[OSList] Clearing the shelves / Sharing the Resources
imaginac at bigpond.net.au
imaginac at bigpond.net.au
Wed May 28 16:42:31 PDT 2014
An interesting discussion, Harrison.
I can share similar thoughts from my years in biological research. As an undergraduate we were bombarded with Answers (=facts), usually contained in massive 1,000 page tomes that we basically had to memorise, then regurgitate in exams. The more inspired university staff (there were a few!) shifted the emphasis away from rote learning towards problem solving, so that by the third year of a bachelor’s degree we were actually doing mini research projects. Emerging from this – and certainly from my years in research – was the very clear understanding that chasing ‘facts’ was really kind of pointless, because all you revealed was a whole suite of new questions.
Of course the quest for funding almost required that you know the result of your proposed research project before they would give you the money. Once you had the funds, however, you could cleverly set about asking the really important questions, resulting in – once again - a whole new suite of questions luring you on beyond the knowledge horizon. It was genuinely exciting, and challenging on so many levels, but ‘answers’? Forget it! The world is far too complex for that.
Cheers from Oz
David
Dr David Smith
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From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen
Sent: Thursday, 29 May 2014 4:17 AM
To: 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
Subject: Re: [OSList] Clearing the shelves / Sharing the Resources
Christine – there is no such thing as a half baked question, with one possible exception. A question that was never asked. It is a funny thing. When I started my career (as in having my first PAID job) the Holy Grail was The Answer. When you had The Answer, you had the power that comes with Knowledge – or so I thought. That was 1960 and I had all sorts of Answers, and collected more and more by the dozen. I was never quite sure what to do with all those answers, but given half a chance, and even when I had no chance at all – I just sprayed answers all over the place.
Somewhere along the line, the tide turned and I began to find answers less and less satisfying. Once you had an answer, you could just STOP. After all you had reached the end of the road. And wasn’t that just boring! Questions, on the other hand were a different kettle of fish. Given a good question, boredom is just not possible. And a really good question just gets deeper and deeper... Higher and higher – an infinite expansion of time/space.
I guess my life is now upside down, so to speak: The Answer (for me) is The Question! Or something.
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.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of christine koehler
Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2014 1:18 PM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Cc: Charles McClintock
Subject: Re: [OSList] Clearing the shelves / Sharing the Resources
It is half backed, but those questions comes from my personal experience :
how comes this collective format, although not meant for that, is able to lead to profound individual and personal insights ?
Why and how does it affect individual leadership ?
What kind of leadership emerge from OST ?
How does OST helps people cope and go through painful insights gained during OS events ?
Christine
On Fri, May 9, 2014 at 6:29 PM, <chris.corrigan at gmail.com> wrote:
The nwicked question I would add is the one I have walked with during my nearly 20 years of Open Space practice:
Where is the magic coming from? What happens to us inside this container? Where do we need more of this?
These questions will never be answered, even with a lifetime of practice, but they will inspire, provoke and remind any future researcher for the rest of time that whatever happens, the world can never say it did not glimpse the brilliance of humans in the creative field of Open Space.
In true trickster fashion, beffiting the Man With The Hat, may these questions stand as a curiosity, a blessing and a curse!
Chris
On May 9, 2014, at 11:53 AM, Jeff Aitken <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com> wrote:
Harrison and Charles,
This is fantastic! What a gift to bestow upon the new generations. I
love the line "they will become entranced with the multiple unanswered
questions triggered by the Open Space experience." Happens to all of
us!
My largely intuitive and somewhat questionable PhD dissertation at
CIIS was a look at the worldview shifts that may occur in an
individual during multiple experiences of Open Space. Guided by the
beauty teachings of our dear departed Angeles Arrien, and other
indigenous teachers.
So I offer the suggestion to research Open Space as an INDIVIDUAL
phenomenon as well as the organization or group phenomenon which seems
the more usual approach.
A similar line of research was invoked at a recent event with the
student leadership team at Santa Rosa City College called "Leadership
Is Everywhere." What if Open Space may be considered a "leadership
lab" (or a "leaderfull greenhouse" if we exchange the lab coats for
coveralls.) Each participant can reflect on their actions during a day
or two of Open Space as multiple and diverse contributions to the
health of the system in which they participate - which is one
definition of leadership. The kind of leadership invoked in Open Space
is powerfully appropriate for the complexities of our age. And we can
learn to expand our repertoire of leadership acts over several
experiences of the greenhouse.
Very excited to learn what comes of this act of generosity, Harrison
and Charles.
with blessings!
Jeff Aitken PhD
San Francisco
On 5/9/14, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
There comes some point in every lifetime when it is time to clear the
shelves. This is true for me, and in this case my shelves are heavily
loaded
with mementos from 30 Years in Open Space. Lots of videos, ancient
Proceedings, papers of various sorts. I thought to move everything to the
recycle bin, but then had a second thought that perhaps there was some
material there that could be of interest. With the help of Barbara Bunker I
contacted several universities and was delighted to find that there was
more
than a little interest. Operating on the principle of "First Come First
Served" - I am in the process of boxing everything up, adding a few notes,
and shipping it all off to Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara,
CA.
I have never been to Fielding, but over the years I have come to know and
respect a number of their faculty and students. My hope would be that some
of their students might find useful areas for study and possibly
dissertations. Under the best of circumstances, they will become entranced
with the multiple unanswered questions triggered by the Open Space
experience. After all, when you encounter a global phenomenon which
violates
virtually all the principles and practices of the conventional wisdom - it
is very clear that something marvelously questionable is going on.
I am writing this note in part just to let you know what's happening, but
more importantly to invite your thoughts and contributions. If you were to
be an advisor to the Fielding Students, specifically what issues,
questions,
opportunities do you see that would be of interest and utility? Or to put
it
another way, What are the Wicked Questions that may have bugged you forever
- and that you just wish somebody would sink their teeth into?
If you will answer online we can all enjoy, and I have cc'd Charles
McClintock at Fielding so your thoughts will be passed along. Or of course
you can contact him directly.
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.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
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--
Christine Koehler, créatrice d'espace de Dialogue et de Coopération <http://uploads.wisestamp.com/59a7171fcb010f7c1cffbbe7e93ad57d/1320761435.png>
Executive Coach, Médiateur
www.christine-koehler.fr <http://www.christine-koehler.fr/>
Tel : 06 13 28 71 38
Fax : 09 72 32 36 65
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