[OSList] Conversation with Tricia

[Suzanne Daigle]

Like a bumble bee, as I hover over this conversation and others, I find
myself reflecting out loud. I find myself wondering if what I am thinking
is too simple?

Am I lazy or misguided? Am I too trusting or naive?  Will it matter when I
look back on my life?

Three combinations of thoughts:

1. Structure and action...too dominant and too quick everywhere we look? So
often it is the first question asked of a client or others when we speak of
Open Space, What will be the outcomes? What were the outcomes in situations
similar to ours? What actions were taken? What were the results?  Am I
naive to trust that where there is something really important, when there
is passion, urgency, complexity and diverse people who care deeply about
the matter at hand, that actions and structure(s) will emerge naturally
from many or a few, the right action, the right people taking the lead, the
best actions whatever they may be. That the wisdom from the group (s) will
surface without predestining it to be so before the journey has even
become. And if I do predestine, will I not be narrowing what may happen by
putting this in the space ahead of time.  Will it not narrow the "expansive
now" that might be possible? Will it place the responsibility/leadership on
the shoulders of some and not others?  Will it diminish the delight of
people finding each other because I or others will be encumbered by what I
or we expect?  If no actions happen, who says it is so? When there are so
many closed spaces in our lives and when we invite open space with many
experiencing this for the very first time, like a fine wine that we wish to
enjoy, is there not value to a bit of fermentation, a savoring of what is
unfolding? Is this not what I will remember and is it not the case that the
actions that will be invented in the immediacy or perhaps a bit later, will
have a special context, intensity, drive and energy because somehow they
will matter all that much more.  Of course, because our world reveres
prediction, control and results, structures and boundaries, it takes a bit
or a lot to let go and let be. Am I lazy or misguided, trusting or naive in
thinking this is so?

2. Creativity and self-organizing -- a mighty pair. How often in our lives
do we have the opportunity to be creators with others, diving in and diving
deep, speaking with our own unique voice (what is buried there) with less
fear and with much heart/head care, hearing others with curiosity and less
judgment (tis truly difficult because often enthusiasm and passion for me
at  least gets in the way).  It is through Open Space that I have seen in
myself and others, the fertile ground that sprouts individual and
collective creativity and it all starts with a few simple rules, an amazing
law and then writing a few words on a piece of paper to which we have
signed our names as if on a marquee for all to see not the least of whom
ourselves. I have such reverence for this simple process.  Like breath, it
truly is life giving.

3. Trusting and expanding our now!  Open Space is something that invites us
to slow down and when we do, letting go the future concern for action and
structure, trusting that in an expanded now with nothing in the space,
these will truly emerge in the way they will.  A slow down to go fast when
the time is right and ripe, happening over and over again.

In our western world, we have been going faster and faster, working harder
and harder, doing more and more, with lots of emphasis and conversation
around structuring, planning and predicting.

Yet history has  taught us that the greatest inventions, the biggest
breakthroughs, have happened when we were doing nothing or next to nothing,
with some ideas scribbled on the back of a napkin or from a flash of
insight following a quiet lull when a single voice speaks out and is heard
or when we throw our hands up in the air in despair and then suddenly it
happens. Others times it's in the heat of the moment. Rarely it seems is it
in the busyness of doing, planning and structuring though certainly
"effective, efficient, purposeful and joyful" doing have their place.

If truth be told, how much space in our life is accorded to opening space
and relishing that space. Being present, being grateful, being curious
without being encumbered too much about what comes next. Am I naive in
thinking that peace, productivity and high performance could emerge from
this? Am I closing space inside of me by believing this to be so? All I can
say is that I just can't let it go.

Like the soft gentle breeze, the swishing of the waves off the white sands,
the warm sunshine, sea smells and azure blue waters, what would WOSonOS2013
be if we embraced the "one less thing to do" as the major invitational
ingredient of our Open Space in May?

What fine space it would be if we could *be* together in this expanded
space coming from *nothing* knowing it will lead to an *everything* that
will surprise and delight.

Imagine if it could be so... such is our collective invitation!

Suzanne






On Sat, Mar 30, 2013 at 12:50 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

> Tricia wrote: “So, in consideration of these observations, how would you
> structure a forum for *ongoing* collaboration among a diverse and
> distributed community…”****
>
> ** **
>
> I would not structure it. I couldn’t. I’d just let it grow and add a
> little fertilizer as needed. Re-reading this (after I mistakenly pushed
> “send”), it struck me as flip and not all that helpful. So what I meant to
> say goes something like this…****
>
> ** **
>
> When we start an adventure such as you describe, it seems that our first
> thoughts automatically go to: How to Structure? The presumption is that you
> have to create the structure first before anything useful can happen. I
> just don’t think that is the case, and more to the point I find that
> predesigned structures tend to get in the way, and usually cause more
> problems than they could ever solve. There is either too much (usual case),
> too little, or just irrelevant to the emerging task at hand. In worst case
> scenarios I have seen people take out books on organizational design and
> then either create or borrow the whole enchilada – Board of Directors,
> Executive staff, rules of procedure, membership requirements, etc – The
> discussions are endless, heated, and divisive. And in the meantime whatever
> passion or desire that may have inspired the effort has dribbled off into a
> corner somewhere and disappears.****
>
> ** **
>
> There is a better way, I think. Just start… and invite anybody who cares,
> or might care, about the proposed Forum to come together by whatever means
> appropriate (electronically, plane, train, bus, feet). Form the circle
> followed by (guess what?) – Bulletin board, Market place and go to work. As
> we see every time we open Space, the emergent structure is virtually
> instantaneous and also appropriate to the people, the task, and the
> environment in which they work. Structure IS important, but to be effective
> it must be appropriate! ****
>
> ** **
>
> Is that all there is? Maybe, but if the Forum is to continue some
> additional structural support will be helpful. But here I think less is
> always best – and my suggestion for how to get it right starts with a
> fundamental question: *What is the minimal level of structure required
> for our needs?* This is not the time for extraneous bells and whistles
> that somebody else might like. What do we need? What is appropriate in our
> situation? Nothing more, and less if we can get away with it.****
>
> ** **
>
> Maybe I am being a little too harsh but I have seen, and I suspect we have
> all seen, situations where structure just begets structure and more of the
> same. For a while it is kind of fun with all those committees, reporting
> lines, delegations of authority, flow charts, and organizational diagrams.
> But there does come a time, usually sooner than later, when we find
> ourselves consuming more time and energy “running” the business (Forum)
> than “doing” the business. Over time the wonderful structures simply
> overwhelm, and the business/Forum dies of suffocation. Ever been there?
>    Unless I miss my guess, most folks find themselves in such a situation
> every time they go to work. Which is why they call it WORK, I suppose. And
> Work, by definition cannot be fun!****
>
> ** **
>
> By now there may be more than a few rolling eyeballs, if they haven’t
> already closed and moved on to the next item here on OSLIST. Harrison is
> off on one of his wild tangents that sound sort of nice, but never could
> happen in the REAL world. Oh? ****
>
> ** **
>
> Tricia if you read over what you have written (“How would you structure a
> forum for *ongoing* collaboration among a diverse and distributed
> community that took into consideration the time/attention constraints of
> some members, such as investors, as well as the technology access
> limitations of others, who would benefit from announced/scheduled events?”)
> I believe you will see a perfect “system’s specification” for the “OS
> Community”– which we might have written 28 years ago when there was nothing
> but a few odd people drawn together in a common circle of concern. From
> that time until the present moment there has never been a speck of
> predetermined organizational design. No board, no specified procedures
> devised by some executive committee, no formal membership – but I do
> believe we have become the proof of our pudding, so to speak. It surely
> works, has for quite a while, and shows no particular sign of giving up and
> going away. And what happened (s) once surely can happen again. Just don’t
> try to “structure “it. J****
>
> ** **
>
> 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 <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> ****
>
> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website)****
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> OSLIST Go to:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [
> mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org<oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>]
> *On Behalf Of *Tricia Chirumbole
> *Sent:* Friday, March 29, 2013 5:53 PM
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Conversation with Tricia****
>
> ** **
>
> Thanks for your thoughts HO and Paul! Yes, I agree on circles and spirals
> - I am an exceptionally spiraly thinker and liver myself and appreciate
> this. Probably part of why OS appeals to me is that  people often try to
> pin me down, line me up, and get me organized! which I don't like!****
>
> ** **
>
> So, in consideration of these observations, how would you structure a
> forum for *ongoing* collaboration among a diverse and distributed
> community that took into consideration the time/attention constraints of
> some members, such as investors, as well as the technology access
> limitations of others, who would benefit from announced/scheduled events?*
> ***
>
> ** **
>
> A big part of the motivation is to encourage a broad array of sectors and
> participant "types" to  contribute to the discussion "before" ideas are
> seeded versus somewhere down the line when they typically get involved to
> review or vet or mentor projects - as well as to have a space where these
> different types can interact on a more dynamic and level playing field.
> ...even when there is discrete interaction during conferences or pitch
> events, it is very top down and not very collaborative - as you all know.
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> Another prime motivator is to provide space where open sharing of ideas
> and cooperative models of executing initiatives is supported....my sneaky
> hope is that they would emerge in "real" life :)****
>
> ** **
>
> Does any of that make sense? I just worked this all up rather quickly and
> my messaging on those points is not very strong. ****
>
> ** **
>
> Thanks :)****
>
> ** **
>
> On Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 5:16 PM, paul levy <paul at cats3000.net> wrote:****
>
> Tricia****
>
> ** **
>
> I'd also suggest people also go in spirals, they go backwards as well as
> forwards and they experience past and future too, not only now. It's messy
> and its wonderful. ****
>
> ** **
>
> But most of all it is improvisation born of imagination, inspiration
> and intuition that opens space.****
>
> ** **
>
> And even space itself is a glorious mystery - it doesn't only open - it
> also involves, shifts, and dances.****
>
> ** **
>
> Practically this means that space opens not only for content but also for
> process. So, improvise by serving the community on the day and in the
> moment.****
>
> ** **
>
> Paul ****
>
>
>
> On Friday, 29 March 2013, Harrison Owen wrote:****
>
> Tricia – I think your intentions are superb, but I wonder about the
> execution. My question comes from spending a lot of time watching a lot of
> groups seeking to engage their past, present and their future (NOW). My
> observations may not accord with everybody else’s, but I got what I got. *
> ***
>
>  ****
>
> The first thing I really “got” is that, even though we all like to think
> that we as individuals and as groups engage in discussion and exploration
> in a linear fashion (a first, second, third, etc) in fact we seem to go in
> circles, or maybe more exactly we do shifting circular search patterns
> which appear to be quite random. The effect is that it may appear that we
> do everything all at once, or perhaps you could say, we start anywhere, and
> go everywhere.****
>
>  ****
>
> When I think of my own thinking process (as in writing a book) – it is
> true that there is a page 1 and proceeding. But the thought process is
> anything but linear sequential. Something initially grabs my attention but
> where that “thing” actually ends up in the book is anybody’s guess. I
> suppose that is why some people find mind mapping useful – Personally I
> don’t if only because my mind seems to outstrip my graphic capabilities, or
> more probably I am such a dilettante with a very finite attention span that
> I just keep flitting about. And then there is the fact that some of my best
> thinking takes place when it doesn’t seem that I am thinking at all. Naps
> are so rich! And then there is the shower…****
>
>  ****
>
> All that may be my personal pathology, but I think I see the same thing in
> all the groups I am witness to. Folks go in circles, and circles in
> circles, around circles, etc. When things really get rich, it is massively
> messy – but fun. And mess and fun are two essential ingredients for a
> seriously creative group, I find. It is also the total antithesis of an
> “orderly program!” It does seem that a lot of stuff could get lost in the
> mess or overlooked in the fun, and probably it does. But somehow the really
> good stuff keep bubbling to the surface and streams of communication move
> at light speed, and somehow impact just about everybody. The presumption
> often is that if we don’t write something down (Make the record) it will be
> lost. I guess there is some truth in that – but the capacity of groups to
> process massively complex issues in an elegant fashion, at least in terms
> of the end product (forget how they get there) simply blows me away. And
> the whole business of “record keeping” by whatever means is only a very
> small part of that story.****
>
>  ****
>
> So where am I going with all this? Around in circles, for sure. But there
> may be a point. *Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke!* My experience, and I
> suspect our common experience, in Open Space is that amazingly
> dysfunctional, cantankerous, angry, disillusioned groups of people can, and
> often do, achieve truly elegant results. Not always, not everywhere … but
> personally I have never been really been disappointed provided: The people
> assembled because they cared to be there to engage an issue or opportunity
> they cared deeply about. From that point on it was pretty simple. Sit in a
> circle, create a bulletin board, open a market place, and get out of the
> way.* *****
>
> * *****
>
> There is a part of me that wishes all this wasn’t true, that it had not
> been my experience. To the extent that I “created” Open Space I can
> honestly say that is the last thing I ever intended to do. Yes I have had
> massive fun and met many great people, but -- it cost me a lot of money and
> no small amount of professional reputation. Billable hours went out the
> window, and talking the way I have just been doing is not the sort of thing
> that gets you a tenured appointment at a leading business school J But I
> love it!****
>
>  ****
>
> 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 <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> ****
>
> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website)****
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> OSLIST Go to:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org****
>
>  ****
>
> *From:* oslist-bounces at lists. <oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
> openspacetech.org <oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org> [mailto:<oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
> oslist-bounces at lists. <oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
> openspacetech.org <oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>] *On Behalf Of
> *Tricia Chirumbole
> *Sent:* Friday, March 29, 2013 1:28 PM
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Electronic Open Space****
>
>  ****
>
> Thanks Harrison and Michael for the thought-provoking feedback! please
> send more :)****
>
>  ****
>
> Awesome story about the work in Nepal Michael! Do you think the AI
> framework added anything or would you have preferred to stay straight up,
> no rocks? ****
>
>  ****
>
> My rationale: This is a rough, scratchy draft of thoughts and I was hoping
> for ideas! ****
>
>  ****
>
> The desire is definitely to be open and user-driven, with all but one
> event being OS and the invitation for groups to branch off and do their
> thing throughout and offline. ****
>
>  ****
>
> Use of AI reasoning: I chose an AI design for the first event to help
> people get in that appreciative mode of thought and set the tone. We are so
> used to doing things in a certain way and I don't think this perspective
> emerges as easily for some. ****
>
>  ****
>
> The first event was also intended to help get everyone up to speed and on
> the same page in terms of larger trends that everyone may not be aware of
> and to provide a good launching pad for an Open Space with a primer in
> shared values and existing assets. ****
>
>  ****
>
> I do see that shared values is something that comes through in an Open
> Space, but I was drawn to the very pointed approach of focusing on
> strengths and values exclusively before delving into what do we do, how do
> we do it, what's already happening, etc.....I guess alternatively you could
> turn it into an OS prompt. ****
>
>  ****
>
> The structured event prompts using the AI "d's", as well as the shared
> docs, are intended to allow for a flowing pool of participants, where each
> event may have a different mix, but people can jump in and have a sense of
> where the flow was going.....it is true that the flow may go faster or
> slower or in a different direction, so the event prompts may be limiting or
> inappropriate...will have to think on that - perhaps have the community
> decide the prompt for the next event after each is completed as well as
> determine the frequency of the real-time events? I like that better -
> thoughts? ****
>
>  ****
>
> that's all i've got for now - any other insights or illustrations are much
> welcome!!****
>
>  ****
>
> On Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 12:44 PM, Michael Herman <
> michael at michaelherman.com> wrote:****
>
> harrison and tricia, your comments each remind me of some work we did in
> nepal about ten years ago.  ****
>
>  ****
>
> on my first visit we did half a day of open space with about 20 college
> students and instructors, followed by a long lunch and some time to talk
> about why it works.  when i went back a year later, they'd organized a
> day-long event, for twice as many community organizer, ngo, activist types,
> to discuss "nepal 2020."  during that day, i talked with as many of the 40+
> participants as i could about what it might look like if we did a 4-day
> model i'd done elsewhere, two days of OS and two days of OS training.  when
> i went back the next year, i thought that's what we were going to do. ****
>
>  ****
>
> what happened is that we had something more than 100 folks defy the travel
> ban imposed by maoist rebels to attend what was billed as the first
> national conference on peaceful development.  the OS+training plan never
> saw the light of day.  since something they were calling the nepal AI
> national network had officially convened the four-day meeting, it was to be
> OS and AI, and we were do it and train it.  ****
>
>  ****
>
> our four days looked something like the plan tricia posted here, four open
> spaces, each one of ours was on a different "D" of appreciative inquiry.
>  the first morning was significantly eaten up by formal welcomings, but the
> afternoon was all open space.  then next days openend with bits of open
> space training observations, followed by a new opening and agenda.  the
> last afternoon was formal closings, presenting results to various
> government officials.  at night, some did AI training.  so we did and
> taught os and ai all at once, loosely shaped on tricia's outline, but also
> rather chaotically as harrison suggests.****
>
>  ****
>
> there was no formal reporting for this work but i wrote up my story.
> http://www.michaelherman.com/cgi/wiki.cgi?NepalConferenceJournal  ...in
> the beginning, we also set up a simple blog for their work.  it started in
> english and then dissolved into a number of organizations' websites, mostly
> in nepali.****
>
>  ****
>
> as the political turmoil proceeded, the rebels destroyed a 6000-year-old
> gate in western nepal, to which one of my colleagues (whose house was
> damaged in the blast) responded "we are starting to organize an open space
> on how to rebuild the gate."  in the following years, they continued and
> extended the OS/AI work with more conferences.  when the decade-long
> rebellion was resolved, the conversation shifted to how they were going to
> get the 600 members of the newly formed "constituent assembly" legislature
> together in an OS/AI conference.  to my knowledge, that event never
> happened, but the main practices seemed to have taken hold and the new
> government is still in business.****
>
>  ****
>
> thanks to everyone who's been having and sharing this conversation.****
>
>  ****
>
> michael****
>
>   ****
>
>  ****
>
>   ****
>
>  ****
>
>
> ****
>
>
> --
>
> Michael Herman
> Michael Herman Associates
> 312-280-7838 (mobile)
>
> http://MichaelHerman.com
> http://OpenSpaceWorld.org****
>
>  ****
>
> On Fri, Mar 29, 2013 at 10:50 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
> wrote:****
>
> Tricia – lot of good thinking here, but I can’t help feeling that you that
> you may just be working a little too hard. J I understand the pressures
> to describe a program (series of progressive/linked activities). Funders,
> etc like all that. But two things come to mind, or at least pop out of my
> experience. ****
>
>  ****
>
> 1st No program ever ran the way it was “supposed to,” albeit a great deal
> of effort usually goes into trying, and then, after the fact, making it
> seem like everything “worked according to the plan.” ****
>
>  ****
>
> 2nd Detailed Programs tend to take on a life of their own, regardless of
> what the emergent systems and the environment surrounding them are actually
> doing. It is called confusing the map with the territory – and is usually
> very frustrating and painful.****
>
>  ****
>
> The alternative? You might be surprised when I suggest – Just open space
> for anybody who cares about, “*development of feasible social enterprises*”
> and then support the emergent system as it grows (or not). That system will
> have its own internal resources and rhythms which cannot be known in
> advance, but as they emerge all can be supported with cheerleading and/or a
> little help as required. ****
>
>  ****
>
> When you start with The Program, as opposed to emerging system, you almost
> inevitably get it wrong. For example, by adding bells and whistles which
> may be wonderful in themselves, but really just consume time, space, and
> energy accomplishing tasks that the system will create alternate ways of a
> ****
>
>
>
> ****
>
>  ****
>
> -- ****
>
> Tricia Chirumbole
> US: +1-571-232-0942
> Skype: tricia.chirumbole****
>
>
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>
>
>
> ****
>
> ** **
>
> --
> Tricia Chirumbole
> US: +1-571-232-0942
> Skype: tricia.chirumbole****
>
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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
twitter @suzannedaigle
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