[OSList] What's authority got to do with Open Space ?

Harrison Owen via OSList oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Tue Dec 1 06:48:33 PST 2015


Dan - Given the way you define authority (formal and informal) it does seems
to give a view point from which to observe the function of folks in Open
Space. It also has the advantage of "sounding like" normal corporate usage.
"Authority:" who has it, who doesn't, who is pretending... That is the
corporate story as  lot of people might see it. And if you are trying to
trick a Greeks, you probably need to speak Greek.

 

But there is a danger. "Triggering," as you say. When you use a loaded,
heavy word in a new and different way, particularly a way that is
essentially the opposite of general usage, there is the danger of being
misunderstood. Sometimes you just have to run the risk if no other word
really quite does it. Such was the case with "myth" in my work. In popular
discourse, "myth" basically means "lie," "untruth," "fabrication," etc. In
my work, and I believe classically, myth is deeper than truth. It underlies
truth. It creates the environment in which truth can be perceived as true.
At least that is what I've always said, along with multiple others, Joseph
Campbell, for example.

 

So I guess my question is, Why do you feel you have to use "authority?"  I
would judge that your answer might be somewhere here.... "The context is the
use of Open Space in a large business enterprise, convened with intent to
explore the potential for making a very big, very complex enterprise-wide
change."

 

If this is right, there is implicit in your quest an assumption (I think)
that you/we are somehow bringing Open Space to the corporate world and
"scaling it up." I have no question that the very idea of Open Space
represents the worst nightmare of the majority of corporate execs. I equally
have no question that if these same execs hope to maintain their current
self image and job description (he/she who is in control), the use of Open
Space is about as likely as an immediate, unassisted flight to the moon.
Can't happen.

 

It might seem, therefore that if we are in the Open Space Business, we are
pushing a product that has all the popularity of a putrefying skunk. Small
market! 

 

Then again the situation changes rather radically if it actually turns out
that the executives in question really don't have any choice. Even worse,
were it to turn out that the corporate world (indeed the world itself) is
massively different from what they presume. In the world I experience, all
systems, including all human systems are self organizing. Should that
actually be the case, the notion of "bringing Open Space (self
organization)" anywhere is a little ridiculous. One might say fraudulent -
right on a par with selling the air we breathe. The idea of becoming self
organizing just does not make any sense - we are, by nature and definition,
self organizing. The fact that many people don't know this, refuse to
recognize it, or are just doing it badly - doesn't change a thing. But it
does change the nature of our job. Rather than selling, bringing,
providing... anything, we are simply inviting people to be fully what they
already are. And at least from where I sit, Authority, as we used to
understand it (formal and informal), doesn't really have a lot to do with
things. It represents a problem up with which I shall not put (thank you
Winnie). Rather have a nap.

 

Harrison  

 

Winter Address

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, MD 20854

301-365-2093

 

Summer Address

189 Beaucaire Ave.

Camden, ME 04843

207-763-3261

 

Websites

www.openspaceworld.com

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: Sunday, November 29, 2015 6:13 PM
To: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Subject: [OSList] What's authority got to do with Open Space ?

 

What's authority got to do with Open Space ? Apparently nothing at all, at
least on the surface... 

Wait. Once we peek under the surface, what do we actually find?

This completely heretical essay attempts to answer at least part of that
question. 

The context is the use of Open Space in a large business enterprise,
convened with intent to explore the potential for making a very big, very
complex enterprise-wide change. 

{Please note, the word "authority" might trigger feelings of: soul-sucking
bureaucracy, unfair and illegitimate leadership hierarchy, and the like.
Some "triggered" readers may want to opt-out of continuing at this time...)

Authority Distribution in Open Space:
http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/
Open Space is a most interesting format for "gathering,", also known as
"meeting." 

What exactly is going on in Open Space?





-- 
Daniel Mezick
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.
(203) 915 7248. Bio. <http://www.DanielMezick.com/>  Blog.
<http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/>  Twitter.
<https://twitter.com/DanielMezick>  
Book: The Culture Game. <http://theculturegame.com/>  
Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook.
<http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/098487533
6>  

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20151201/75be719c/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/png
Size: 49972 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20151201/75be719c/attachment.png>


More information about the OSList mailing list