[OSList] Is it true that Open Space does not really work when there are many internal conflict?

[Lisa Heft]

Well said, well said.
To continue with my bodyworker analogy - ours is not to 'fix'.
Ours is to support wellness. To help the organism / organization do  
its best work.

Underline 'its work', not our doing for them.

I notice how an acupuncturist's work reminds the body of system flow.
It is like a re-set mechanism for wellness.

Regular acupuncture (exercise, whatever) brings the body back home to  
itself, to its own abilities and learning.
Just like regular Open Space - or even one Open Space - brings the  
organization and individuals in it back home to themselves,  
recognizing and strengthening their own abilities and learning.

Ahhhhhh.....

Lisa



On Dec 20, 2012, at 12:33 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:

> Lisa The Body Worker! I like that!! And I have no question that you  
> do what
> you do with great enthusiasm, heart, skill -- and all to positive  
> effect.
> That said, my question (quest) really goes in another direction. It  
> is not
> so much about doing something wrong. And certainly not that YOU are  
> doing
> something wrong. But perhaps we are all doing the wrong thing. Or  
> maybe
> doing anything at all. Put somewhat differently, I find myself  
> coming to the
> conclusion that much (perhaps most) of what we do, even with the  
> best of
> intentions, produces results that are the very antithesis of what we  
> hope
> for. And there is an alternative.
>
> In your earlier message you said, "Sometimes it is as simple as  
> helping an
> organization look at who does what tasks and re-arranging each  
> role's tasks.
> Or doing an assessment of what is reasonable pay. Or giving the  
> organization
> some sample structure for how to hold supervisor-staff individual  
> meetings
> or quarterly evaluation." Nothing problematical here, indeed I think  
> most
> people would see all of this as good, standard practice. The "right"  
> thing
> to do, as it were.
>
> But I think there may be an implicit assumption that can lead us in  
> the
> wrong direction with the net result is that we "do the wrong thing."  
> The
> assumption is that when we confront a floundering organization, we are
> engaging a structured entity that we (or somebody) created  
> (organized),
> which for whatever reason is malfunctioning. The "fix" is obvious:  
> Adjust
> the system so that it works better.
>
> However, were the object of our attention (The Organization)  
> something quite
> different than we presumed -- our well intentioned "fix" is likely  
> to be
> irrelevant at best, and possibly destructive. It is a good idea in  
> the wrong
> situation (doing the wrong thing). I think that is our situation.
>
> An alternative view would look something like this -- The  
> organization we
> confront is actually the product of Self Organization, and while we  
> may have
> some part in its initiation (our passion and responsibility created  
> the
> space in which the emergent organization appeared), the manner and
> mechanisms of its growth come from a very different place--not us.  
> It is an
> organism, and like all organisms it emerges and evolves in response to
> multiple, complex, interacting forces -- some of which are  
> observable by us,
> but the vast majority simply pass us by. Too much, too fast, too  
> subtle.
>
> When we, in spite of our obvious limitations, seek to impose our
> understanding of design and function upon that organization, we are  
> on very
> thin ice, I think. Indeed, I would make the case that were we to set  
> out to
> create a powerful system that would limit creativity, eliminate  
> emergent
> leadership, destroy self respect, prevent communication and reduce  
> morale to
> zombie levels -- I really don't think we could do any better than the
> current corporate/government/NGO model. It does one hell of a job,  
> and when
> we set out to strengthen that system with yet more organizational  
> structures
> and strategies, even with the best of intentions...
>
> The truly amazing thing to me is that our organizations function as  
> well as
> they do in spite of our best efforts to constrain their space and  
> force them
> along paths of our choosing. However, I suppose this amazing fact is  
> the
> strongest testimony to the power of self organization. And one of  
> our (or
> certainly my) major learnings from the OST Experiment is that even  
> brutally
> conflicted and constrained organizations perform brilliantly when  
> the space
> is opened. It is not about doing anything new or different, it is  
> quite
> simply about STOP DOING all the things that inhibit superior  
> performance. No
> new structures, procedures, tweaks, trainings, programs -- just  
> fully be
> what you already are: Self Organizing! There is really no  
> preparation needed
> for Open Space if only because everybody is already there. It is  
> just that a
> lot of us are doing it badly, or trying desperately not to do it at  
> all.
> Weird!
>
> Once in existence, we may surely observe the organization, learn  
> about its
> function, and perhaps most importantly, learn how we may effectively  
> live
> with it, and in it. And if we are careful and attentive, we may even  
> learn
> how to enhance its growth and nurture its development (Good Body  
> Work!). But
> our efforts will always be of secondary importance. The organization  
> will
> have its own structure, its own flow, its own unique way of being.  
> That,
> after all, is the nature and definition of self organization. It is  
> said
> that the body is its own best healer, and under most circumstances  
> it needs
> only the space and time to heal. Oh sure, a little help and  
> encouragement
> along the way is great, and a good massage is Nirvana!
>
> Harrison
>
>
> Harrison Owen
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
> Potomac, MD 20854
> USA
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
> Camden, Maine 04843
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
> (summer)  207-763-3261
>
> www.openspaceworld.com
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Lisa Heft
> Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2012 8:07 PM
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> Subject: Re: [OSList] Is it true that Open Space does not really  
> work when
> there are many internal conflict?
>
> Harrison my friend, that is the beauty of it.
> We see things in different ways at times, at other times we see /  
> feel / do
> exactly what the other would do - always rich for co-learning.
>
> I do not see it as 'nasty details' - I see it as wonderful stuff  
> rich with
> learning - as people telling the stories to inform what may help.   
> Also the
> stories help me know how to work with the client on clarifying the  
> task /
> focusing question / objective for the Open Space day. It also draws  
> out who
> else to invite perhaps, rather than the original small circle the  
> client or
> community may first have been thinking about. Or a way to adjust the  
> form of
> documentation to match how they might wish to use the information,  
> ideas and
> relationships post-event. Things like that.
>
> And I do not see actions / systems / conversations / meetings that  
> might be
> useful to groups as 'interventions'. I see them more as nutrition. I  
> see
> myself more as a body worker, helping the system breathe and access  
> its
> greatest resources: its human resources.  I like to ask about the  
> whole
> chain of things because there are some things the organism has  
> capacity to
> do for itself (exercise, nutrition, reflection) and some things I  
> can help
> with (acupuncture, massage, if you will). I feel there is value in  
> telling
> the story and being witness to the story, as well.
>
> Just some thoughts playing off your thoughts...
>
> Thanks for sparking my thinking,
> Lisa
  
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