4 July: 25 years of Open Space

[Chris Corrigan]

It seems that Open Space produces stories and narratives and poems and tales like no other meeting process.  It has always been the primary way that we have known about what happens in Open Space, and not surprising given that story is at the heart of the magic that OST conjures up.  I love how over the years there have been several books published with stories from Open Space, starting with Tales From Open Space and moving on from there, including Raffi and Holger's contributions and the myriad collections captured on blogs and forums and on this list.  

Back in the day these stories were all we had to explain the potential of the process to otherwise skeptical clients and sponsors and they were really valuable for that reason.  They also captured the learning that was going on as people figured out how to work with the process and what potential could be unleashed as it found it's way into organizational design, community development, multiple uses, conflict resolution and so on.  Most of the time these stories were simply stories, with no conclusions drawn, just an accounting of events with implications left mostly unstated.  They are valuable in that they provide good case studies for the work that was done on the theory side of Open Space, namely Harrison's numerous books, the User's Non-Guide that Michael Herman and I put together, Michael's other early work on invitation and the articles and dissertations that looked at how the process worked.

In the past I have found that these collections of stories tend to become dated pretty quickly, especially now that the process has gone into the mainstream.  But it feels important somehow to mark something.  It feels to me very much like Open Space has come of age in a way that Harrison always wished for...it feels like it has entered the next stage of it's journey.  

So what would another collection of stories, poems and art serve to do?  I wonder if we could do something that both honoured the origins of the process, and the work that it took amongst a small group of pioneers who bucked the trend in their field and pointed forward to the promise of what has always been intended by the idea of Open Space as a "halfway technology."  It could be that this collection, in whatever form, becomes a kind of significant invitation to the world from our community of practice, something elegant to say "over to you!" and mark some kind of shift in how Open Space has become what it is....

And so, if there is a call to do something (and I'm with Harrison a little on the elegance of one less book to write) then I wonder about perhaps calling the book together around a centre that is invitation based, generous in its inclusion, disciplined in its representation of the history and use of the method and hefty (which I suppose implicates Lisa in some way!) in its importance.  A book that would stand as a definitive reference, and a clear jumping off point for the NOW that we live in, and the NOW that is becoming.

I offer these thoughts as musings, just as an invitation to take this particular project and imbue it with some weight.  I'm in in whatever way I can be most useful.  Does it make sense to perhaps have a conference call to discuss further?

Chris
----
Chris Corrigan
chris at chriscorrigan.com
http://www.chriscorrigan.com


On 2010-05-14, at 10:56 AM, Steven (Doc) List wrote:

> How about if we collect stories from a bunch of us, compile them into a book, publish the book on Lulu or elsewhere, and present that compendium to HO?
> 
> Maybe include all the winning poems from across the years, as well.
> 
> ...Doc
> 
> On May 14, 2010, at 9:34 AM, Jack Martin Leith wrote:
> 
>> On 4 July it will be 25 years since Open Space (later Open Space Technology) had its debut at the Third International Symposium on Organization Transformation.
>>  
>> I'm wondering how we might celebrate the birthday and honour Harrison Owen.
>>  
>> Any ideas?
>>  
>> Warm wishes from London,
>>  
>> Jack
>> 
>> Jack Martin Leith
>> Leith Co-creation
>> 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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