[OSList] The 5th Principle / Sardinia

[Blake Mills]

     Dear Harrison,
Amazing story, dearheart.
Funny, but I am in Cairo as I write "teaching" a leadership course. Perhaps I should just do a short open space today?!
Here's a couple of results from their revolutionary open space, to second your notion:
1) A young man got up to tell us his vision for his project (an exercise), instead he spoke very powerfully about the vision for his country...to again be the number one nation in the world.
2) Another exercise where they talk about their personality style and list things they love and hate, every flip chart had EGYPT on the love side. After teaching in over 35 countries, multiple times, I have never seen any group put their country on the love list.
 
Powerful stuff this self-organizing.
 
Hugs to everyone,
Blake



From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
>To: OSLIST <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
>Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 11:31 PM
>Subject: [OSList] The 5th Principle / Sardinia
>
>
>The recent gathering in Sardinia was a treasure. But then again, every such gathering is unique and rich. A special gift for me was a series of extended conversations with Claudia, whose last name has disappeared in my senile brain. She had been in Egypt with the Facebook crowd in the square – and how she came to Sardinia is a story in itself. Seems like the young Egyptians were opening space right and left as they negotiated their way through their version of The Arab Spring. Somewhere along the line they went online in search of more information – connected with my youngest son (of the same name) who passed them along to me. We exchanged several emails, and I suggested that were it possible to come to Sardinia they would have the opportunity to connect with many marvelous new colleagues whose collective wisdom vastly exceed my own. Only Claudia could come but she carried the tale. Marvelous! 
> 
>So we talked. And as she described the happenings of those interesting days it gradually dawned on me that the Open Space of major significance was not so much the several gatherings convened under that title – but rather the ebb and flow of Tahrir Square. That indeed was a convening of those who cared. In palpable ways they brought their passion and responsibility into that present moment. And while it is true that they never sat in a circle or created a bulletin board, they surely opened a market place of ideas, hopes, and dreams – which in turn created new circles of caring. Claudia said it was a dance, a massive, multiple circle dance as those who cared shared their passion(s) with responsibility. The circles formed and broke, only to form again in new, richer and more complex patterns. Who can say what the precise results are or will be. (The Proceedings have yet to be printed J) – but the typical behaviors of every good Open Space were
 manifest in abundance. “High Learning” – in which previously impossible ideas and aspirations came alive. “High Play” – in which strangers and sometime enemies ate and laughed together. Serious moments for sure but leavened with a lightness that comes when the flood gates of renewal are wide open.  “Appropriate Structure and Control” – God knows how many people were there, and for sure nobody was in charge. But that did not mean that violent and bloody chaos was the order of the day – although doubtless nobody would have been surprised had they appeared. But there was structure as the dance circled on. And the control was emergent from the people, born of their passion and responsibility. “Genuine Community?” – Total strangers coming home, wrapped in the care and concern of their fellows. And “Authentic Leadership?” You bet! – Not the sort of Leadership that supposedly resides in the appointed leaders – by way of  the
 divine right of kings. Indeed, the King had been sent out of town!  But Leadership was there in abundance, blossoming (what else in the Arab Spring?) where and as needed. It appeared at the nexus points of passion and responsibility and passed from person to person as the dance rolled on. 
> 
>And that is the story, at least as I heard it told. 
> 
>Sounded like Open Space to me! And nobody had a plan, intention, or design. For sure – there wasn’t a facilitator in sight! – So MAYBE – we need to understand that Open Space is a naturally occurring phenomenon? To be sure we can give it a boost or assist – But the opening of space seems to happen all by itself!! 
> 
>So here is a challenge. If Open Space is a naturally occurring phenomenon (and what else would It be?) then we have the opportunity to assist. And how would we do that? I suspicion that our 25 year collective experience will give us some clues. We know that a single facilitator can be very effective in initiating the process – not by doing a lot, but by really BEING THERE. And that can happen very quickly – let’s say instantaneously. To be sure we can make many plans and arrangements: conferences with clients, selections of the “optimal” site, providing the “right” paper and magic markers, etc, etc. It is also true that even when none of that can happen – everything just works. That is a little hard on the old Facilitator’s Ego, but it could just be that an awful lot of what we take to be essential is nice, but not necessary. After all Tahrir Square just “happened.” Talk about “Extreme Open Space” or the Next Step!!
> 
>All of which lead me to see what I am sure has been there all the time: The Fifth Principle. We know the others.
> 
>Whoever Comes is the right People.
>Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.
> 
>NOW – the new one. “Wherever it is, is the right place.”
> 
>Whenever it starts is the right time.
>When it is over, it is over.
> 
>I think we could have a lot of fun with this – and for sure it will take us to some places we have never been. I’m ready.
> 
>And if Claudia will reveal her last name, I would be deeply appreciative. Not to say thankful, for she gave me a great gift.
> 
>Harrison 
> 
>Harrison Owen
>7808 River Falls Dr.
>Potomac, MD 20854
>USA
>Phone 301-365-2093
>www.openspaceworld.com
>www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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