[OSList] Management and Organization

Sat Feb 8 20:24:07 PST 2014

*So what do you think about all of that?*... asks Harrison at the end of
his original post.

A loaded question to say the least.

Well I've been thinking about it....A LOT.  Though really, there's no
surprise in this plain talk--probably more plain talk than I've ever seen
on this subject.

Plain talk about management and leadership, whether the definition of it,
our view of it, our pursuit of it, or our conversations around it, which
leads me to think about:

"When it really comes down to it, what is it that we are really promising
management and leadership when they ask us about Open Space? What is it
that they are really asking of us? What reassurances are they looking for?
What is the implied promise that we are giving? Why is it so hard to find
the right words to engage in a meaningful dialogue around what we are
really inviting?"

Under the surface of it all, we know what management and leadership are
asking for. We know they want that fix, the predictability, the reassurance
of outcome, of high performance, of results and probably a return to the
way things were or as they remember them to be...but was it really ever
that way? And could it ever be that way again?

We all know that what the clients are asking for is not possible. How can
we ever predict or plan the complex future we are living into with any
certainty at all? It would seem that we have ample evidence of the futility
of even attempting to do so or worse believing that we can. And yet we do,
over and over again. Working harder and harder, searching for that next
best model or system or structure or approach, spending hours and hours
learning more and more, planning, predicting and forecasting and then later
analyzing the gaps where we did not meet plan and spending more and more
hours, explaining the variances. We massage our words, we try to describe
in ways that will seem familiar and similar to the existing models to
entice and reassure. By falling in the trap of promises, are we not also
colluding with what we know to be true...that control doesn't work no more
than predictability does.

And as we busily work on this, life is passing us by.

Harrison in an earlier post said:

"For the last several years I have been asking for, pleading for, begging
for an extended and deep conversation which starts with the premise that
this is a self organizing world, beginning, middle and end. Living fully
and productively in such a world requires that we think some new, and (some
would say) radical and heretical thoughts about management, leadership, the
nature of organization, power...and much more. Good old OST gives us a good
experimental base, but that is just the beginning. I think. And while some
might see OST as a useful "tool" for the enhancement of organizations as we
know them, in my view OST is a wonderful Trojan Horse, which, in a not so
subtle manner, blows those understandings and ways of working quite out of
the water. It clears some space for the new conversations to take place,
while simultaneously offering some useful contributions to the content of
those conversations."

I too year for these conversations...with the clients and others. What's
more, we know that Open Space gives us the feeling and experience that
something much bigger and better is right there under the surface. The
SHIFT that people often experience is life-changing or could be if
individuals trusted their experience and did not try so hard to talk
themselves out of what felt so natural... simply because it does not match
up with the good old predictability models of Leadership and Management.

It was this experience that ignited my passion and my courage to jump into
life. I wonder now if it is not time to speak more clearly, more
forthrightly about self-organizing, about one less thing to do, about chaos
and order.

As Harrison yearns for extended and deep conversations on self-organizing,
I yearn for more and more Open Space and *more plain talk* along the lines
of "Folks, let's face it; it's just not working. Time to try something new
or rather time to go back to something that's been lying there right under
our nose all these billion years. It's everywhere, in nature, in our living
systems: it's called self-organizing. It's our best teacher and the one
that has withstood the test of time".

Along with the plain talk and inviting, I also want to wear my passion on
my sleeve without holding back. I want to show how much I yearn for work
and life to be more joyful, more fun and more productive because people are
doing "one less thing of the stuff that is a waste to do" and "many more
things that they enjoy and believe in".

I also see others wearing their heart on their sleeves, speaking clearly
and with great conviction what they want to see in the world of work.

Harrison you said:

I think the bottom line may come down to: Move slowly with empathy, and be
prepared to wait.

I'll admit that I can't buy into that. I feel too much urgency. Life may
prove me wrong, doors may slam shut but I'm willing to take that chance.

But what I can buy into is this:

"At one level I will do the Open Space because I know that it will enable
people to be more comfortable, powerful, sure of themselves. That's the
easy part. But at another level I will do the Open Space in order to
introduce anomaly... one more nudge towards Paradigm Shift."

 And perhaps if enough of us help nudge it towards that paradigm shift, we
will start a real tipping point.

Suzanne

I

On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 2:41 PM, David Osborne <dosborne at change-fusion.com>wrote:

>  Many thanks Harrison...very helpful.
>
>  David
>
>
>  On Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 12:09 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>wrote:
>
>>  David, Listen to your words... "we're exploring the question of how can
>> we have some structure and boundaries and  yet provide space for
>> self-organization. It's hard to find models that enable both."
>>
>>
>>
>> I hate to say it, and you won't be surprised, but I think you are working
>> much too hard. Sounds to me suspiciously like a variant of "organizing a
>> self organizing system." Especially that part about "find(ing) models." The
>> systems you are contemplating (your business and the Association) are their
>> own best models. Nothing else will even come close because they are unique.
>> And if self organization is anything like I think it is, one of its major
>> activities is the creation of "structures and boundaries." That, by
>> definition, is what self organizing systems do, along with a few other
>> things. So the key activity for me would be to stop looking for models, and
>> start paying careful attention to how your two self organizing systems
>> naturally express themselves in structure and form.
>>
>>
>>
>> Initially your task will be complicated by all those "other" structures
>> and forms that have been laid on, arbitrarily I would say, just because it
>> seemed like a good idea at the time - in accord with the latest "models,"
>> or "accepted practice." After all, we think we all know what an
>> organization SHOULD look like.J
>>
>>
>>
>> But there is a way through the forest, I think, which is actually the
>> "design principle" I employed in the development of Open Space Technology.
>> You've heard it before. *Think of one more thing NOT to do*. Just keep
>> striping away those forms and procedures that you thought to be essential
>> for your organizations' function. Don't try to do it all at once, and start
>> with what I might call the low hanging fruit. Those things that just get
>> done, even though nobody can remember why.
>>
>>
>>
>> Then notice what happens. If something comes back, that is pretty good
>> evidence that it was a natural form or structure, and your systems, in
>> their own wisdom, felt the need. On the other hand, if it stays gone, just
>> say bye, bye, enjoy the new space, and get on with your business.
>>
>>
>>
>> It is true, of course that some structures and forms are required by
>> external authorities: Taxes, annual reports, and the like. In those
>> situations, I have found it helpful to ask, "What is the minimal level of
>> form and structure required to get the job done?" For some reason, people
>> seem to make the simplest things unendingly complicated. *In extremis*there is a presumption that if it is simple, it can't be any good. I've
>> noticed this on more than one occasion with the public perception of OST,
>> especially among those who have never been involved. I suppose this has
>> something to do with the Expert Syndrome - if you make it complicated
>> enough you will surely require the services of an Expert to help you
>> through. For a fee of course. And to be honest, we in the OS community
>> sometimes seem to be guilty of the same thing.
>>
>>
>>
>> So there are some suggestions to get started. If you want more, and
>> probably more than you want - you might take a look at Part II of *Wave
>> Rider*, "A Wave Rider's Guide to the Future." And for a slightly
>> different slant see Part IV of the *Power of Spirit,* "The Care and
>> Feeding of the Interactive Organization." And just to be clear, an
>> Interactive Organization is my term for a conscious, self organizing
>> system.
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>>  PS - And for the record, all of the above are by yours truly and
>> available from Amazon.com and the publisher, Berrett-Koehler.
>>
>>
>>
>> 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] *On Behalf Of *David Osborne
>> *Sent:* Tuesday, February 04, 2014 6:57 PM
>> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Management and Organization
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison,
>>
>>
>>
>> I had to laugh at my own words as I re-read them.. *."support leaders in
>> adopting approaches that move toward greater and greater levels of
>> self-organization."    *The system of course is self-organizing all the
>> time !!!
>>
>>
>>
>> Opening space enables the system it to move closer and closer to high
>> performance versus stuckness, stagnation, decline and death.  If I restate
>> what I was trying to express, I think we can Open Space in big ways as an
>> OS does and/or in small ways through the openness in leadership approaches
>> that provide more space for passion, creativity, personal responsibility
>> etc. This is working at the micro-level though versus the full paradigm
>> shift you describe. I agree with your description whole-heartedly.
>>
>>
>>
>> You raise for me very pragmatic questions. Both in our small company,
>> ChangeFusion, and in a global membership organization I'm involved in we're
>> exploring the question of how can we have some structure and boundaries and
>>  yet provide space for self-organization. it's hard to find models that
>> enable both.
>>
>>
>>
>> I'd love to hear if others have suggestions of examples.
>>
>>
>>
>> David
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 4, 2014 at 2:54 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Hello David O. and David S. I've re-titled to give the thread a new name
>> if only because I think it is headed in some new directions with hopefully
>> a long and useful discussion in prospect.
>>
>>
>>
>> This discussion may get a little difficult as we attempt to define and
>> understand the words we are using, "Management," for example. I had in mind
>> the more common garden variety of Management's role in organizations. As
>> Wikipedia (that source of all useful information) notes, "Despite the move
>> toward workplace democracy, command-and-control organization structures
>> remain commonplace as *de facto* organization structure." (Wikipedia).
>> Back in the old days a common definition of a good manager was one who,
>> "Makes the plan, manages to the plan, and meets the plan." And we all know
>> how that was supposed to be done. Single word: Control. Lots of Command and
>> Control.
>>
>>
>>
>> David has moved in new, interesting and effective directions saying,
>> "What I have found is that as I'm able to share the conditions that support
>> self-organization and how they can be integrated into individuals
>> leadership approach that the leaders move toward approaches that support
>> greater and greater self-organization."
>>
>>
>>
>> I applaud the effort, but it seems to me it may be rather a half step. If
>> I hear David's words correctly, the fundamental understanding of
>> "organization" remains unchanged (predesigned structure and controls with
>> Leaders/Managers in charge) and the new effort is to enable "leaders (to)
>> move toward approaches that support greater and greater self-organization."
>> Tactically I can certainly understand the approach, but what if
>> organization is fundamentally, essentially, in totality - Self Organizing?
>> If that is the situation, "greater and greater self organization" makes
>> little sense for a very simple reason. It is all self organizing to begin
>> with! But I guess that is just splitting hairs, and for sure the heart is
>> moving in the right direction.
>>
>>
>>
>> The revolutionary in me (and yes there is some of that J) would dearly
>> love to shake the organizational world by the scruff of the neck saying
>> something like, Move on, Wake up! You just can't get there from here. And
>> for a certainty, such an approach would have no chance of success. There
>> needs to be a change in view, I am sure -- but forced change, were it even
>> possible, falls back on the old way which wasn't effective then and won't
>> work now. And there is another way which unfortunately requires some
>> patient waiting. But we may not have to wait that long.
>>
>>
>>
>> It is a very common lament -- that, "things just aren't working." What
>> "things" and the nature of their dysfunction are often left unsaid, but the
>> universal uneasiness is pretty clear. To date, the usual response has been
>> to do more and more of what we've always done, but maybe with a different
>> name (Quality Circles, Process Re-Engineering, Dialogue, maybe even AGILE
>> when mandated etc.). The results have not been inspiring. Some would even
>> include Open Space Technology as a new tool. But I don't think that works
>> either if the intent is to fix the old system.
>>
>>
>>
>> As the lament continues, some strange things are happening. Every now and
>> again something actually WORKS! And it works even when the plans are
>> busted, the leadership is incompetent, the environment sour and
>> threatening. Who knows how or why - but it worked. The Brits usually call
>> this Muddling Through, which is what happens when everything goes a
>> different way than it was supposed to - but it all turns out fine. Phew!
>>
>>
>>
>> There is another name for this strange phenomenon. Anomaly. Anomaly
>> literally means being outside the law (lawless) from the Greek *a*(without)
>> *nomos* (law).  Anomalies cause one to scratch the head in wonder...How
>> on earth could THAT happen? Most often, we just pass them by with a
>> dismissive, "weird!" I think that is a mistake.
>>
>>
>>
>> Peter Vaill, an old friend and colleague, had a knack for seriously
>> noticing anomalies. He observed that some organizations performed at levels
>> of excellence that definitely blew away the competition. He called them
>> High Performing Systems. The problem was, these systems broke all the rules
>> of how organizations were supposed to work. As a Professor of Management,
>> Peter could be accused of a flawed effort because instead of attempting to
>> analyze how they worked, Peter contented himself with a delightful
>> description of what they did, which he captured in a short paper (1977*),
>> The Behavioral Characteristics of High Performing Systems*. I say
>> delightful because he wrote in a totally colloquial fashion, and definitely
>> not in the style of Academe, even though he was the (then) Dean of the
>> Business School at George Washington University.
>>
>>
>>
>> Writing almost 10 years before Open Space Technology, Peter seems
>> prescient, for his "Behavioral Characteristics" are a perfect description
>> of the common behavior at every Open Space I have ever seen. Taking a tall
>> leap in logic, I have argued (Wave Rider) that the link between Peter's
>> High Performing Systems, and what we have experienced in Open Space is the
>> phenomenon of self organization. Or put somewhat differently, High
>> Performing Systems are well functioning self organizing systems. And in
>> function and effect they are definitely anomalous for according to the
>> accepted wisdom, they simply could not happen or do what they do!
>>
>>
>>
>> On the subject of Anomaly and the importance of same, the work of Thomas
>> Kuhn comes to mind. Author of, "The Structures of Scientific Revolutions,"
>> Kuhn gave us that wonderful concept, "paradigm," as in Paradigm Shift. As
>> an historian of Science, Kuhn describes how the scientific world grew in
>> wisdom and stature, passing through several understandings of the nature of
>> things, on the way to new (and presumably better) ones. That passage he
>> called, Paradigm Shifts. According to his story, the scientific  or learned
>> community held a certain view of reality for a period of time, which worked
>> very well, and seemed to explain most, if not all, of the phenomenon of
>> their experience. This view (paradigm) was taken as The Truth, and defended
>> with ferocity. For example, everybody "knew" at one time that the Earth was
>> the center of everything and those who disagreed were considered heretics,
>> and often dispatched. Galileo, for instance. Then funny little anomalies
>> began to show up as people observed the heavens. If the anomalies were not
>> an illusion then Earth centeredness was false - which everybody knew must
>> be wrong, insanity, or worse. But the anomalies refused to go away, which
>> made people more and more uncomfortable, to say nothing of angry. Then one
>> shinning day the view shifted. Same old heavens as before but seen with
>> totally new eyes. Paradigm shift. Very powerful and never comfortable.
>>
>>
>>
>> This brief sojourn into the History of Science can be helpful to our
>> present concerns, I think, for we are facing a very similar situation in
>> our understanding of organizations, as well as management. The traditional
>> understanding of organization, and therefore management, has been around
>> for a long time. As with all paradigms, it is taken to be The Truth, and
>> those who challenge will inevitably be subject to dismissal at the
>> beginning, changing to discomfort, and perhaps ending with anger. The
>> reason is very simple. The investments in this particular paradigm are
>> enormous, and include ways of life, ways of making a living, and for some,
>> life itself. Messing with all of that cannot be done lightly.
>>
>>
>>
>> And yet the anomalies persist. Some are quite subtle and are perceived
>> only as a growing sense that "things are not working as we expected."
>> However, when the system/organization seems broken, it is clear that we
>> must fix it and we think we know how. If the organizational process is
>> screwy, then obviously we need Process Re-Engineering. But it didn't work.
>> We try harder and harder, doing variants of what we've always done, and
>> (surprisingly) we get what we've always got. But hope springs eternal, and
>> someday we will find The Fix. Or so it says in all the books. Maybe.
>>
>>
>>
>> Other anomalies are not so subtle. Open Space Technology is such an
>> anomaly. I believe it to be true that Open Space violates virtually all
>> principles and practices of traditional organizational theory and
>> management practice. To the extent that it (OS) works as we have
>> experienced it working - much if not all of current practice is called into
>> question. My view is doubtless biased, but some 20 years ago, a senior
>> official from the American Society for Training and Development (pardon the
>> repeat) seemingly had the same impression when he told me, after hearing
>> what happened in Open Space, "Harrison, if what you say is true, then 99%
>> of what we are currently do does not need to be done." I would have been
>> greatly relieved had I been able to argue with him. But I couldn't. I can't.
>>
>>
>>
>> So David(s) - where does that leave us? Discretion might dictate picking
>> up our toys and going home. Others might suggest heading for the
>> barricades. Personally I don't think either possibility is very useful. I
>> simply cannot deny what I have experienced in Open Space, nor can I resist
>> the compulsion to share the experience in whatever way with whomsoever
>> might show up. I think the bottom line may come down to: Move slowly with
>> empathy, and be prepared to wait.
>>
>>
>>
>> And what would that mean for us and what we do...? At a practical level,
>> it could mean something like this. Let's suppose that the Management of a
>> very traditional Organization shows up on our doorstep. They are concerned
>> that organizational function is dismal, the people seem to dislike each
>> other and what they are doing, and profits have disappeared. The request is
>> simple: Help!  Somewhere they heard about Open Space and believe (hope) it
>> could fix their system, or at least make a start.
>>
>>
>>
>> It sounds like a marvelous opportunity, and a natural response would be,
>> YES! At least that would be my response. All the essential preconditions
>> for OS seem to be in place (real issue, complexity, etc) - BUT ... There
>> are some issues to consider. First, if by "fixing their system" the client
>> means that the "traditional Organization" is going to be put back together
>> as it once was, that is a real problem, I think. The reason is simple - the
>> root of their problems is precisely the system (understanding of
>> organization) they were working under. Make it even stronger. Were I to
>> design a system that would maximize separation and alienation, minimize
>> creativity and collaboration - I don't think I could do any better than the
>> system they were operating under. Fixing, or restoring that system would
>> only compound their misery. Secondly, Doing an Open Space in that
>> organization is quite likely to increase the general dissatisfaction with
>> how things are done. As one senior executive from a very traditional
>> organization said to me following an Open Space we did, "You have ruined me
>> for work in this place. I am not sure whether to thank you or hate you."
>> Talk about being caught on the horns of a dilemma! If fully successful with
>> my task (opening space), I will have failed the clients' primary
>> expectations (fixing the system) and simultaneously raised the level
>> employee dissatisfaction.
>>
>>
>>
>> All true, I think. And I would still do the Open Space, but my reasons
>> could cause some problems unless very carefully explained, and that
>> explanation itself is problematical. At one level I will do the Open Space
>> because I know that it will enable people to be more comfortable, powerful,
>> sure of themselves. That's the easy part. But at another level I will do
>> the Open Space in order to introduce anomaly... one more nudge towards
>> Paradigm Shift.
>>
>>
>>
>> I know full well that I can't shift paradigms for people. The same is
>> true of Transformation, which has a lot to do with paradigm shift. Both
>> will happen all by themselves...or not. But I can and will nudge when given
>> the opportunity. After that it is all about waiting...
>>
>>
>>
>> So what do you think about all that?
>>
>>
>>
>> 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 *David Osborne
>> *Sent:* Monday, February 03, 2014 9:47 AM
>> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Trust
>>
>>
>>
>> I'm not sure I agree OS fails as a management tool.....Self-Organization
>> has become the lens I look at all my work as an individual who supports
>> groups and organizations in change and in my leadership and management
>> development work. It's not an either / or for me os works or doesn't work
>> as a management tool.
>>
>>
>>
>> Leadership is simply supporting an organization in moving toward its
>> goals. The invitation in OS is the goal or issue that people care about.
>> What I have found is that as I'm able to share the conditions that support
>> self-organization and how they can be integrated into individuals
>> leadership approach that the leaders move toward approaches that support
>> greater and greater self-organization. This is not top-down, traditional
>> leadership or management. As you propose in Wave-Rider Harrison, I believe
>> the principles of OS / self-organization can be integrated as a leadership
>> approach with great results.
>>
>>
>>
>> David
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 3, 2014 at 8:57 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> David - I would totally agree that OS "utterly fails as a management
>> tool." Then again I think that OS shares this fate/condition with all other
>> "management tools," at least as I understand "management" and "tool" in the
>> context of enabling effective human performance. And thereby hang the
>> beginning of a long and useful discussion, I think.
>>
>>
>>
>> ho
>>
>>
>>
>> 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] *On Behalf Of *David stevenson
>> *Sent:* Monday, February 03, 2014 1:51 AM
>> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Trust
>>
>>
>>
>> Ho indeed Harrison! OpenSpace opens space for freedom of spirit and
>> heart, choice and the weaving of our fates and destinies with that of our
>> world, it does not achieve complience and so, at least to the extent that
>> people are to be managed...
>>
>> On Saturday, February 1, 2014, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>>
>> Brendan said: "And in my view , all germinating from that initial
>> transfer of trust between mentor and sponsor" Right on! I don't think it
>> makes a bit of difference how elegantly one "does" the Open Space. It is
>> really all about TRUST. When I said that anybody with a good heart and good
>> mind can "do it," that is just a long winded way of saying what I've always
>> found to be true. Expertise is interesting. Integrity and Trust are
>> essential. A new comer to the OS world, opening space for the very first
>> time, muffing some lines, and forgetting others - can do every bit as well
>> as a 20 year veteran. The coin of the realm is Integrity, authenticity,
>> trust. But none of that should be news, for that trio is the bedrock of all
>> positive human encounter, I think. Which may just be another way of
>> pointing out that OS is not some special process we do, it is just life
>> lived well. Or something.
>>
>>
>>
>> ho
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 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 *Brendan McKeague
>> *Sent:* Saturday, February 01, 2014 12:57 AM
>> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Sponsor PreWork Conversation (long)
>>
>>
>>
>> A very interesting question Chuni Li...
>>
>>
>>
>> The sponsor was being mentored by one of my colleagues in our local Open
>> Space community of practice (Wave Riders) who suggested to him that OS was
>> the right method/model for the task at hand.  As his coach (the formal role
>> as perceived by the organisation), my colleague encouraged the sponsor to
>> get in touch with me to avoid any perceived conflict of interest. The
>> sponsor researched OS for himself first and then engaged me to provide the
>> specialist knowledge....Harrison often says that anyone with a good heart
>> and head can open space - and I agree - while at the same time, I
>> acknowledge that 'Open Space wisdom' is often helpful, if not necessary, in
>> situations of increased complexity and potential conflict.
>>
>>
>>
>> After his initial attraction to OS in theory, and as part of his
>> research, the sponsor then ran a mini Open Space within his own
>> jurisdiction to see how it worked in reality - he wished to speak from his
>> lived experience when engaging with his higher-uppers.  He also watched a
>> few of the growing library of YouTube clips that are so wonderful for
>> educating potential sponsors.
>>
>>
>>
>> Now totally convinced, the transfer of trust was complete at various
>> levels....trusting the process (OST works) AND trusting the facilitator
>> (who was aligned with the essence of OST - i.e living in it) AND trusting
>> that both facilitator and process were 'fit-for-purpose' in this context.
>>
>>
>>
>> And in my view , all germinating from that initial transfer of trust
>> between mentor and sponsor
>>
>>
>>
>> Hope this story helps
>>
>>
>>
>> Cheers Brendan
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 31/01/2014, at 1:10 PM, chunili2000 at yahoo.com wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you Brendan for taking the time to organize and share this
>> information - so precious and such a generous gift!
>>
>>
>>
>> I am curious about the sponsor who "put his neck out" to make the event
>> happen.
>>
>> Had he experienced OST before? Did you have to "convince" him? What made
>> him willing to "jump through the hoops?" Was it the OST process or was it
>> you that he trusted?
>>
>>
>>
>> Chuni Li
>>
>> New Jersey
>>
>>
>>
>> *From:* Brendan Mc
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> David Stevenson
>> Sent from Gmail Mobile
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> David Osborne
>>
>> [image: http://www.change-fusion.com/ChangeFusionLogo.jpg]
>>
>> www.change-fusion.com | dosborne at change-fusion.com | 703.939.1777
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> David Osborne
>>
>>  www.change-fusion.com | dosborne at change-fusion.com | 703.939.1777
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> OSList mailing list
>> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
>> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>
>>
>
> --
>
> David Osborne
>
> www.change-fusion.com | dosborne at change-fusion.com | 703.939.1777
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>

-- 
Suzanne Daigle
Open Space Facilitator
NuFocus Strategic Group

FL 941-359-8877
Cell: 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
twitter @suzannedaigle
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