[OSList] Authority Distribution in Open Space

John Baxter via OSList oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Sun Sep 28 20:30:50 PDT 2014


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*
*​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
​ | ​
@jsbaxter_ <http://twitter.com/jsbaxter_>

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<http://citygrill.eventbrite.com.au>*, Saturday 18 October 2014
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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
>
>
>  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
>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
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>
>
>
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>
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>
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>
> 207-763-3261
>
>
>
> Websites
>
> www.openspaceworld.com <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com>
>
> www.ho-image.com
>
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>
> *From:* OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> <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
>
> 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
>
> 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 (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 (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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