[OSList] Open Space and Holacracy
Daniel Mezick
dan at newtechusa.net
Fri Mar 7 07:35:12 PST 2014
Let's see. Quick inventory:
* /Questions/ tend to "open space". Invitations are questions & end
with a question mark.
* /Statements/ tend to "close space". Mandates are statements & end
with a period.
* /Everything/ real and genuine and authentic runs on human engagement
(aka "passion+responsibility").
* /Invitations/ tend to increase levels of engagement.
* /Mandates/ tend to increase levels of DIS engagement.
* /Open Space/ results in higher levels of engagement.
* /Intentions/ equal Results.
Therefore:
* The intention of doing a genuine Open Space is to increase engagement.
* The intent of a genuine mandate is increase DIS engagement
Seems simple enough.
And this is why I routinely walk away from "opportunities" to help bring
Agile to organizations, when formally authorized leadership opts-out of
opening space.
Daniel
On 3/6/14 1:04 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
>
> Christine said -- "Are we "working too hard" when we try to work
> differently ?Do you believe that Zappos would have end up anyway with
> same performance without the hard work of implementing Holacracy ?
> Anyway, we will never know..."
>
> I have no problem working differently, in fact at the moment I don't
> think we are working differently enough. As I see it, the names
> change, the processes change, but the fundamental presuppositions
> remain unchanged. Whether the issue is implementing Holarchy or a
> Dictatorship, the premise is that organization is something we do and
> we control. Doubtless Holarchy is more humane than a Dictatorship, but
> I think they both come from the same place, the same fundamental
> premise -- that organization (my organization, your organization) is
> our creature. We design it, we create it, we control it.
>
> Real difference comes with a change in premises, I think. Speaking
> just for myself, I find this to be a self organizing world, beginning,
> middle, and end. Even those organizations we think we organized end of
> being self organizing the moment we push the start button. So really
> working differently, and I think much smarter, efficiently,
> effectively, with greater joy and less effort, would start from that
> basic point: All the world is self organizing. We don't create it, we
> don't control it, but we can live in it productively. We can learn to
> enhance our ability for such living, and we can assist others to do
> the same. And how might that work?
>
> The first step is to watch and appreciate what is happening all by
> itself before we even think about doing anything. And Open Space can
> be our guide. As we see all the time in Open Space, organization
> starts when passion and responsibility intersect around an issue or
> opportunity. If it is exciting, people will come, and the next thing
> you know you have a group of "two or more gathered together to do
> something" -- which would be my definition of organization. The
> process and structure is totally emergent with no help needed. Happens
> all by itself. And as we have learned, intervention is not only not
> necessary, it actually mucks up the emergent process.
>
> It may happen that this nascent organization will die (When it's over
> it's over) or it may continue and grow (Whoever comes is the right
> people. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have.) Given a
> little time it could become the next Intel, Microsoft, Facebook...!
>
> Obviously the distance between a small nexus of passion and
> responsibility and a giant corporation is considerable -- but even the
> giants started as "two or more gathered together" and I don't think
> the rules change along the way. It is all fractal, and just as an OS
> for 10 works just like one for 2000 so also in the world at large
> (larger), I think.
>
> And what can we do along the journey? First, appreciate what's
> happening. Second, keep the space open. Third, offer our passion and
> responsibility wherever we care to -- which can provide new energy for
> growth, new inspiration, new ideas. That is just for "openers" and for
> more I refer you to Part II of "Wave Rider," "The Wave Rider's Guide
> to the Future." I don't pretend that is the whole story, but it could
> be a useful place to start -- and you can write the rest. J
>
> And then to your comment: "My feeling is also that people tend to
> prefer when they understand how things work (otherwise they get
> anxious), and in this regard self-organization may make things
> uneasy. Who can tell how it works ?" Christine, you are 100% CORRECT!
> Which creates a major problem for all 7 ½ billion of us on Planet
> Earth which resides in a tiny corner of a second rate solar system,
> lost in a relatively minor galaxy...one of billions and billions. It
> also seems that something like 96% of everything is unknown and
> unknowable (Dark Energy and Dark matter) -- and the remaining 4% (what
> we can theoretically see) is more than a little foggy when it comes to
> our capacity for understanding. The fact that all of it, so far as we
> can understand, Jis self organizing is icing on the cake called "Uneasy".
>
> But we may have found a way out...just fabricate a version of reality
> we can understand and control. That should do 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 <www.openspaceworld.com%20>
>
> www.ho-image.com <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
> *christine koehler
> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 05, 2014 3:48 PM
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space and Holacracy
>
> Harrison,
>
> Maybe I am beginning to get it. Maybe not.
>
> You say self-organization is already there, no matter what we do or
> dont do. ok.
>
> Maybe the question is not about self-organisation but about high
> performance : Hsieh, Gore, Semler's visions only say something about
> how they see high performance flow from/in/thru the system. Might be
> an attempt to control it, by naming it Holacracy, or even self
> organization ? However, from what they say, their way of controling it
> might end up with higher levels of performance than "command and
> control"systems. Using Open Space creates conditions for high
> performance. But then, should we just stop doing deciding and trying
> things because no matter what we do the system will self-organize ?
>
> Are we "working too hard" when we try to work differently ?Do you
> believe that Zappos would have end up anyway with same performance
> withoug the hard work of implementing Holacracy ? Anyway, we will
> never know...
>
> My feeling is also that people tend to prefer when they understand how
> things work (otherwise they get anxious), and in this regard
> self-organization may make things uneasy. Who can tell how it works ?
> If you take decision making for instance, and if I take Wosonos as an
> example, sometimes the decision making process for the location on the
> next one is so obvious to everybody who go through it that everything
> seems easy and clear. But sometimes , and for reasons that are quite
> unclear to me, it seems that the some people are not happy and the
> decision maling process is questioned. Of course this is true with any
> decision making process, maybe it's just that some processes are
> easier to describe. Our brain needs to be able to simplify complex
> processes in order to be comfortable with it.
>
> Right now I am experiencing something interesting : for a management
> seminar, a few groups emerged from what I could call a very simplistic
> "law of 2 feet" decision making process. ie there was offered
> opportunity for 5 groups to emerge, and so it went. (why 5 ? well,
> that was completely arbitrary. probably because timing was short and
> that there were only very short time to get feedbacks fro the groupn
> as feedback was required) . After the seminar where people are asked
> to work further on those topics. Management decided not to let leaders
> of those groups use the law of 2 feets but members could. (I agree
> this is a strange rule). What is happening is that they are
> questioning the decision making process : how do we know those topics
> are the most important ones ? is this group the best to work on such
> particular topic ? How can I feel legitimate in being the leader of
> this group as it is not my dayjob ? etc.. Would you say that they are
> working too hard ? That the system will take care of itself and anyway
> self-organize, no matter what we do ?
>
> Christine
>
> On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 11:27 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net
> <mailto:hhowen at verizon.net>> wrote:
>
> Christine ... "I find very interesting this tension between personal
> vision (think about Gore for instance or Semler and Semco) and
> self-organization. looks very complex and human to me ;)
>
> but still wondering how self-organization fits within this kind of
> frame."
>
> It is really easy. Self Organization is already there, but the poor
> folks at Zappo think they did it! Surprise -- what they really did was
> complicate something that could have happened very easily by itself.
> Ah! But we humans have to feel we are in control. Even when we say we
> aren't and don't care to be. The Trojan Horse rides again. Zappo'd as
> it were.
>
> 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>
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>] *On Behalf Of
> *christine koehler
> *Sent:* Tuesday, March 04, 2014 2:35 PM
>
>
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space and Holacracy
>
> This reminds me of a very short conversation I had with a participant
> of the Practice of Peace seminar last January. He had left Zappos not
> so long ago. We exchanged a few words about the ambiguity of Tony
> Hsieh mandating Zappos to become holacratic, because it was his own
> personal vision.
>
> I find very interesting this tension between personal vision (think
> about Gore for instance or Semler and Semco) and self-organization.
>
> looks very complex and human to me ;)
>
> but stlll wondering how self-organization fits within this kind of frame.
>
> Christine
>
> On Tue, Mar 4, 2014 at 8:03 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net
> <mailto:hhowen at verizon.net>> wrote:
>
> Christine, Zappo Holarchs "rolled out" according to the following...
> Sounds like sort of a mandate to me. ho
>
> http://qz.com/161210/zappos-is-going-holacratic-no-job-titles-no-managers-no-hierarchy
>
>
> 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>
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>] *On Behalf Of
> *Christine Whitney Sanchez
> *Sent:* Tuesday, March 04, 2014 12:46 PM
>
>
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space and Holacracy
>
> Great post, Daniel. Our company worked with Tony Hseigh's Downtown
> Las Vegas Project last year and found the whole thing to be very
> self-organizing.
>
> I'm surprised that Zappos is imposing any kind of mandate - where did
> you discover this?
>
> Namasté,
>
> Christine
>
> Christine Whitney Sanchez, Partner
> Innovation Partners International
> Phoenix, AZ, USA +1.480.759.0262 <tel:%2B1.480.759.0262>
> www.innovationpartners.com <http://www.innovationpartners.com>
>
> On Mar 4, 2014, at 10:22 AM, Dan Mezick <dan at newtechusa.net
> <mailto:dan at newtechusa.net>> wrote:
>
> An invitation arouses curiousity, but a mandate dries up
>
> the bones... Ancient Proverb
>
> The Mandate of Holacracy at Zappos:
>
> http://newtechusa.net/agile/the-mandate-of-holacracy-at-zappos/
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On Mar 4, 2014, at 11:36 AM, "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at verizon.net
> <mailto:hhowen at verizon.net>> wrote:
>
> Wikipedia (as usual) has everything you wanted to know... go to --
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holacracy
>
> I can certainly imagine Open Space playing a role in Holacracies,
> and in
> fact the "governance" in a Open Space could certainly be described as
> "Holacratic" -- which is to say "ruling power" is totally distributed
> amongst the participants. But there is a real difference.
> Holacracy in Open
> Space is totally an emergent phenomenon. Nobody designed it, nobody
> implements it -- it just shows up all by itself. Holacracy in
> places like
> Zappos is a designed phenomenon. Doubtless it works pretty well,
> but it does
> seem to me that they may be working a little too hard, creating
> something
> that can and does happen all by itself. I think.
>
> 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/>
> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com/> (Personal Website)
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives
> of OSLIST
> Go
> to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> <http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Kári
> Gunnarsson
> Sent: Tuesday, March 04, 2014 11:20 AM
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> Subject: Re: [OSList] Open Space and Holacracy
>
> I heard that Holacracy is somehow based upon the principles of
> Open Space
> and uses Open space for its implementation.
>
> On 4 March 2014 08:53, Rob van der Eyden
> <robvandereyden at veranderarchitect.nl
> <mailto:robvandereyden at veranderarchitect.nl>> wrote:
>
> Hello Kári,
>
> Interesting question. How do you see the link between Open
> space and
>
> Holacracy?
>
> Kind regards, Rob van der Eyden
>
> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
>
> Van: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>
>
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] Namens Kári
> Gunnarsson
>
> Verzonden: maandag 3 maart 2014 21:52
>
> Aan: Open Space Forum
>
> Onderwerp: [OSList] Open Space and Holacracy
>
> There have been much talk about the relationship of the
> organizational
>
> chart and how Open Space operates. Recent compareson to me has
> been to
>
> link the new self-organizing authority and decision-making system
>
> called Holacracy
>
> see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holacracy
>
> I wonder if there are stories on the use of Open space to
> transform
>
> more traditional system to one of Open Space based Holacracy?
> I would
>
> be happy to learn some of your experiences in this regard.
>
> --
>
> Kári Gunnarsson
>
> kari.gunnarsson at simnet.is <mailto:kari.gunnarsson at simnet.is>
>
> gsm: +354 8645189 <tel:%2B354%208645189>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> OSList mailing list
>
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org> To unsubscribe
>
> send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>
>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
>
>
> --
> Kári Gunnarsson
> kari.gunnarsson at simnet.is <mailto:kari.gunnarsson at simnet.is>
> gsm: +354 8645189 <tel:%2B354%208645189>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org> To unsubscribe send an
> email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To unsubscribe send an email to
> OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Christine Koehler, créatrice d'espace de Dialogue et de Coopération
> Executive Coach, Médiateur
> www.christine-koehler.fr <http://www.christine-koehler.fr/>
> Tel : 06 13 28 71 38 <tel:06%2013%2028%2071%2038>
> Fax : 09 72 32 36 65 <tel:09%C2%A0%2072%C2%A0%2032%2036%C2%A0%2065>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Christine Koehler, créatrice d'espace de Dialogue et de Coopération
> Executive Coach, Médiateur
> www.christine-koehler.fr <http://www.christine-koehler.fr/>
> Tel : 06 13 28 71 38
> Fax : 09 72 32 36 65
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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
--
Daniel Mezick, President
New Technology Solutions Inc.
(203) 915 7248 (cell)
Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>. Blog
<http://newtechusa.net/blog/>. Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/>.
Examine my new book:The Culture Game
<http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/>: Tools for the
Agile Manager.
Explore Agile Team Training
<http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/> and Coaching.
<http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/>
Explore the Agile Boston <http://newtechusa.net//user-groups/ma/>Community.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20140307/00730e1a/attachment-0008.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/png
Size: 10191 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20140307/00730e1a/attachment-0008.png>
More information about the OSList
mailing list