[OSList] 30 Years ... and Counting!

Sat Jun 27 00:10:14 PDT 2015

Harrison

You had everything to do with it. You were there, and it could never
happened without you, for you are it-self.

Warm wishes

Paul

On Saturday, 27 June 2015, Michael Herman via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> i want to add something to what you're saying about acting UPON the system
> and acting IN the system, paul.  i think there's a third way.
>
> it's common, as you say, for people to separate and try to have some
> effect UPON the Self, the circle, the system.  we call it managing,
> directing, imposing, controlling, and improving – and the shape is the same
> even if we're trying to improve "open space."  it's all outside and
> unsatisfied.  then there is, as you say, acting IN the system.  people
> announcing sessions, floating around as butterflies, and so on.
>
> the third way takes a certain kind of person and/or a good deal of
> practice, maybe even a little luck (a few martinis, perhaps?).  the third
> way is when little individual separate selves manage to speak up AS the
> Self.  this is just the opposite of the manager self attempting to speak
> for the Self.
>
> in those moments, mostly fleeting, of necessity, because it's hard to hold
> that form, hard to stay on that wave, (or maybe because there's often so
> little that can or must be "said" or "done"), when we speak AS the gathered
> Self, we are still our selves, but our selves are not in charge.  we do and
> become things, as harrison suggests, that we might not otherwise choose or
> intend or even want.  but whatever happens...
>
> the wave of Self picks us up and moves us AND we are that wave.  we must
> always and everywhere be holding space for ourselves and diving for cover
> in Self, or is that holding space for ourSelves and diving for cover in
> self?  <grin>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
>
> Michael Herman
> Michael Herman Associates
> http://MichaelHerman.com
> http://OpenSpaceWorld.org
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 26, 2015 at 5:40 PM, Harrison via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','oslist at lists.openspacetech.org');>> wrote:
>
>> Paul... Being the contrarian that I am, I rather think that the “Self” in
>> question is -- itself -- a product of self organization. Weird, I guess –
>> but that has definitely been my life experience.  The “self” that I am
>> definitely was not the product of my intent or design. It may not have
>> happened “all by itself,” but I didn’t have too much to do with it, as
>> least as I am aware. How about those bananas?
>>
>>
>>
>> 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 <http://%20www.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
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org');>]
>> *On Behalf Of *paul levy via OSList
>> *Sent:* Friday, June 26, 2015 8:01 AM
>> *To:* Harrison; World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> *Cc:* Steve Piersanti
>> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] 30 Years ... and Counting!
>>
>>
>>
>> Harrison
>>
>>
>>
>> I do like this little phrase "organising - all by itself"
>>
>>
>>
>> I've wondered, via this list, before: what is this "self" that organises?
>>
>>
>>
>> When, I stand, as a self (called Paul) and behold the world process (in
>> which I stand) - I stand apart as the beholder, but also behold the wonder
>> that I am part of that world process as well.
>>
>>
>>
>> Apart and belonging. the universe seems to have within it, an ability to
>> behold its-self. (Itself - Its self)
>>
>>
>>
>> Here's a poem I wrote a while back, in a little book called The Poetry of
>> Change:
>>
>>
>>
>> Cleft...
>>
>>
>>
>> Like a cleft stick
>>
>> You are no longer
>>
>> Whole
>>
>> See?
>>
>> Yet even
>>
>> Whole
>>
>> You were ripped from
>>
>> A tree.
>>
>>
>>
>> It's easy to forget that the ability to behold self-organisation and to
>> share it so eloquently on this list, as Harrison does, requires a self to
>> behold it (and to know it is a self doing the beholding). When we behold
>> self-organisation, we necessarily behold ourselves at the same time.
>> Self-organisation is an act of self organisation (not the lack of a hyphen
>> in the second one). Organisation is beautiful and the distaste for it is
>> silly and pointless. Because organisation and self-organisation are one and
>> the same thing.
>>
>>
>>
>> There is a form of organisation however where the self imposes its
>> temporarily separate will onto other selves and, in the process forgets
>> itself. It forgets that it is  part of the system it is imposing its will
>> upon. There can be many reasons for this which I won't go into here. When
>> one or more selves forget they are part of the thing they are imposing
>> their will on, the whole system can go into a state of suffering because it
>> temporarily loses its wholeness. This can happen in a conference when a
>> small group of selves impose an agenda on the whole "self" of the
>> community. The smaller group of selves have temporarily attempted to place
>> themselves outside of the whole system of which they are always a part.
>>
>>
>>
>> When we use open space technology, we restore the wholeness of the system
>> by allowing each self to act both separately and together in the
>> world-process. There's a harmony because both beholder and beholded come
>> closer together and even show themselves as the same thing. The circle
>> represents its well. It feels like a remembering (Re-membering - we put the
>> "whole body" back on again).
>>
>>
>>
>> What's beautiful about open space is when each of our separate selves
>> gets up and temporarily acts as if it is separate from the world-self. "i
>> want to lead a session on" or "I use my my two feet" or "I become a
>> butterfly. Not the world temporary. Control is often benevolent when it is
>> transient asnd temporary.
>>
>>
>>
>> In Open Space, these passing acts of separate self ('lovely selfishness'
>> I call it) are very close to the experience of whole self-organisation -
>> because the circle is strong - self and Self are very close together in a
>> kind of playful dance.
>>
>>
>>
>> Also self and Self are close together in Time. We are creating the agenda
>> as selves and as a collective SELF in an improvisational way. Improvisation
>> is the way the universe breathes and moves.
>>
>>
>>
>> In a traditional conference, those little acts of each self (cooking up
>> the agenda way in advance) becomes separated in time from the agenda that
>> is experienced together (as a together-self). We act as if our little
>> selves are separate from the whole. We try to act UPON the system from
>> outside instead of IN the system. Here organisation becomes something in
>> which selves role play being separate. There is no circle. The universe if
>> "over there." At best we hold the whole circle or community in imagination.
>>
>>
>>
>> The day of the conference arrives. If there is energy, self-organisation
>> manifests anyway and the conversations happen in the coffee breaks. Even in
>> open space events, where we create the agenda on the day, the conversations
>> happen in the coffee breaks. we even create our own extra or different
>> coffee breaks outside the formal timings, using our two feet.
>>
>>
>>
>> Oh no. I beg to differ. Self-organisation doesn't happen all by itself.
>> Self-organisation happens out of itself. And itself is a beautiful thing.
>> Self-organisation is a process of ORGANISATION. In the human realm it
>> happens as an act of synchronous improvisation. We organise and we control
>> but we just do it closer to the moment and out of an experience of the
>> whole. Temporary, separate "selfishness" becomes synonymous with play.
>> Individuality and Community weave a lemiscate pattern.
>>
>>
>>
>> Each individual self acts both separately and collectively all of the
>> time.
>>
>>
>>
>> The universe was made so that human beings could self-organise it.
>>
>>
>>
>> (Dives for cover)
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul Levy
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 24 June 2015 at 18:46, Harrison via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
>> <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','oslist at lists.openspacetech.org');>> wrote:
>>
>> Come this 4th of July it will be 30 years since something called Open
>> Space Technology happened. At the time, we (that would be me, for sure)
>> didn’t have a clue what it was or where it was headed. Since then it seems
>> like a lot of good stuff has come down. Of course we need to remember the
>> learnings from the ‘60’s – “Never trust anyone over 30.” Well... we just
>> got there! Everybody should be well advised that what happens next is
>> TOTALLY their responsibility... Or something.
>>
>>
>>
>> What happens next is definitely your responsibility. Having entered into
>> my 80th year, I am well past the age of discretion. But I do have a few
>> thoughts that may, or may not, be germane.
>>
>>
>>
>> I don’t think this is the end of something. I do believe it is the
>> beginning. And... There will always be a time when “the first timers” (as
>> participants or facilitators) gets the WOW Experience (Thank you Tom
>> Peters). Kind of like the first ride on your bicycle. Millions of people
>> have done it before you. But your First Ride is always unique (for you).
>>
>>
>>
>> There will always be times when bits and pieces of our common experience
>> in Open Space are held out as “singularities” – something strange and
>> unique. The latest version is called, “Liberating Structures (Thank you
>> Henri!).” Wonderful Idea, I think, but just a very small part of the whole.
>>
>>
>>
>> And for all those wonderful people who are attempting to wed Open Space
>> to Agile (Dan et al you know who I am talking about) – I say Three Cheers!
>> And I also hope that the day will come when it is recognized that truly
>> Agile organization are fully, consciously, intentionally – self organizing.
>> At that point, you don’t have to wed anything to anything. Just be what you
>> already are. Which is another way of saying that SCRUM (along with all the
>> other “techniques”) sound nice, but are yet one more example of “working
>> too hard.”
>>
>>
>>
>> And What Next? Truly, I am out of crystal balls. But I rather think the
>> beginning will begin when we call “Full Stop” on any attempt to organize
>> anything. And in that momentary space (Open Space?) just notice what is
>> organizing all by itself. Amazing! And we didn’t do a thing. Which leads
>> naturally to the next question... How do we take advantage of the winds of
>> our existence to bring our ships to harbors of fullness and greatness?
>>
>>
>>
>> And then we may take a lesson from Sailors and the Sea. Sailors do not
>> create the wind or the Sea. Although many have tried. All have failed. But
>> they have learned to ride the winds and the seas to their advantage. We
>> have the same opportunity.
>>
>>
>>
>> On this 30th Birthday, and as I approach my 80th – Good Luck and Carry
>> On!
>>
>>
>>
>> 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 <http://%20www.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
>>
>>
>>
>>
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