[OSList] Open Space by the book?

Fri Nov 14 23:09:27 PST 2014

Nice reflection Harrison.

You've unfortunately created too many loose ends to inspire a neat reply.
So here is a messy one.

Regards the simplest recipe for Open Space, to what degree have the Law and
N Principles (and the animals) been critically tested?  To be honest, these
have never really resonated for me and I've always used a different
variation each time searching for something that feels right (and no longer
than it needs to be).

I think it's a long bow to describe Open Space as mainstream, or anywhere
near it.  It has spread to all corners of the globe perhaps, but it is
still the System A alternative, islands within a System B world.  I would
hazard 90% of those who have been to conferences and meetings and like
gatherings have not heard of it... (speaking at a conference on cocreation
and placemaking recently, I requested a hands-up and had a whole TWO of
hundreds confess to acquaintance)
and even if 90% had, I'm sure less than 1% of the gatherings they attend
are consciously designed to unlock self organisation.

What you describe of the permutations of the practice matches what I see
(though I'm too new to know differently), but I can't see how this could be
because of a tipping point as the practice is mainstreamed.

Maybe that's just where I participate.

Regards the permutations and combinations... bring them on!  This thread
could quickly follow all sorts of rabbit holes on this one, so I might save
those thoughts for another day.

Cheers

*John Baxter*
*Cocreation Consultant & CoCreate Adelaide Facilitator*
jsbaxter.com.au <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/> | CoCreateADL.com
0405 447 829
 | 
@jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>

*Thank you to everyone who came, helped or spread the good word about City
Grill!*
*Summary and links: cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary/
<http://cocreateadl.com/localgov/grill-summary/>*

On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 5:37 AM, paul levy via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> The problem with sticking with things is you might just end up stuck.
>
> Ho hum.
>
> Paul Levy
>
>
>
>
> On 13 Nov 2014, at 18:14, Harrison Owen via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
> Open Space, in its “original” form is sparse simplicity to say the least.
> Ten to fifteen minutes introduction, and it is off the races, or in my
> case, off to take a nap. The evolution of this format followed a simple
> dictum: “Think of one more thing NOT to do.” Over time in my practice I
> simply removed one more element. The first to go were so called, “warm up
> exercises.” But it went down from there. My surprise was that the less I
> did, the better it got... which seemed to be the exact opposite of many of
> my colleagues’ experience with the methods and approaches they had created.
> Their simple guide books gave way to 400 page Manuals with additions and
> extensions. Of course, there were times when people remarked to me that OS
> was so simple it couldn’t possibly work. But it did. Simply sit in a
> circle, create a bulletin board, acknowledge the 5 principles and the Law –
> and Go to Work! That’s it. That’s all.
>
>
>
> I confess that I do love elegant simplicity, and so there is a large part
> of me that would stick with the “original” for that reason alone. To this
> may be added the fact that this “elegant simplicity” apparently violated
> essentially all the principles and practices of management that I knew
> about. To some extent this was a source of no small amount of
> embarrassment, for after all when what you see, do, and think is at odds
> with the Received Wisdom there are obvious questions about your grasp of
> reality. But, the disparity between what I was witnessing and what  (I was
> told) I should be experiencing has led to a marvelous quest into the
> strange new world of self organizing systems. Rich and rewarding indeed.
>
>
>
> Now it seems that the world is changing (or at least our perception of
> that world) such that the strange environment of self organization is no
> longer so strange. What appeared odd, counter-intuitive, impossible is now
> almost mainstream. Not quite but getting there. And if so, perhaps it is
> now time to let go of that old “elegant simplicity” in all of its appealing
> purity... and plunge into the marvelous world of combinations and
> permutations. And why not? It could be a lot of fun.
>
>
>
> I can see the possibilities, but I doubt seriously I would change. Senile
> sentimentality for sure, AND I actually have another concern which I think
> may be determinative. I suspect that OST (simple version) may be the best
> Training Program going when it comes to the introduction of folks to the
> High Arts of navigating a self organizing world. And best of all it is
> Experiential Learning from the start. Training and Doing are absolutely
> united. It is not talking about self organization it is being intentionally
> in that mode. And any added complexity/parallel program will tend to
> obscure the central mind bending fact – It’s happening all by itself.
>
>
>
> We have talked about this “ training” function before, usually under the
> heading of Chris Corrigan’s notion of Training Wheels. That is definitely
> good start, but only a start. We can do more, and it could be a real kick.
>
>
>
> So I plan to stick with the original – with the hope and intent that lots
> of new people will drop by to experience the incredible, productive freedom
> of losing control, and then come to understand that it is actually their
> birthright. They only have to claim it.
>
>
>
> Harrison
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
>
> Websites
>
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>
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>
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