[OSList] Follow-Up and Flow in Open Space

Sun Mar 24 12:13:16 PDT 2013

Paul,

I once heard a story from someone who had been to Greece, interviewing
people about the political and economic situation there.  He reports that
some people would say: “We can’t predict the future – after all, you have no
idea of the things that are still hidden behind your back.”  The metaphor of
the way time flows there  is the opposite of ours. In Western Europe, we
picture ourselves as looking to the future and having the past behind our
backs. Apparently in Greece, the people experience the timeline so that the
future is coming from behind and the past is disappearing in front of them.
So they are looking at the past and not seeing the future. Which makes
sense; we think we look at the future, but what are we looking at? Only
images, because we don’t know what it will be. Which also leads to the
question whether our images from the past are correct, but that is another
story.

This leads me to wondering if there might be cultures where time is viewed
as circular, which would make even more sense to me.

Koos

Van: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] Namens paul levy
Verzonden: zondag 24 maart 2013 19:37
Aan: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Onderwerp: Re: [OSList] Follow-Up and Flow in Open Space

David

There's a depth and warm texture to your model.

I would offer this:

You define vision this: 
"what does it look like when it is done"

I believe that is only part of vision. 

Vision is what does the temporal picture look like: the picture of past,
present AND future, all playing into each other. As I said earlier - what
went before (past) is also before us (future, in front).

Such a magical word - before - it means both behind and in front !

When we open space for a vision of the whole timeline - the unfolding story
- then something often emerges - it is this: potential 

I believe we can only truly know the future vision when we look back at it. 

Be prepared to be surprised.

The future is often revealed by opening space for the present and the past.

Futures are fulfilled in where we have travelled from.

Paul

On Sunday, 24 March 2013, David wrote:

When I do open space with my business hat on in the consulting role, I
almost always start with four imperatives that most companies start with,
even if they havent articulated it, but soon lose sight of. I call it VMPM.
Vision, Mission, Purpose, Method. Many companies have a mission statement,
few ever read it after it has been written. NO company is healthy for more
than a year or two at a time, although many run very successfully from the
economic metric for years or decades. I just put up the four words, the
group gets to define them. Here are my definitions, that we usually start
with to frame the discussion:

Vision: what does it look like when it is done. A vision is a snapshot, or
series of snapshots. Vision is not Mission.

Mission: What is the target, how does the map compare to the territory. The
territory is not always reflected on the map. (just by a street map of
Nairobi sometime, and you will see what I mean).  Mission is not Purpose.

Purpose: the personal "why" . Purpose is purpose, it is my personal core
driver. 

Method: How we do it, the outflow of the inflow of the first three points.
Method is how I achieve my self interests as part of a collaborative
community, also called a company. 

All successful communities have these common elements: Community! which is
collaborative and cooperative, consistent and committed. 

I have found that through the day of OS things hidden or unknown become
apparent. All day I am moving idea and discussion points into those four
points, and whatever other axiomatic points the circle cares to add on their
own. 

David Glenwinkel

www.villagecare.com

From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
<javascript:_e(%7b%7d,%20'cvml',%20'oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org')
;>  [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
<javascript:_e(%7b%7d,%20'cvml',%20'oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org')
;> ] On Behalf Of Suzanne Daigle
Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2013 6:44 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Follow-Up and Flow in Open Space

Ditto for me too!   Suzanne

On Sat, Mar 23, 2013 at 9:49 PM, Lourdes Adriana Diaz-Berrio Doring
<adriana at diazberrio.com> wrote:

Yes I agree with Nici I was going to say the same thing!
Adriana Diaz-Berrio, Montreal, Quebec

2013/3/23 Nici Richter < <mailto:nici.richter at gmail.com>
nici.richter at gmail.com>

What a wonderful conversation!

Oh - I am loving it!

Thank you!

Nici Richter

Johannesburg, South Africa

On 23 March 2013 14:56, paul levy <paul at cats3000.net> wrote:

Dear colleagues

Someone suggested I post this and I'd be delighted with some reflections on
it...

warm wishes

Paul Levy

Follow-Up and Flow in Open Space...

"Time runs backwards in the spiritual world."

No, don't stop reading. Not yet.

There's a lot of debate in the field of emergence focused on "when things
open up, how do you close them down?".

In the realm of Open Space, often the textbook reply is not to close down at
all but simply to open some more space for closing down...

In other words, if we are worried about outcomes from an open space - what
will happen back at base, the actions, the commitments in practice, then all
we need to do is to follow up with an invitation to another Open Space that
focuses on the question of action. So you need at least two open spaces to
get stuff done.

Another view is that one should trust the open space itself - whatever
happens of course is the only thing that could have. And many open spaces do
self-organise sessions about action so... just trust the process. It always
works.

A third view is that these are paying clients we are usually talking about.
As facilitators we can't just leave the organisation "up in the air", walk
away and let them do what they will with the space we've opened up! Many
facilitators then reach for the post-it notes, often in the last hour, and
start to draw out (or bleed?) actions from the meeting. All kinds of clever
prioritising and voting ensues. Elsewhere I've suggested this might be a
counter-productive way of going about things.

Now, here's an alternative view and its based on the idea that time runs
backwards in the spiritual world. No! Stay with me. Just for a bit longer.
Imagine you put what went "before" you (past), before you (in front of you.

For those of you still here, read on...

Adriana Díaz-Berrio Ph.D. CRHA
(514) 739 2268 <tel:%28514%29%20739%202268> 
www.diazberrio.com

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-- 
Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
7159 Victoria Circle
University Park, FL 34201
FL 941-359-8877;  
CT 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
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twitter @suzannedaigle

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