[OSList] Organising a Buddhist Way

[Michael M Pannwitz]

Smiling back at you, Bhav!
After reading page 15 I felt that open space the way I practice and 
understand it goes way beyond "light structure". In addition, I keep 
trying to stay in the practice of "doing one less thing" after each os 
event I am involved in. Furthermore, I feel that 99% of structure in os 
events is selforganized by the assembled system.

Thinking back 18 years, thats 1996 when I began to work with os, I 
remember how I quickly abolished my original habit of having small 
posters in the break-out sessions with notes on the various roles that 
could/should be filled for the group work... and how I gradually got rid 
of all references on how to interact (in page 15 a number of guidelines 
are mentioned that seem to come out of the "in the know" stance).

Perhaps I am missing something here when I keep thinking that OST needs 
neither "light structuring" nor is a "container". I do pay attention to 
the space in reference to fresh air, daylight, luscious food, 
professional PAS, etc but not to the style of communication... in fact, 
I can easily imagine and have experience the value of interruption, 
persuasion, disrespectful language, questions of all kinds, etc. In my 
experience, the system/participants appear to quickly establish the kind 
of communication they need to work on their issues. No training required.

I am very curious what the things are that you and the others listening 
in have cancelled/dropped/removed from your repertoire... or added... in 
facilitating os events.

Have a great weekend
mmp

On 28.02.2014 14:08, Bhavesh Patel wrote:
> Hi Friends,
>
> I was reading the attached article and loved the way they articulated
> 'open space' and wanted to share it with you below. The whole article is
> attached.
>
>
> Smiles Bhav...
>
> ---------------------------------------
> *Page 15*
> I want to use the term ‘light structuring’ to make a contrast with forms
> and practices that could be described as already knowing and already
> fixed. What I am calling light structuring gives more space for
> emergence and improvisation (see, for example, Barrett, 2006; Clegg,
> Kornberger and Rhodes, 2005; Weick, 1998) or unfolding. One might say
> that light structuring makes space for 'being in the now' rather than
> ‘in the know’. I see light structuring, in this sense, as an important
> aspect of dialoging and participatory ways of knowing. Light structuring
> might mean that participants are invited to try to follow certain
> guidelines that help them to learn whilst practicing what Isaacs called
> the ‘collective discipline’ (Isaacs, 1993) of dialogue. These usually
> include guidelines such as: do not interrupt, do not attempt to persuade
> others, use respectful language, ask questions only for clarification,
> listen to your listening and so on (e.g., Chasin, Herzig, Roth, Chasin,
> Becker and Stains, 1996).
>
> Such ‘minimal’ or ‘light’ structures help to block or interrupt already
> solidified patterns and, in this way, can help to open up new
> possibilities and what I have called ‘soft’ self-other relations. The
> idea is to provide enough but not too much structure: to provide a
> container, so to speak, that invites and supports the gradual emergence
> of slow, open, coherent, in-the-present-moment performances. In this way
> it becomes possible to be ‘relationally responsive’ (McNamee, Gergen and
> associates, 1999) to whatever comes up in any particular moment and
> possible to make space and be open for multiple, ongoing, local realities.
>
>
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-- 
Michael M Pannwitz
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49 - 30-772 8000



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