[OSList] The Gentle Art of Doing Nothing -- a continuing saga

Suzanne Daigle sdaigle4 at gmail.com
Wed Aug 10 20:18:11 PDT 2011


Shaggy dog story. I love it all! Catherine adds to the tale. Harrison
suggests co-facilitating leading to space being open by youth. I love it
all! I feel the magic, I see it happening. The spirit, the energy vibrant,
joyful and totally beautiful! Suzanne hoping it to soon happen here in
Canada.
On Aug 9, 2011 6:44 PM, "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
> Catherine - For sure the story is the Thing! No matter how told. Anyway
that
> works - Works! And a suggestion for your "next act" with all those good
> young folk. Make it a "condition of contract" (not that you really have
one
> J) - Next year one of the current crop will "co-facilitate" with you. And
> the year after. They are on their own - with you as "coach" Sort of work
you
> out of a job - but I think the role of "coach" would be every bit as much
> fun!
>
>
>
> Harrison
>
>
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>
> Potomac, MD 20854
>
> USA
>
>
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
>
> Camden, Maine 20854
>
>
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> (summer) 207-763-3261
>
>
>
> www.openspaceworld.com
>
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
OSLIST
> Go to:
> <http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org>
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
>
> From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Catherine
> Pfaehler
> Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 5:17 PM
> To: 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
> Subject: Re: [OSList] The Gentle Art of Doing Nothing -- a continuing saga
>
>
>
> Ah, Harrison - YES. Something in me refuses to go into theory on OST, or
to
> try to explain it. I prefer to tell stories and to let people have a bit
of
> the experience. On my business card, it says "Whenever it starts is the
> right time". All truly great wisdom is of utter simplicity.
>
>
>
> And yes, it is not glorious. Invisibility requires an attitude of deep
> service, and you never quite know what comes out of it, plus you are never
a
> part of the group, but an invisible outsider, a nobody. What a challenge
to
> the ego. But humility, gratitude, amazement, wonder are the rewards. J
>
>
>
> A few weeks ago I held space for 25 young people in our naturist
campground
> "die neue zeit" (the new era) in Thielle. It was our 7th annual OS event
> there, my yearly give-away, this time reserved for young people. They had
> fun, worked and played some, found it "extraordinary" and "different", and
a
> few days later, when asked by the camp manager if I would do it again next
> year, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps - if that is meant to happen -
> this was a way of offering the spirit of OS to the next generation on the
> camp, thus enforcing their sense of responsibility (a great topic as they
> are all in puberty.) - and that I couldn't do anything better!
>
>
>
> My two cents - love, Catherine
>
>
>
> Catherine Pfaehler
>
> lic.oec.HSG
>
> Open Space Begleitung
>
> Burckhardtstrasse 2
>
> CH - 3008 Bern
>
> Telefon +41-(0)31 - 536 05 31
>
> Mobile +41-(0)76 - 488 15 46
>
> c.pfaehler at open-space-begleitung.ch
>
> www.open-space-begleitung.ch
>
>
>
> _____
>
> Von: Harrison Owen [mailto:hhowen at verizon.net]
> Gesendet: Sonntag, 7. August 2011 23:34
> An: 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
> Betreff: [OSList] The Gentle Art of Doing Nothing -- a continuing saga
>
>
>
> This may be something of a "shaggy dog" story, but it does have a point, I
> hope. Maybe even several points - ending with some reflections on the role
> of the facilitator. So bear with me (Grrrr!), if you will - and we WILL
get
> there. I promise.
>
>
>
> Birgitt's call to awareness of the flow of Spirit or energy is surely to
the
> point. If nothing else such awareness will remind us how deeply connected
we
> are with each other and the total cosmos. As our physicist friends will
tell
> us, it is all energy, albeit a little clumpy at points, and we are but a
> little clumpy moment of the flow. The more esoteric amongst us might
> substitute Consciousness/Spirit for Energy, but I suspect that you come
out
> at pretty much the same place. Different story, but similar conclusion. We
> are all in "this" together, united in ways that we can scarcely think or
> know - though goodness knows we have spent a lot of time trying. And the
> journey of exploration continues, as well it might, for it may well be the
> most important journey we will ever take. Something about finding our home
> in the universe. Who am I, where am I, where am I going??? I would guess
> that we have made some progress, though truth to tell, I am infinitely
more
> wonder-struck by the immensity of the horizons and the vastness of the
> unknown, and the presently and probably unknowable. Awesome, and not a
> little bit humbling. But the Quest is real and exciting - or so I have
> found.
>
>
>
> And then there is Open Space Technology. That funny thing that popped into
> our conscious experience courtesy of two martinis. Not planned, designed,
or
> expected. It appeared as what seemed to be a good idea at the time. And
the
> ridiculous part is that it "worked" when virtually all (current) theory
and
> practice indicated that it couldn't, wouldn't and shouldn't. Even worse it
> has continued to work (by virtually any definition of "work") through
100's
> of thousands of iterations, in 136 countries, over 25 years. Something
> definitely was going on - but what?
>
>
>
> When faced with the unknown, particularly something that seems to make no
> sense at all, we humans are driven to sensemaking. Our normal approach is
to
> tell a story in which we attempt to pull all the available facts, as we
see
> them, into a coherent narrative - that makes sense. A different form of
> storytelling, perhaps more formal, is to create a theory which is
literally
> - "a way of seeing things" (from the Greek "theorein" to see). But theory
> building and storytelling are one and the same, albeit there are different
> rules and terms. Many people when faced with a theory (or story) almost
> inevitably ask - Is it true? Is it right? But unfortunately, I don't think
> those questions really apply. All theories (stories) are false to some
> extent - we don't see all the facts, we don't understand the facts we've
> got, and after all there are lots of ways to see things (multiple
> theories/stories). But we can ask, Does it work? And "work" in some fairly
> precise ways. Is it fully descriptive (takes into account all known
facts)?
> Is it powerfully predictive (not only accounts for the present state, but
> points the way to the future)? Is it elegant (covers all bases with a
> minimum of words - Occam's Razor)? Given these criteria it becomes fairly
> easy to spot "bad" theories. They make sense only by leaving out/down
> playing salient facts. Their predictive power is minimal. And they do all
of
> the above with a maximum of verbiage/jargon.
>
>
>
> Now back to our funny Open Space Technology. What's the story? What's the
> theory? I suspect that for many (most?) people, particularly those coming
> from an academic environment (B-Schools, OD programs, etc) Open Space is
> seen as part of a much larger complex of "Large Group Interventions" and
> shares a common linage and theory base. In a word, OST was developed as an
> intervention out of the insights and practices of Behavioral and
Management
> Science. As such it is an articulated process, initiated and managed by
> facilitators (managers) intended to produce pre-determined outcomes. This
> was certainly the position of Billye Alban and Barbara Bunker in their
book
> on the subject produced some years back. I may have missed something, but
I
> have seen little, if anything that appears to be going in a different
> direction. Truthfully it seems that the academic community has pretty much
> given up on Open Space, perhaps hoping that it would just go away. But it
> hasn't - and the theory offered is, I am sorry to say, just bad theory. It
> does not account for, or accord with, the facts of the case (and after all
> the experiment has been run more than a few times). And the predictive
power
> of the proffered theory is off by a country mile. Indeed, according to the
> theory, Open Space simply couldn't happen. As for elegance, the words at
> best are confused and convoluted. In short, it just doesn't work. Bad
> theory.
>
>
>
> So what are the alternatives? Doubtless there are many, but I fancy two.
The
> first I would call, "Open Space as a Journey of Spirit." The second: "Open
> Space - Self-Organization made manifest."
>
>
>
> "Open Space as a Journey of Spirit" is a story (theory) I have been trying
> to tell for the better part of 50 years. In the beginning I didn't know
> anything about Open Space Technology (no martinis) but the thought was
> there. We are on a journey, the evolution of our consciousness in the open
> space of our lives. I won't bore you with the details, but if interested
you
> can check them out in my first book, "Spirit: Transformation and
Development
> in Organizations." - on my website. Or the updated version, "The Power of
> Spirit: How Organizations Transform" - from Barrett-Koehler (Amazon.com).
>
>
>
> The second story, "Open Space - Self-Organizations made manifest," is
> actually a sequel to the first. If I put it all together, it would go
> something like. Self-Organization is what Spirit does. Details to be found
> in "The Practice of Peace," and Wave Rider: Leadership for High
Performance
> in a Self-Organizing world." These were written for very different
audiences
> - and when the audience changes, the story must as well. May sound a
little
> dishonest or sleight of hand - but every good storytellers knows what I am
> talking about.
>
>
>
> So there's the story in bits and pieces - but what about the good old
> Facilitator? The point I said I would get to.??
>
>
>
> When facilitating Open Space, I have found that two things are necessary:
> Total Presence. Absolute Invisibility. Yes it is paradoxical and polar.
But
> I find that when you get into the deep places in life, everything is
> paradoxical and always best expressed as polar statements. Total Presence
> means you are really there - not just in physical form or emotional intent
-
> but in every sense of the word, Presence. It doesn't come without effort.
> For myself, some serious meditation is in order (See my chapter on
"Personal
> Preparation for Open Space" in the User's Guide.) It ain't for everybody,
> but that is my way.
>
>
>
> And then we get to Invisibility. This may work in other places in our life
> as well ( I think it does) - but as a "facilitator" of Open Space, I find
it
> essential. I am not "there" to shape, form, enhance, create the
experience.
> That will all take care of itself (that's why we call it
> self-organization!). I am there to INVITE people to join (that take 15
> minutes tops) then I become the "microphone stand." I am the point of
> grounding, the negative pole in the energy flow, the symbol and sign of
the
> question, The Quest. No answers - just Questing. And the energy/ Spirit
will
> flow if it has a ground. Ordinarily that takes place quite naturally,
thank
> God! But in the event things get a little clogged, I am there as a drain.
> Not exactly a glorious occupation, but essential for all of that. And best
> done with a minimum of advertisement - Invisibly.
>
>
>
> And there is also a secret. It is a joyous occupation! And No, I am not a
> masochist, blushing violet, or afraid (ashamed) of my power. I got a lot.
I
> know it - and I also know that power held is power destroyed. It feels
great
> to give it away. Even better to know that you never really had it in the
> first place. J
>
>
>
> Harrison
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>
> Potomac, MD 20854
>
> USA
>
>
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
>
> Camden, Maine 20854
>
>
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> (summer) 207-763-3261
>
>
>
> www.openspaceworld.com
>
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
OSLIST
> Go to:
> <http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org>
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
>
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