[OSList] Open Space Economics? Be Prepared to be Surprised!

Diane Gibeault diane.gibeault at rogers.com
Wed Oct 2 05:50:18 PDT 2013 

Michael you described well all the elements of OS that create equal access to everyone (thus skills, information, etc) which in turn creates greater efficiency and power to the group and its components. 

In my opening words of OS, I say that among the good things of the circle, is that it tells us that we all participate on an equal basis. That sums it up. 

When I introduce OS to an organization and its the leaders and when I orient their management teams in preparation to the OS event, that is also how explain OS. 

With this clarity and if their intentions align with opening space for equal based conversations, the rest just flows....and it usually does. Managers know that managing without knowing what's real is managing with blinders, which reduces efficiency significantly, therefor "power" .  

Diane

From: Michael Herman <michael at michaelherman.com>
>To: World wide Open Space Technology email list <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> 
>Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 11:34:42 PM
>Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space Economics? Be Prepared to be Surprised!
> 
>
>
>I can't ever remember "attempting to circumvent power dynamics," Bui.  While it's quite common when people talk about sitting in a circle they say things like, "...the circle makes everyone equal."  I always disagree.  The circle gives everyone equal access to all the others in the circle, the markers and paper and microphone at the center, and the bulletin board gives everyone the same access to all of the info that is generated.  It doesn't make them equal, the ceo has an entirely different set of skills, resources, experiences, concerns than the new intern.  But as a facilitator, I give everyone the same job:  learn and contribute as much as you can, from wherever you are, with whatever you have at your disposal.  serve the common purpose.  
>
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>none of this attempts or requires any circumventing.  i think ost works in spite of whatever the power structure might be, once people show up.  maybe the invitation tweaks the power structure -- but if the invite comes from the top, then it's the top giving power away -- hardly a circumvention, and certainly not the facilitator attempting.  if the invite bubbles up from somewhere below, then it's the lower ranks claiming power for themselves.  so i think any shifting of power arises because invitation exists as an option, not because anything we do in the process of 'opening space.'  i think ost is just one way of pointing out that invitation is possible and the ost story is pretty much the same in all kinds of different "power" distributions.  
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>or maybe i just don't understand.  what do you do to notice and recognize power imbalances?  and how have you seen this improve the ost experience for people?   
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>m
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>--
>
>Michael Herman
>Michael Herman Associates
>312-280-7838 (mobile)
>
>http://MichaelHerman.com
>http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
>
>
>
>
>On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 5:06 PM, Bui Petersen <bui.petersen at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>Michael, I guess we'll have to disagree. I see OST's temporal attempt at circumventing power dynamics (e.g through the the empowered of the the law of two feet) as one of the beauties of the process. 
>>
>>One of the reasons that the liberal view of market economics is
    problematic is that it doesn't account for power imbalances. While
    you can't take away all structural power, I think the OST experience
    can be enhanced by at least some awareness and recognition of such
    powers.
>>
>>Bui
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>>On 30/09/2013 10:56 PM, Michael Herman wrote:
>>
>>i don't think ost is trying to "take away structural power," bui -- not even temporarily.  i think it's more about acknowledging the distribution of knowledge and choice (power) that already exists.  the law of two feet isn't something special we enact at the start of an event, it's something we just notice and point out, for instance.   
>>>
>>>
>>>m 
>>>
>>>
>>> 
>>>--
>>>
>>>Michael Herman
>>>Michael Herman Associates
>>>312-280-7838 (mobile)
>>>
>>>http://MichaelHerman.com
>>>http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>On Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 10:21 AM, Bui Petersen <bui.petersen at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>Interesting discussion. When I have described OST, some people have been skeptical as it to them has has sounded to "neo-liberal" and not taking power balances enough into consideration. Obviously what the "structure" of OST is trying to do is to take away structural power temporarily. But some people are still skeptical about OST's potential to do this. My own take is that OST does not always fully succeed in this regard. 
>>>>
>>>>Still it is very interesting theoretically. Both there is
              a lot of other (than economics) theoretical perspectives
              that better deal with power.
>>>>
>>>>Bui 
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>On 26/09/2013 5:33 PM, Michael Herman wrote:
>>>>
>>>>I share your concerns, Jeff, but found this piece to be mostly not about politics.  And where he comments on current views and policy, I was less bothered by what he was saying than by my tendency to agree in many cases. But mostly this is interesting and useful totally separate from his politics, I think. 
>>>>>
>>>>>On Thursday, September 26, 2013, Jeff Aitken wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>thanks Michael! 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>It's unfortunate that I have a lingering dislike for Mr. Gilder, who was famous for awhile around 1981 when the Reagan administration rolled out its economic agenda, and his work was considered one of its intellectual pillars.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>Twas a long time ago, and no doubt the man remains a hard thinker and clear writer, perhaps with more heart than I experienced back then.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>With that caveat, I'll dig into this when I have a chance. Thanks for sharing.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>Jeff
>>>>>>San Francisco
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at 12:25 PM, Michael Herman <michael at michaelherman.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Here's a long one, friends… But maybe an important one.
>>>>>>>What follows is an excerpt from a markets newsletter I've read for maybe 10 years by a financial expert and best-selling author Named John Mauldin.  He describes and then shares an article by a guy named George Gilder, Who seems to have been writing "important" books for at least a few decades.  
>>>>>
>>>>>-- 
>>>>>Michael Herman
>>>>>MichaelHerman.com
>>>>>(312) 280-7838 
>>>>>Sent from my iPhone
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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