[OSList] Authority in Open Space - "All Open Space"
Daniel Mezick via OSList
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Fri Oct 17 08:10:06 PDT 2014
On 10/17/14 7:01 AM, John Baxter wrote:
> I don't think you need to be so qualified, Paul;
> 3.) All "all statements" are /positively/ self limiting.
>
> But then if I gather correctly, it's all a joke anyway.
>
> So from that vantage point... what do we do now?
>
>
> */John Baxter/*
> /CoCreate Adelaide Facilitator, Director of Realise consultancy/
> CoCreateADL.com <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov%E2%80%8B> |
> jsbaxter.com.au <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/>
> 0405 447 829
> |
> @jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>
>
> /*City Grill— An Election Forum More Magnificent Than Any Ever Seen
> <http://citygrill.eventbrite.com.au>!*, Saturday 18 October 2014
> Connect with your candidates, get your voice heard by joining with
> others in your community, and Influence the future of the city/
> /
> /
>
> On Fri, Oct 17, 2014 at 8:59 AM, paul levy via OSList
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>> wrote:
>
> Of course ! It's the wonderful irony of "all" statements.
>
> Paul
>
>
>
>
> On 16 Oct 2014, at 22:43, Daniel Mezick via OSList
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>> wrote:
>
>> Including this one?
>>
>> On 10/16/14 2:15 PM, paul levy via OSList wrote:
>>> I'd just venture to add a third to Harrison's first two...
>>>
>>> 1) All Systems are Open. 2) All Systems are self organizing.
>>>
>>> And 3. All "all statements" are possibly self-limiting
>>>
>>> Best regards
>>>
>>> Paul Levy
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thursday, 16 October 2014, Harrison Owen via OSList
>>> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
>>> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>> wrote:
>>>
>>> John – Thank you, Thank you for all the rich stuff! Sort of
>>> a Tidal Wave, but that’s when it gets fun, albeit a tad
>>> difficult to keep track of the sundry bits and pieces J
>>>
>>> Picking Just One: “But I can't get past the feeling that
>>> /there are lots of barriers to the openness of space, and to
>>> self organisation/.” Absolutely. And if we were to put that
>>> into the language of the trade (Complexity Theorists and the
>>> like) we would be talking about “system constraints.” But as
>>> I understand it, that does not mean that Self Organization
>>> is no longer operative. And in fact the System Constraints
>>> are part and parcel of the process, a very important part. I
>>> think it goes something like this –
>>>
>>> I have found myself coming to two conclusions, or better
>>> yet observations. 1) All Systems are Open. 2) All Systems
>>> are self organizing.
>>>
>>> As Open Systems, we, in all permutations of our “us-ness” –
>>> businesses, countries, families, planets, etc) are open to,
>>> and impacted by, all other systems. Sometimes a lot, and
>>> sometimes a little, but in our cosmos there is no safe,
>>> protected place. Everything is related to everything else,
>>> and we are no exception. If true, this has a number of
>>> implications. First of all the environment in which we exist
>>> is so complex, fast moving and inter-connected we can’t even
>>> think at that level. Secondly, what you can’t even think
>>> about, you can’t control. So the notion that somebody is
>>> actually “in charge/in control” is not just a silly idea, it
>>> is delusional. 3) System preservation/growth depends on our
>>> ability to navigate this environment. And it is a good
>>> news/bad news situation. Sometimes the impacts drive us in
>>> new and creative directions, and open up new opportunities
>>> which are ours if we respond appropriately. At other times
>>> the impacts drive us to the wall, and it’s Game over.
>>> Another word is Death. If this story is in any ways valid,
>>> it would seem like Mission Impossible. And yet this story
>>> has seemingly been going on for 13.7 Billion years and we
>>> are still here to complain about it. How could that be?
>>>
>>> All Systems are Self Organizing – Self Organization is in
>>> fact the mechanism whereby we navigate the environment, and
>>> all systems do it, I think. And when they stop doing it,
>>> they disappear. Self Organization is not the product of some
>>> CEO or executive committee. After all, they really haven’t
>>> been around for all that long. Self Organization is the
>>> product of the total system in all of its aspects and bits
>>> and pieces. How all that works has been a matter of stunning
>>> discovery over the past 40 years or so. I doubt we have it
>>> all right, but I do think we may have the major elements of
>>> understanding in place. The outline goes something like this
>>> – a) Steady State b) Chaos c) A bifurcation to either
>>> dissipation (poof) or reconstitution at new and higher
>>> levels of order. Of course you have to fill in a lot of the
>>> blanks, and there is a massive literature attempting to do
>>> just that. But I do believe we have enough to get started
>>> with some basic observations. It really is a Whole System
>>> affair, in which all elements must work together, and no
>>> element has an /a priori/ claim to centrality. In a business
>>> this could mean that the dumb question of an intern could
>>> just open the doors for the future. You just don’t know. But
>>> you do know that an organization’s future directly relates
>>> to its capacity to bring total system assets to bear on
>>> emergent challenges and opportunities quickly and
>>> effectively. It is always tempting to try and “hedge the
>>> bet” with some plan, policy or procedure, but it worthwhile
>>> noting that the tighter (more constraining) the plan, the
>>> greater the likelihood of failure. It’s not that the plan
>>> was bad... but unfortunately the challenge or opportunity
>>> came from a different direction, and all our eggs were in
>>> one basket – the wrong one.
>>>
>>> So we have a very existential question – How do we assure
>>> sufficient room (dare I say Space?) so that the infinite
>>> elements of any organization may quickly and effectively
>>> align to meet new challenges and opportunities – recognizing
>>> in advance that we can never know what will be required?
>>>
>>> Open Space Technology is just a bit player in all of this,
>>> but good old OST can be useful none the less both as a
>>> natural laboratory to explore what is going on, and also as
>>> an effective intervention to encourage the appearance of the
>>> elemental power of self organization, particularly when it
>>> seems blocked and constrained. There are no guarantees of
>>> course, and it may well be that The Organization’s time is
>>> now: Game Over. But the chances of renewal are pretty good,
>>> at least that has been my experience. And no matter what,
>>> the magic sauce is not OST – but the power of self
>>> organization. So you could say, just as a way of speaking,
>>> “It’s all Open Space.” But that’s just a joke, son.
>>>
>>> Harrison
>>>
>>> Winter Address
>>>
>>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>>>
>>> Potomac, MD 20854
>>>
>>> 301-365-2093 <tel:301-365-2093>
>>>
>>> Summer Address
>>>
>>> 189 Beaucaire Ave.
>>>
>>> Camden, ME 04843
>>>
>>> 207-763-3261 <tel:207-763-3261>
>>>
>>> Websites
>>>
>>> www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com>
>>>
>>> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com>
>>>
>>> OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view
>>> the archives of OSLIST Go
>>> to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>>
>>> *From:*OSList
>>> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf
>>> Of *John Baxter via OSList
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, October 16, 2014 2:57 AM
>>> *To:* Harrison Owen
>>> *Cc:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
>>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Authority Distribution in Open Space
>>>
>>> I have knots about empowerment, and the ubiquitous openness
>>> of space. These knots are about to inspire a rant.
>>>
>>> These knots, I should start with, are not entirely the
>>> result of this present discussion thread - it is just this
>>> discussion that prompts me to speak.
>>>
>>> I think I understand Harrison, if you suggest that
>>> self-organisation is more common than we realise... if not
>>> ubiquitous, omnipresent, then at least that we can
>>> fruitfully challenge the assumption that formal and top-down
>>> organisation dominates how things get done.
>>>
>>> But I can't get past the feeling that /there are lots of
>>> barriers to the openness of space, and to self
>>> organisation/. Everywhere and all the time. In my recent
>>> work, mental barriers by all involved about authority and
>>> role relationships. My personal barriers around trying too
>>> hard to "empower". My client's patronising assumptions
>>> about the "capacity" and "maturity" of "the sector".
>>> Information asymmetries.
>>>
>>> So I get really conflicted when anyone starts saying "well
>>> space is open all the time" (implication: 'so chill out cos
>>> there's nothing you need to do').
>>>
>>> I am also conflicted about stepping back from the goal of
>>> empowerment, as if everybody else needs to just step into
>>> open space and take responsibility.
>>>
>>> Yes - many people don't realise the power that they have.
>>> (In my last project; nobody seemed to quite buy into the
>>> fact that /they could directly author the document that they
>>> were trying to influence/.)
>>>
>>> But it is also patronising to suggest that empowerment lies
>>> in just helping people to see how powerful they are...
>>> because many people /don't/ have the power that we or they
>>> might like. To suggest that people have the power and just
>>> don't use it... that effectively blames them for their
>>> situation, and washes our hands of responsibility.
>>>
>>> The biggest barrier to group change I see time and time
>>> again is authority figures who believe others need to
>>> change, not themselves. (Most commonly, that their
>>> employees need to "be empowered", and that they need to
>>> manage a culture change program to get there... or better
>>> yet, that HR needs to manage the change program, while we
>>> are busy getting the real work done.)
>>>
>>> I don't pretend that empowerment is something that can be
>>> done to other people (patronising), but I do firmly believe
>>> that we all first need to look to ourselves and what we need
>>> to do to play our role making such a future possible. And,
>>> in fact, that /this is all that we can ever do/.
>>>
>>> Maybe the wisdom in what you say Harrison is that we do this
>>> by focusing on respect first, as a productive way to enable
>>> empowerment.
>>>
>>> Maybe I am picking on the wrong things and have
>>> misunderstood them, and I apologise if I have been
>>> critical. But I also see a lot of things said that make me
>>> uncomfortable, that knot me up. Again, most of these things
>>> are from my memory, not the present discussion. While my
>>> memory might not be the best, I'm sure it is based on something.
>>>
>>> Thank you all for your patience and for being in this discussion
>>>
>>>
>>> */John Baxter/*
>>>
>>> ///Co////Create Adelaide Facilitator, Director of
>>> Realise consultancy/
>>>
>>> CoCreateADL.com
>>> <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov%E2%80%8B> | jsbaxter.com.au
>>> <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/>
>>>
>>> 0405 447 829 <tel:0405%20447%20829>
>>>
>>> |
>>>
>>> @jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>
>>>
>>> */City Grill— An Election Forum More Magnificent Than Any
>>> Ever Seen <http://citygrill.eventbrite.com.au>!/*/, Saturday
>>> 18 October 2014
>>> Connect with your candidates, get your voice heard by
>>> joining with others in your community, and Influence the
>>> future of the city/
>>>
>>> On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 6:06 AM, Harrison Owen
>>> <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> John -- I’m rather curious what you meant by “The overall
>>> project was more complicated than OST?” My confusion comes
>>> in part from my experience that complexity is actually an
>>> essential precondition for OST, or more exactly the
>>> effective operation of self organization. The essential
>>> pre-conditions as I have experienced the are: A Real
>>> business issue (something that people really care about).
>>> High levels of complexity such that no single person or
>>> group has a prayer of figuring it out. High levels of
>>> diversity in terms of people and points of view. Lots of
>>> passion and conflict. And a decision time of yesterday
>>> (urgency). Given these 5 conditions, self organization in
>>> the more formal setting of OST or as a natural occurrence
>>> just seems to happen... unless...And this may be the point
>>> of problem... It is arbitrarily constrained... which usually
>>> means that somebody already has the plan/program/design and
>>> they are just looking for buy-in or (worst case) they are
>>> simply trying to sugar coat the pill, and make it seem like
>>> the folks are creating something, when in fact the cake is
>>> already baked.
>>>
>>> A clue to the dilemma may be in the phrase, “I struggled to
>>> help the client (the funding body) to really 'empower'...” I
>>> know we talk a lot about empowerment, but I have come to the
>>> conclusion that it is really a red herring, and most
>>> painfully so in those situations where you actually try to
>>> do it. Sounds odd, I guess, but think about it. If I empower
>>> you...you are in my power. And the more I try to empower you
>>> the worse it gets. Real empowerment, in my book, is not an
>>> act that we (or somebody) do, but an acknowledgement of a
>>> pre-existing condition...you are powerful. Of course I might
>>> encourage you a bit to be as powerful as you are, but it is
>>> not something I can give you. You must claim it for
>>> yourself. Strange as it may seem, I find the notion of
>>> “empowerment” to be just the opposite of that fundament of
>>> effective working relationships (or any relationship)
>>> RESPECT. And I suspect that it is precisely here that the
>>> fickle finger of fate is pointing to the critical issue.
>>>
>>> Another word that fits in here for me is “Patronizing.”
>>> Everything may sound super nice, and all the proper and
>>> correct words may be spoken, but if the implication is that
>>> the folks (participants) really do not have the competence
>>> or ability to deal with the issues, it is fairly predictable
>>> that they will not bother to try. Or if they “try” it will
>>> be pretty much of a pro forma situation. Sound familiar?
>>>
>>> Harrison
>>>
>>> Winter Address
>>>
>>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>>>
>>> Potomac, MD 20854
>>>
>>> 301-365-2093 <tel:301-365-2093>
>>>
>>> Summer Address
>>>
>>> 189 Beaucaire Ave.
>>>
>>> Camden, ME 04843
>>>
>>> 207-763-3261 <tel:207-763-3261>
>>>
>>> Websites
>>>
>>> www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com>
>>>
>>> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com>
>>>
>>> OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view
>>> the archives of OSLIST Go
>>> to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>>
>>> *From:*OSList
>>> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf
>>> Of *John Baxter via OSList
>>> *Sent:* Monday, October 13, 2014 2:41 AM
>>> *To:* Daniel Mezick
>>> *Cc:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
>>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Authority Distribution in Open Space
>>>
>>> Hi Daniel. Thanks for your considered response.
>>>
>>> I will try to keep my response in line with the topic....
>>> but expect it may meander.
>>>
>>> The OST day I was preparing for has since come and gone.
>>>
>>> I decided in the end to least give OST a crack and see what
>>> happened.
>>>
>>> It didn't go very well; but it also went well enough (vis
>>> overall project goals, and client expectations), so I don't
>>> feel so bad about it... even if I had personally envisaged more.
>>>
>>> I am not one to worry about the cannon... which means
>>> sometimes I break things, as I did this time. There was
>>> still an (informal) sponsor, the one that sent the invites.
>>> They just did not have a presence on the day. Thank you
>>> Daniel as you did make me think critically about the
>>> strength of my role as host. I think I dealt with that
>>> through my introduction to the day; and as it turns out the
>>> authority to host was not an issue.
>>>
>>> But as it turns out, that was not really the biggest challenge!
>>>
>>> The main lessons I took away about what contributed to the
>>> average result:
>>>
>>> *There needs to be clear, compelling shared work.*
>>>
>>> The overall project was more complicated than OST, so it
>>> wasn't clear what turning up actually meant, and I think
>>> many did not turn up on the basis of wanting to resolve a
>>> shared challenge (the work), as you might expect for OST.
>>> In straight OST terms, you could say this was an issue of
>>> invitation, but really it was many things.
>>>
>>> So the group was interesting. They had the heart, but not
>>> the will. They were committed, but without ownership of the
>>> result. I've seen this a lot in the community engagement
>>> field, but nowhere that I have used (or seen) OST.
>>>
>>> I thought about this a lot, I thought it might have been
>>> about the invitation and self-selection; but at the end of
>>> the day I think it comes down to the sense of (and
>>> invitation in to) shared work.
>>>
>>> *It is super hard to dissolve ingrained power and authority
>>> relationships in the short term. These can't be sidestepped
>>> by an external facilitator.*
>>>
>>> I struggled to help the client (the funding body) to really
>>> 'empower'. They talked about it and genuinely want to, but
>>> old habits and mental models don't change overnight. They
>>> really struggled to push beyond managing the process as
>>> superiours (to a set of subordinate participants). This is
>>> 'empowerment' within a patriarchal system, and it doesn't
>>> work. It felt very yucky at times.
>>>
>>> A curious side effect of this partriarchal 'empowerment' was
>>> an unwillingness to be clear about the work ("we want to be
>>> open and let them lead the process" they would say... I got
>>> the client to agree that /the/y were clearly the leaders,
>>> but we didn't quite work out how to put that into practice).
>>>
>>> Over the course of the engagement, we all took baby steps
>>> together that invest in their (/our) capacity to really work
>>> together in future. They learned a LOT in a short period of
>>> time, and so did I, but it was too short. By the end of the
>>> project I had the client calling me up to ask how they could
>>> reword things so they didn't reflect a control response. : )
>>> That was good, but obviously if they need me for this then
>>> there is some way to go. And different client reps had
>>> different levels of self reflection.
>>>
>>> Hosting an isolated OST workshop against this grain was very
>>> ambitious, it was always going to be, no matter how we
>>> conducted ourselves.
>>>
>>> And perhaps 20% were very proactive, and led the bulk of the
>>> work that occurred... they saved the day!
>>>
>>> But the length of the OST was not enough for this leadership
>>> to really be contagious and precipitate a productive culture.
>>>
>>> *Or in other words: we struggled to free up authorisation to
>>> be more dynamic*
>>>
>>> Reading your blog post Daniel, the idea of dynamic
>>> authorisation would have been very useful earlier in the
>>> project. Another way of looking at the project: we
>>> struggled to free the space of ingrained authority to enable
>>> dynamic authorisation.
>>>
>>> There were lots of other insights into how we could have
>>> done it differently, but to me these were the fundamental
>>> stumbling blocks for us.
>>>
>>> Still, they were not too big, and I'm pleased we made a good
>>> start.
>>>
>>> My favourite feedback was "thank you, this was the first
>>> time I have been part of genuine engagement in more than a
>>> decade in the sector" : )
>>>
>>> Next time, we will do better.
>>>
>>>
>>> */John Baxter/*
>>>
>>> ///Co////Create Adelaide Facilitator, Director of
>>> Realise consultancy/
>>>
>>> CoCreateADL.com
>>> <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov%E2%80%8B> | jsbaxter.com.au
>>> <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/>
>>>
>>> 0405 447 829 <tel:0405%20447%20829>
>>>
>>> |
>>>
>>> @jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>
>>>
>>> */City Grill— An Election Forum More Magnificent Than Any
>>> Ever Seen <http://citygrill.eventbrite.com.au>!/*/, Saturday
>>> 18 October 2014
>>> Connect with your candidates, get your voice heard by
>>> joining with others in your community, and Influence the
>>> future of the city/
>>>
>>> On Tue, Sep 30, 2014 at 12:07 AM, Daniel Mezick
>>> <dan at newtechusa.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi John,
>>>
>>> Yours is a very interesting story.
>>>
>>> You say:
>>>
>>>
>>> /"...To be honest*I am not sure* how I need to deal with
>>> this, though *my strategy is to accept the authority* for
>>> hosting the space in the next workshop, *obsolving the
>>> department of their responsibility* to manage the day."
>>>
>>> "...I don't think it is feasible for the obvious authority
>>> candidates hosting something genuinely participatory. *The
>>> relevant director has said she doesn't want to speak
>>> formally and become The Authority for the day*, a position I
>>> agree with."/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In the situation as described, it sounds like the org is the
>>> very earliest stages of moving in a direction of more
>>> open/participatory/inviting.
>>>
>>> Do you agree with this assessment?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If this assessment is correct, based on what you describe, I
>>> would probably avoid attempting Open Space in the canonical
>>> form whatsoever (as described in the OST GUIDE) because the
>>> Sponsor role is vacant. Unoccupied. And so, by my reckoning,
>>> if I understand you right, a true Open Space event isn't
>>> even possible, because the essential OST-Sponsor-role is in
>>> fact not willingly occupied by anyone with enough authority
>>> to play that essential role well.
>>>
>>> What's clear is that someone who could function as
>>> OST-Sponsor is currently unwilling to do so. And so I might
>>> try a "taster" or "demo" event instead, where the goal is to
>>> /learn about Open Space in general/, and do a /little/ bit
>>> of "real" work too. Especially if the allotted time a mere
>>> 1/2 day, I am even more inclined to strongly favor this
>>> re-framing of the stated goals.
>>>
>>> So the primary and stated goal for the "taster" is learning
>>> about OST. Another goal for a short event might be to see
>>> who shows up super-interested in the art of Facilitation,
>>> and then offer to mentor those who do self-select by showing
>>> interest. In this manner some Facilitation capacity is
>>> developed inside the org, to help with current meetings and
>>> processes. Introducing Facilitation into typical meetings is
>>> a easy and effective "culture hack".
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> For me, the total unwillingness of an obvious candidate to
>>> occupy the Sponsor role is a huge warning signal to slow
>>> down, pause, or even stop.
>>>
>>> Lots of people here have more experience than me, and might
>>> be willing to lend you some of their expertise regarding the
>>> authority dynamics of Facilitating an OST event with the
>>> essential OST-Sponsor-role completely vacant
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Kind Regards,
>>> Daniel
>>>
>>> On 9/28/14 11:30 PM, John Baxter wrote:
>>>
>>> I am navigating some challenging authority dynamics in a
>>> project at the moment.
>>>
>>> I was brought in a week out from the first of three
>>> forums, and asked to 'facilitate a codesign process'
>>> which was at that stage a black box (with many hidden
>>> expectations) scheduled into that event (1 hour before
>>> lunch and 1 hour afterwards).
>>>
>>> It's a long journey, but you can imagine how my role has
>>> changed as I prepare for the third forum which I am
>>> hosting in Open Space.
>>>
>>> The overall process is an engagement between a
>>> government department and their funded agencies. The
>>> most obvious direct power dynamics are obvious, the
>>> effective power and authority dynamics are much more
>>> complex (though predictable).
>>>
>>> Department staff have authority challenges as much as
>>> the agencies. They are trying so hard to be 'neutral'
>>> and 'non controlling' that they are effectively
>>> reinforcing their own authority positions (which often
>>> have little real correlation to the power, knowledge etc
>>> that they imagine them to).
>>>
>>> To be honest I am not sure how I need to deal with this,
>>> though my strategy is to accept the authority for
>>> hosting the space in the next workshop, obsolving the
>>> department of their responsibility to manage the day.
>>>
>>> It has been interesting to watch push back so far from
>>> agency reps who are committed to participating, who are
>>> genuinely engaged, but are playing to an us-them tension
>>> that is getting in the way of the shared work (and
>>> serves them no good ends except protecting them from
>>> their own responsibility). Stand-offishness is gradually
>>> being resolved, though some pockets are holding firm.
>>>
>>> I am crossing my fingers for WS3 that we can traverse
>>> these and get into Open Space without being pushed off
>>> the bridge by the reactionary tension; and that once on
>>> the other side, the department reps can embrace Open
>>> Space and take responsibility for their role.
>>>
>>> We will get across /as long as I have the authority/ to
>>> host the space for them.
>>>
>>> I don't think it is feasible for the obvious authority
>>> candidates hosting something genuinely participatory.
>>> The relevant director has said she doesn't want to speak
>>> formally and become The Authority for the day, a
>>> position I agree with.
>>>
>>> But it does leave something of a shell, where I am
>>> crossing my fingers that our time together thus far
>>> affords me the authority to host that space.
>>>
>>> I think we are ready. I am bringing my harness and
>>> floaties just in case.
>>>
>>>
>>> */John Baxter/*
>>>
>>> / CoCreate Adelaide Facilitator, Director of
>>> Realise consultancy/
>>>
>>> CoCreateADL.com
>>> <http://cocreateadl.com/localgov%E2%80%8B> |
>>> jsbaxter.com.au <http://www.jsbaxter.com.au/>
>>>
>>> 0405 447 829 <tel:0405%20447%20829>
>>>
>>> |
>>>
>>> @jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>
>>>
>>> /City Grill— An Election Forum More Magnificent Than Any
>>> Ever Seen <http://citygrill.eventbrite.com.au>/,
>>> Saturday 18 October 2014
>>> Influence your city by building relationships and
>>> joining voices with others in your community
>>>
>>> On Mon, Sep 29, 2014 at 12:26 PM, Daniel Mezick via
>>> OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Harrison,
>>>
>>> So interesting how the Law of 2 Feet authorizes me, and
>>> every other member of an OST event, to go anywhere we
>>> may want to go.
>>>
>>> Without asking anyone else for any kind of "permission"...
>>>
>>>
>>> Reminds me of this past June, being in Camden with you,
>>> and Ethelyn, and Harold, and friends... when we were
>>> standing on the porch of that Camden restaurant...
>>> waiting for everyone to arrive, and assemble for dinner...
>>>
>>> And as we wait, I notice there is this
>>> convenient-looking, alternate entry-door... into the
>>> dining area.
>>>
>>> And I say: "Hmm...I wonder if we are authorized to use
>>> that door."
>>>
>>> And you say:
>>>
>>> "We're authorized to go Anywhere we want to go."
>>>
>>> ...and I like that.
>>>
>>> Daniel
>>>
>>>
>>> Picture of that place:
>>> https://twitter.com/DanielMezick/status/483054326265692161
>>> See also:
>>> https://twitter.com/danielgullo/status/483434622009999360
>>>
>>>
>>> <mime-attachment.png>
>>>
>>> On 9/25/14 4:58 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
>>>
>>> Daniel... You really did it! I think. Your language
>>> comes from a place I don’t know... which is to say
>>> that I probably wouldn’t say what you say in the way
>>> that you do (duh). BUT when I run my “translator” it
>>> comes out sounding pretty good! So... I can’t help
>>> with the questions you have raised. Actually I think
>>> you are doing pretty well on your own, and
>>> (hopefully) will incite others to a similarly
>>> riotous performance. Thanks!
>>>
>>> Harrison
>>>
>>> Winter Address
>>>
>>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>>>
>>> Potomac, MD 20854
>>>
>>> 301-365-2093 <tel:301-365-2093>
>>>
>>> Summer Address
>>>
>>> 189 Beaucaire Ave.
>>>
>>> Camden, ME 04843
>>>
>>> 207-763-3261 <tel:207-763-3261>
>>>
>>> Websites
>>>
>>> www.openspaceworld.com
>>> <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com>
>>>
>>> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com>
>>>
>>> OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your
>>> options, view the archives of OSLIST Go
>>> to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>>>
>>> *From:*OSList
>>> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On
>>> Behalf Of *Daniel Mezick via OSList
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, September 25, 2014 9:39 AM
>>> *To:* oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
>>> *Subject:* [OSList] Authority Distribution in Open Space
>>>
>>> Greetings to All,
>>>
>>> For the past several years I have attended
>>> conferences of the Group Relations community, and
>>> encouraged others to do the same. I've studied their
>>> literature, and harvested some important learning as
>>> a result. One of the things I have come to
>>> understand a little bit better is the role of
>>> "authority dynamics" in self-organizing social systems.
>>>
>>> Link:
>>> www.akriceinstitute.org <http://www.akriceinstitute.org>
>>>
>>> Over the past several years I've been using Open
>>> Space with intent to improve the results of my work
>>> in helping companies implement Agile ideas in their
>>> organizations. We do an initial Open Space, then the
>>> folks get about 3 months to play with Agile (we
>>> carefully use the word "experimentation" with
>>> management,) then we do another Open Space after
>>> that, to inspect what just happened across the
>>> enterprise. The initial and subsequent Open Space
>>> events form a "safe" container or field in which the
>>> members can /learn/... as they explore how to
>>> /improve/ together by /experimenting/ with new
>>> practices, and see if they actually work. I call the
>>> process Open Agile Adoption.
>>>
>>> Link:
>>> OpenAgileAdoption.com <http://OpenAgileAdoption.com>
>>>
>>> This seems to work pretty good. It seems to "take
>>> the air out of" most of the fear, most of the
>>> anxiety and most of the worry that is created. The
>>> key aspect is /consent/: absolutely no one is forced
>>> to do anything they are unwilling to do. No one is
>>> /coerced/ to /comply/. Everyone is instead
>>> respectfully /invited/ to help /write/ the story,
>>> and be a /character/ in the story...of the
>>> contemplated process change. Open Agile Adoption
>>> encourages a spirit of experimentation and play.
>>>
>>> The spirit of Open Space is the spirit of freedom.
>>> Isn't it? In the OST community, we discuss and talk
>>> a lot about self-organization, self-management and
>>> self-governance. The Agile community also talks
>>> about these ideas a lot.
>>>
>>> So I have some questions. What is really going on
>>> during self-organization in a social system? What
>>> are the steps? What information is being sent and
>>> received? >From whom, and by whom? Is the
>>> information about /authority/ important? How
>>> important? Can a social system self organize without
>>> regard to who has the right to do what work? /How do
>>> decisions that affect others get made in a
>>> self-organizing system?/
>>>
>>> Who decides about /who decides/? How important is
>>> the process of /authorization/ in a self-organizing
>>> system? Is self-organization in large part the
>>> process of dynamic authorization (and
>>> /de-authorization/) in real time?
>>>
>>> What /is /authorization? Can self-organization occur
>>> without the sending and receiving of authorization
>>> data by and between the members?
>>>
>>> Is Bruce Tuckman's
>>> forming/storming/performing/adjourning actually
>>> decomposing the /dynamics of authorization/ inside a
>>> social system?
>>>
>>> The essay below attempts to answer some of these
>>> difficult questions. I'd love your thoughts on it.
>>> Will you give it a look?
>>>
>>>
>>> Essay: Authority Distribution in Open Space
>>> http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Kind Regards,
>>> Daniel
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Daniel Mezick, President
>>>
>>> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>>>
>>> (203) 915 7248 <tel:%28203%29%20915%207248> (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.
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Daniel Mezick, President
>>>
>>> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>>>
>>> (203) 915 7248 <tel:%28203%29%20915%207248> (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.
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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 <tel:%28203%29%20915%207248> (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.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> OSList mailing list
>>> To post send emails toOSList at lists.openspacetech.org <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org>
>>> To unsubscribe send an email toOSList-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
>>
>> --
>>
>> Daniel Mezick, President
>>
>> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>>
>> (203) 915 7248 <tel:%28203%29%20915%207248> (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.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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:
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>
>
--
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.
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