive lineage which is at once colorful, although perhaps  undeserved. It is true that my first public foray into the realm of Organization Transformation happened at a regional conference of ODN (Organization Development Network) – I gave a paper. What is also true is that at the time I had no real clue what Organization Development might be, where it came from, or what it might be useful for. My inspiration, training and experience came from a rather different place, including but not limited to a layman’s understanding of the New Physics, a rather deeper understanding of the myth and ritual of the ancient near east, and an appreciation of a variety of (what now would be called) esoteric traditions. Strange things like Tibetan Buddhism, Sufi thought (Rumi), some deep learning at the feet of (West) African Shamans, the work of Joseph Campbell, Ken Wilbur  – and other assorted denizens of the Fringe. I wouldn’t claim academic expertise for most of this, but existential, on the ground experience for sure. Truth to tell, when Organization Transformation first reflected the light of day it was not viewed in a positive fashion by the powers that be (were) in the world of OD. Definitely heretical! Off the Wall! Out of Sight!! Some still feel that way, I am sure – but times change. And a lot of the people who found the idea of Organization Transformation radically abhorrent became friends. I can’t say we have always agreed – but we are friends.
> 
>  
> And then we come to Open Space Technology. It does not come from, nor is it part of the great tradition (lately created) of Large Scale Interventions. It began as it remains – The product of two Martinis (and before that the Big Bang)!  There was no careful research, no critical analysis of preceding efforts – just a little Gin and (much less) vermouth.  And with all that as ancestors, you got to keep it simple.  – Sit in a circle, create a bulletin board, open a market place – and Go to work. Hasn’t changed a bit ever since. But I am sure that our understanding of what happens has gone a lot deeper – which is not to say that we are getting anywhere near the depths we must achieve. But we are moving in the right direction, I think. And it is fun.
> 
>  
> Harrison
> 
>  
>  
> Harrison Owen
> 
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
> 
> Potomac, MD 20854
> 
> USA
> 
> Phone 301-365-2093
> 
> www.openspaceworld.com
> 
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
> 
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> 
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
> 
>  
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Jack Martin Leith
> Sent: Thursday, May 27, 2010 3:11 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: ODWS - Journey through time; suggestions please !!
> 
>  
> Thanks for mentioning the map, Michael.
> 
>  
> I've just uploaded it to my server in case anyone wants to see it.
> 
>  
> Here's the URL: www.leithcocreation.com/documents/history-of-large-group-methods.doc
> 
>  
> It's a big file ... sorry ... I don't have time right now to make it any smaller.
> 
>  
> Jack
> 
> 
> Jack Martin Leith
> Leith Co-creation
> London, United Kingdom
> email: jack at leithcocreation.com
> Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)
> Skype: jackmartinleith
> Professional website: www.leithcocreation.com
> Personal website: www.jackmartinleith.com
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> 
> 
> On 27 May 2010 15:05, Michael Herman <michael at michaelherman.com> wrote:
> 
> i'll second jeff's recommendation of marv weisbord's 'productive workplaces.'  that was the first thing that came to mind here.  another was a map that jack martin leith did some years ago, showing overlapping development paths of various methods and leading practitioners.  jack?
> 
> 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 Thu, May 27, 2010 at 4:39 AM, VISUELLE PROTOKOLLE <mail at visuelle-protokolle.de> wrote:
> 
> Dear Gerard,
> 
> Our friend Jon Jenkins, who sadly died recently, said as the father of the IAF Method Database, that right now the three most important elements in our profession are VISUALIZATION, STORYTELLING and ONLINE METHODS.
> 
> Greetings from Italy
> 
> Reinhard Kuchenmüller
> 
> 
> VISUELLE PROTOKOLLE® 
> www.visuelle-protokolle.de
> +39-0566-88929
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Am 27/05/10 08:16 schrieb "Gerard Muller" unter <gm at openspace.dk>:
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> At the upcoming Organisational Development World Summit (see http://www.odworldsummit.org/, which is organised in collaboration with several organisations and communities - amongst which several who are on this list , we are organising part of the program as a special journey through the history of our profession, before we move into it’s future.
> 
> I would like to ask for your help in identifying what you feel are the 2-3 elements which deserve a place in this journey. This could be either in the history of the profession (a book, a bit of research,  the birth of an method or theory), or in the history of the society around (political, technological, ...).
> 
> If you have a specific idea how to represent the elements which come to mind, that would be great.
> In the case of a publication, it could be the book itself, in the case of an event maybe the invitation,
> a poster, pictures. But we’ll also have space for filmclips and music.
> 
> Please mail any ideas to my E-mail at gm at openspace.dk, in the course of the coming week.
> 
> Thanks for your assistance !!
> 
> Greetings from Denmark,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Gerard Muller
> 
> Open Space Institute Denmark
> Phone: (+45) 21269621
> Mail: gm at openspace.dk
> Skype: openspace1
> 
> www.openspace.dk <http://www.openspace.dk/>
> 
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