[OSList] Research OST

Thu Feb 23 14:21:43 PST 2017

I find the concept of researching self-organization in human systems to
prove that it happens intriguing and I have no idea how one would approach
it since it's all self-organizing and I'm not sure the human perspective of
working / not working etc applies.

As I first read one off the posts I thought it's kind of like proving fire
is....then I realized hey.....there is a combustion point ...things that
accelerate of diminish fires...ways to start them etc etc.

I think a second part of the challenge is that self-organizing is like
gravity or electro magnetics in that it is invisible and we don't have a
way of measuring it that I know of.

These are my rambling musings and I'm interested in others perspectives.

Best to all,

David

*David R. Osborne*
Organization and Leadership Development

6402 Arlington Blvd., Suite 1120, Falls Church, VA 22042
703-939-1777   |   dosborne at change-fusion.com <cbellido at change-fusion.com>
  |   change-fusion.com

On Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 4:36 PM, Royle, Karl via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> I don’t think you can prove self organization but you could look at …. if
> this is done in this way then results are.. kind of thing…. And you could
> see if OS improves efficacy of groups and individuals, which it probably
> certainly does (in the moment)
>
>
>
> *From: *OSList <oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org> on behalf of
> Birgitt Williams via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> *Reply-To: *Birgitt Williams <birgitt at dalarinternational.com>, World wide
> Open Space Technology email list <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> *Date: *Thursday, 23 February 2017 at 21:30
> *To: *World wide Open Space Technology email list <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> *Subject: *Re: [OSList] Research OST
>
>
>
> Harrison---the point I was making is about research. If the research is
> based on going down the path of proving self organization, it is not as
> valuable to making the case for OST as OST works! It simply works, is
> useful, creates results.
>
>
>
> Birgitt
>
> On Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 4:16 PM Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Birgitt – I guess we differ. Proving that self organization works is about
> as useful as proving that oxygen works for breathing. Seems to. And are
> there other things going on in Open Space apart from self organization?
> Absolutely. Or perhaps not at all. Just life.
>
>
>
> ho
>
>
>
> 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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>
>
> *From:* OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf
> Of *Birgitt Williams via OSList
> *Sent:* Thursday, February 23, 2017 3:28 PM
>
>
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
>
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Research OST
>
>
>
> Great summary Harrison of what is OST and what is not OST. it is a
> significant challenge to find what is actually an OST meeting. One of the
> reasons I created our workshop Working With OST is to make that distinction
> very clear to all who participate with us. OST facilitated well requires
> understanding the essence of what is created...and never as the facilitator
> violating that essence. People have referred to me as a 'purist' and that
> is fine by me. I believe in OST just as you created it. I do not believe in
> the variations having the same outcomes. When something is added before OST
> or after OST, they are not OST...and helping a group of people be
> absolutely clear when the actual OST begins and when it ends is part of
> what we are very careful about.
>
>
>
> We have developed a complimentary method, Whole Person Process
> Facilitation, to use when OST is not the right method...and yet is based on
> as little intervention as possible, and creating 'maximum choice, maximum
> freedom' to the degree possible. Unfortunately, after the meetings, people
> will say 'we want another one of those open space meetings. They feel that
> the space is open and like to refer to it that way. I cannot do anything
> about this conclusion that people make, and it is not OST.
>
>
>
> I also think that a disservice was done when OST was being looked at from
> the lens of 'self organizing', one lens that applies certainly, and not the
> only one...and in my perspective a rather limited one. The reason I say
> this is a disservice is that too much effort was spent proving that self
> organizing works, instead of proving through research and other means, that
> OST works.
>
>
>
> Having a clean hypothesis about OST as a useful, productive method that
> achieves incredible results is more valuable that proving it works for some
> particular reason.
>
>
>
> My two cents on the subject,
>
> Birgitt
>
>
>
> On Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 12:05 PM Harrison Owen via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
> One of the questions I find myself asking of various "researchers," --
> What,
> exactly, are you looking at?
>
> Open Space has wandered and permutated globally, and taken 30+ years doing
> that. So lots of times the "Open Space" people say they are looking at
> (researching) has nothing to do with anything that I might call OST.
> Needless to say I don't own, but I did coin the phrase -- and arguably,
> I've
> spent more time fussing with OST than anybody else. Alternatives,
> Variations, Permutations are not wrong, bad, or immoral -- but are not OST.
> And in research "facts" do matter. Despite our current (US) administration.
> So for me, if you a going to do research on Open Space Technology (OST) --
> it  really needs to be done "by the book." The Book being, "Open Space
> Technology: A User's Guide 3rd Edition (Berrett- Koehler, 2008)" I might
> consider that the "Lab Book."
>
> The experimental procedure is clearly laid out.
>
> The "event" will be convened around an issue people seriously care about
> (Real issue - not pretend, made up, chosen at random).
>
> All participants will come in response to a Real Invitation. One they can
> refuse. No coercion. All are present because they choose to be there.
>
> Once present, participants will be invited to sit in a circle, create a
> bulletin board of the issues they care about, and the open a market place
> to
> make/confirm the times and places of meeting.
>
> The Facilitator will be present only at the beginning (1st 15 min.) and
> appear again only at the end (of the day or program). In other words, The
> facilitator will NEVER intervene. NEVER. Picking up coffee cups is
> appropriate. Otherwise, being "present and invisible" -- is the rule.
>
> Anything else... "Variants, Twists, Tweaks -- whatever ... is not OST.
> Could
> be great. May be fantastic. But it ain't OST.
>
> And when it comes to "results" the "researcher" might check "Wave Rider:
> Leadership for High Performance in a Self Organizing World." That would be
> my best effort at a Final Report for the 30 year experiment. Which doesn't
> make it perfect, right or anything special. But it might be a place to
> start.
>
> 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
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of
> Hege Steinsland via OSList
> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 10:54 AM
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> Subject: [OSList] Research OST
>
> Hello.
> I`m working on an article about the experience with OST in Norwegian work-
> places, in particular municipalities.
> I wonder if there are som kind of overview of earlier research on the
> field,
> published and unpublished
>
> Would be great :-)
>
> All the best
> Hege Steinsland
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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
> http://www.genuinecontactway.com
>
> Co-owner of the Genuine Contact Co-owners Group Ltd.
> http://www.genuinecontact.net
>
>
>
> *Supporting leadership development for leading in a culture requiring
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>
>
>
> Leadership development at your own pace? Become a member of the
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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
> http://www.genuinecontactway.com
>
> Co-owner of the Genuine Contact Co-owners Group Ltd.
> http://www.genuinecontact.net
>
>
>
> *Supporting leadership development for leading in a culture requiring
> agility and flexibility in a performance environment of constant change.*
>
>
>
> Leadership development at your own pace? Become a member of the
> Extraordinary Leadership Network http://www.extraordinaryleadershipnetwork
> .com to participate in an online leadership development program designed
> to increase the leadership skills and capacity you need to perform in a
> performance environment of constant change.
>
>
>
> PO Box 19373, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619
>
> phone: 1-919-522-7750 <(919)%20522-7750>
>
> _______________________________________________
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