[OSList] Planning and Open Space ????

Fri Feb 17 13:07:02 PST 2017

I am thinking about 'walking the mystical path with practical feet'.
If leadership wants to call it 'strategic planning', flow with it.
If they are willing for an OST meeting to do the whole planning, flow with
it.
If they are willing for an OST meeting as part of the planning, even a very
small part, flow with it.

Keep my sights on my goal which is to open space where and as I can. And as
the late beloved Leonard Cohen sang, if there is a crack, this light gets
in. And there is always a crack. We close the crack when we push our ideals
onto people. We close the crack when we energetically send the signal that
we think they are attempting to  control.

On to opening space for myself this weekend with a great walk at the
coast...sand, surf, sun, joy.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,
Birgitt

On Thu, Feb 16, 2017 at 10:42 PM Chris Kloth via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> Harrison, your rumination resonates with me.
>
> As you say, the proof is in the pudding. On one level, if the plan is
> implemented and hopes/expectations are achieved or exceeded, and did
> so in the spirit inspired by the event/process, then it worked. On
> another level, if, over time, the spirit of open space begins to
> permeate the culture of the organization it worked even better.
>
> In terms of the question of control, during the pre-work related to
> Planning in Open Space I find myself testing the client's ability and
> willingness to accept and lean into the inherent productive tension.
>
> As for oil and water, my experience suggests oil and vinegar may be a
> more apt pairing.
>
>
> --
> Shalom,
>
> Chris Kloth
> ChangeWorks of the Heartland
> 254 South Merkle Road
> Bexley, OH 43209-1801
> ph 614-239-1336 <(614)%20239-1336>
> fax 614-237-2347 <(614)%20237-2347>
> www.got2change.com
>
> Think globally. Act locally.
>
>
> Quoting Harrison Owen via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>:
>
> > Occasionally somebody ponders the possibility of Open Space and Planning
> -
> > as in, could you do Planning, Strategic and otherwise, in Open Space? My
> > immediate response has always been, Yes. As a matter of fact I have done
> > just that on a number of occasions.
> >
> >
> >
> > There is no question that when we "opened space for our future"  (which
> > always seemed to be the essence of the theme), a marvelous time was had
> by
> > all. Something that looked very much like a "plan" emerged with attendant
> > work groups -  all committed and in place, and of course the time taken
> for
> > the exercise was minuscule compared to standard practice. End of story.
> Or
> > is it?
> >
> >
> >
> > Planning, at least in common usage, has some association with
> controlling,
> > or even creating, the future. Indeed, many would argue that control of
> the
> > future is the whole point of planning. Open Space, on the other hand, is
> all
> > about self organization - which implies that control as we usually
> > understand it is impossible. So Planning in Open Space would seem to be
> an
> > oxymoron. You simply can't get there from here.
> >
> >
> >
> > Upon reflection it does seem that Planning and Open Space go together
> rather
> > like oil and water. It is also true that on those occasions where I was
> > privileged to be with a group Planning in Open Space - it was marvelous.
> > Good stuff seriously happened, and best of all people really had fun -
> even
> > if there were times when it seemed like we were all hanging on by our
> finger
> > nails because things were moving so fast!
> >
> >
> >
> > Of course the "proof of the pudding" in this business is not, "Did you
> make
> > a plan?" but most importantly - Did it work? And it is precisely here
> that
> > things really get confusing. The plans not only "worked" as (self)
> reported
> > by the participants - But they worked faster and better than ever.
> Almost to
> > the point that it seemed the distinction between "planning" and "doing"
> had
> > dissolved. Wow!
> >
> >
> >
> > I can see another heresy just coming into view. Everybody "knows" that
> > Planning comes first. Neat, orderly, rational, deliberate - considered
> over
> > and over again. THEN... Action. But what would it mean if it happened
> all at
> > once? ... That there really was no meaningful distinction between
> planning
> > and doing? Not as an ideal, but as an experienced reality?
> >
> >
> >
> > Some might say that this is a clear indication of mental aberration -
> Mad in
> > a word. On the other hand... were the experience real (as in repeatable,
> > non-drug induced, whatever) we might just have to take another look at
> what
> > we mean by "Planning."
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Harrison
> >
> >
> >
> > Winter Address
> >
> > 7808 River Falls Dr.
> >
> > Potomac, MD 20854
> >
> > 301-365-2093 <(301)%20365-2093>
> >
> >
> >
> > Summer Address
> >
> > 189 Beaucauire Ave
> >
> > Camden, ME 04843
> >
> > 207 763-3261 <(207)%20763-3261>
> >
> >
> >
> > Websites
> >
> > www.openspaceworld.com
> >
> > www.ho-image.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
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-- 

Birgitt Williams

President & Senior Consultant of Dalar International Consultancy, Inc.

http://www.dalarinternational.com

Co-founder of the Extraordinary Leadership Network
http://www.extraordinaryleadershipnetwork.com

Co-founder of the Genuine Contact™program and author of The Genuine Contact
Way: Nourishing a Culture of Leadership
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Co-owner of the Genuine Contact Co-owners Group Ltd.
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