Elders

Wed May 19 15:39:33 PDT 2010

Thanks for this story!  I think a new one I hadn't heard.

Well, so maybe you had it easy, or maybe hard isn't even the way to talk about it...but there is something of the energetic imprint of those "early days" that I still pick up from folks that have been using OST for 20+ years, and I like it.  I keeps me close to the core of the process, the simple intent, the pure gift of it.  

Still...as we know, riding the front of a wave is not a comfortable place to be when you first hop on...

At any rate, for what it's worth - and this is all I'm really trying to say - thanks for doing it.  

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

On 2010-05-19, at 2:46 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:

> Chris – I have to take small issue with you. There was nothing hard or difficult about what we (whoever we was) were doing. It was addictive, mind blowing and totally exhilarating. We did not have a clue where we were going and all the traditional sources said we were going in the wrong, or at least a questionable direction. A good friend of mine in San Francisco co-authored a book called, “Better Meetings” and it was (and might still be) the “bible” on such matters. You know the drill – careful preparation, detailed agenda, exquisite attention to who comes, and of course Facilitators in abundance. Over a beer, he invited me to “do” an Open Space with his organization – something about its future direction. Space opened and at the end his partner in authorship walked out preceded by the words, “This is the biggest pile of BS I have ever seen.” My friend just sat there. And there was a smile on his face. We were friends until he died several years ago (I guess we are still friends) – and he never used the book again. Took the royalties, I guess.
>  
> The total wonder and mystery of what we all experienced was worth whatever difficulty there might have been – which I never noticed. Early on it became very clear to me that you do not SELL Open Space. Non-starter – and to repeat an old tale (Raffi!) Selling Open Space is just like teaching a pig to sing. Annoys the pig and sounds awful. But you don’t have to sell it. Just be it, and do it. Clients came because they needed the space, had run out of space, or something. And every moment was a learning moment.
>  
> Several years ago I met a marvelous lady, Ros Yalow – a physician and physicist who had a major hand in the creation of MRI – which had something to do with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance – whatever that is. Anyhow she got a Nobel for her efforts, and we made a film about her and her science in which the question was asked – “Ros, why do you do what you do?” Her answer? “I do what I do because every morning when I go into my laboratory I know I have a chance to think a thought that nobody ever thought before.” Wonderful! Precisely my feelings as the space opened.
>  
> So folks – it ain’t hard (unless you try to sell it J). Best of all, I think we are at the front edge of the learning wave. A little scary and just wonderful. Enjoy!
>  
> 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:
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>  
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Chris Corrigan
> Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 12:42 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Elders
>  
> One of the things I love about hanging around with the "Elders" of the OST world is hearing their stories of trying to do this work in the 1980s when the fad in the North American organizational world was all about management, control and predictable outcomes (and oh how times have changed, eh?).  It was an enduring memory for me of the Camden gathering where so many of these practitioners were gathered to hear stories of what it was like trying to use Open Space with organizations back then.  It puts into perspective for me how much times have changed, how much mainstream thinking has changed and how much more sophisticated such a simple offer of OST has now become.  
>  
> Those of you that broke ground should be very proud and should feel vindicated that you really were ahead of the game back then, and your perseverance alongside many others has resulted in a movement in many parts of the world towards more participatory leadership and openness.  
>  
> Those of you who are struggling in places that seems like those the "Elders" were in in the 1980s tae note...it's not easy, but it is possible.  
>  
> So, Harrison, you may be experiencing senility, but try to at least remember that what you did was somewhat important! :-)
>  
> Chris
>  
> ----
> Chris Corrigan
> chris at chriscorrigan.com
> http://www.chriscorrigan.com
> 
>  
> On 2010-05-19, at 8:47 AM, Harrison Owen wrote:
> 
> 
> Raffi it is nice that you want the old folks about – but as you point out, there are liabilities. For example, they tend to repeat themselves, sometimes ad nauseam (“erm, re-re-re-re-re-told” raffi). May have something to do with senility?
>  
> ho
>  
> 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
>  
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