[OSList] OSONOS Whenever, Wherever, with Whomsoever

Wed Oct 24 08:49:29 PDT 2012

quite right, harrison... all i'm trying to say -- or ask really -- is might
we not be asking too much of our would-be hosts?

might we not, as a community, be evolving our common expectation/definition
of what a "world" osonos is... with the result being that there is more
work for hosts, fewer hosting offers, more expensive and involved job of
hosting, increasing the risk to hosts, increasing the fee to participants,
increasingly complex website to collect the fees, increasing the need for
"access" support to discount the fees, all of which might at some point
muddy our demonstration of how really simple, elegant and powerful working
in open space really is, and yes, ultimately, leaning in a direction that
leads out of integrity?  -- yes that really is one big question AND each of
the steps along the way has important implications.

this is not something any one person did... it's something that's been
happening over 10 years or more, since we started globetrotting. maybe this
expanding role of hosting is just what it takes to have people come from
around the world, but that wasn't the experience for the first seven or
eight or nine years, nor at the osonos-by-the-sea events.  so maybe it's
not the world that demands this expanding role of wosonos host.  maybe
we're doing it to ourselves.  maybe we don't notice or don't care.  but
maybe we are slipping back into working too hard?  and maybe that is
limiting what ELSE might happen under the banner of osonos?

it's easy to propose more and more details.  it's very hard to propose less
and less... because the process of doing less for participants leads to
unseen gifts, which makes the case hard to prove.  so i'm just trying in so
many different ways to invite some exploration, or more active and
conscious conversation, about the ways we've been evolving one of our core
community practices.

m

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 (mobile)

http://MichaelHerman.com
http://OpenSpaceWorld.org

On Wed, Oct 24, 2012 at 10:04 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

> Harold – If I thought for a moment that Michael were “insisting” on
> anything, as if that would have any impact (and the same goes for me) – I
> would instantaneously invite Friend Michael for a short conversation in the
> woodshed – as if that would do any goodJ My read is that he was just
> posing hypotheticals, perhaps with a touch of hyperbole. Danger of words I
> suspect. ****
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> *From:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:
> oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf Of *Harold Shinsato
> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 24, 2012 3:28 AM
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] OSONOS Whenever, Wherever, with Whomsoever****
>
> ** **
>
> Michael,
>
> With trepidation I continue this conversation despite the sense that we're
> alone in a circle and everyone else on the list are using the law of
> de-lete. I hope you don't mind if I reflect back a few of your statements.
>
> "What if anyone could indeed convene an osonos?"
>
> I don't get your question. Anyone can indeed convene an OSonOS.
>
> "what if the notes from all of these osonos events were posted to this one
> site?  ...so that the W came to denote ALL of our work IN open space ON
> open space?  wouldn't this be a gem of a demonstration that we are living
> our practice and inviting anyone to join us as colleagues, not just as
> trainees?"
>
> It sounds like you're saying if you do an OSonOS and you don't post to
> "this one site", then you're not living the practice (i.e. out of
> integrity) and you are inviting people as trainees. Will you explain these
> sentiments? I'm not getting it.
>
> "[...] we insist on having this annual keynote event?"
>
> My head spins and my heart hurts reading this statement. First of all, the
> word "insist" connotes some kind of pushiness. Like it's being imposed. For
> me what Phelim did in London was a wonderful and beautiful expression of
> love and passion for Open Space - and for advancing this powerful dialogic
> practice in the U.K. and in the world. Phelim, the volunteers, and all the
> attendees of both the WOSonOS and the "road show" of Open Space events
> leading up to the event made great sacrifices and from my perspective were
> gloriously successful - despite the postfacto criticisms. If anything, I
> think the intensity of the criticisms are evidence of how much the London
> WOSonOS succeeded! We're riding a big wave in the aftermath of that event!
>
> My own desire to support Suzanne Daigle to hold this event again in
> Florida in 2013 has absolutely nothing to do with the word "insist". I wish
> you could understand how it stings when I hear that word - but obviously it
> expresses some part of your experience. Will you say more from your heart
> what's behind choosing that word?
>
> Secondly, it sounds like a very harsh judgement for the WOSonOS to be
> called a "keynote" event - like it's evidence that our community is out of
> integrity since obviously Open Space is all about not having keynotes (a
> sentiment I don't actually share). Do in fact all Open Space on Open Space
> events need to be equal? If someone wants to hold an Open Space on Open
> Space event just for those who speak Hawaiian - and they call it a Hawaiian
> Open Space on Open Space (HOSonOS) - is that a problem? The World Open
> Space community has been holding these WOSonOS's for decades so it seems
> pretty clear we *like* to do these events. Your call to kill them off
> deeply saddens me - and yet I sense this conversation is critical. I hope
> you don't mind me sharing from the heart how I am hearing your words, and
> if I am mishearing you I will work hard to keep my mind and heart open.
>
>     Peace,
>     Harold
>
>
> On 10/23/12 5:49 PM, Michael Herman wrote:****
>
> Harold, you said: But I'd be saddened if we somehow forbid the "W". It
> feels like closing, not opening space.
>   ****
>
> What if instead we agreed to stretch the W, Harold?  What if anyone could
> indeed convene an osonos?  what if anyone could indeed convene an osonos
> gathering and what if it was as simple as posting an invitation to the
> oslist and to a website shared by all osonos events?  what if the notes
> from all of these osonos events were posted to this one site?  ...so that
> the W came to denote ALL of our work IN open space ON open space?  wouldn't
> this be a gem of a demonstration that we are living our practice and
> inviting anyone to join us as colleagues, not just as trainees?  what if
> learning open space came to mean buy the book, try it out, and find an
> osonos gathering to process it with others who cared about open space?
>  what if there were than many osonos's happening all around the world?  **
> **
>
> ** **
>
> maintaining this special label on one annual event feels an awful lot like
> the preferential treatment other groups give to the keynote speaker.  often
> it's quite and interesting talk, people spend a lot of energy choosing
> these people and setting up a big room and podium and screens and such...
> but we know they're missing something magical, because everyone is not
> talking with everyone.  ****
>
> ** **
>
> how can we be sure that we're not missing something amazing because we
> insist on having this annual keynote event?  and asking if there were any
> other offers to host is a bit misleading, because the structure of the
> process precludes most from even considering it.  I was actually thinking
> about convening one, but given the invitation presentation hoopla, my plan
> was to offer to do all the admin details if harrison would reserve that
> camden church again.  but suzanned called me before i could call harrison.
>  the point is the habit/structure we have makes many things impossible to
> consider, in the same way that a keynote speaker makes it hard (not
> impossible, but harder) for people to connect with others who share their
> passion.  we can't assume that because everyone is listening to the speaker
> politely that they all care or that they don't have other, greater passions
> and gifts to offer.****
>
> ** **
>
> m****
>
> ** **
>
> ** **
>
> --
> Harold Shinsato
> harold at shinsato.com
> http://shinsato.com
> twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>****
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