[OSList] OST encourages avoidance of conflict

Tue Jan 30 16:14:19 PST 2018

Hi Chris,

Thanks for giving more detail about Snowden's thinking. I didn't want to 
mention his name without a fuller context as you have provided. I also 
disagree with his assessment of OST as a convergence tool. I've not seen 
happiness come from trying to squeeze convergence out of an OST event.

I can't critique Snowden's disagreement with OST as an all purpose 
'tool', though for me I have found great value in Harrison's wisdom 
about Open Space as not being a tool. I see Open Space as something I 
feel I experience in most Open Space Technology events, but they're not 
really the same thing. Given that distinction, "Open some space" does 
seem a valid all purpose approach. Even if that doesn't necessarily look 
like a formal Open Space Technology event.

     Harold

On 1/30/18 4:44 PM, Chris Corrigan wrote:
> The well known management guru is David Snowden and his principle 
> criticism against OST is the same as it is for every other method. It 
> is not a panacea for every problem.
>
> More specifically, Dave’s issue as I understand it, is that groups 
> operate within constraints. There are times when those constraints 
> need to be tightly bound in order for things to happen and other times 
> when they need to be relaxed.
>
> In situations in which you are developing new things conflict and 
> diversity are helpful. Sometimes it helps to have a process in which 
> people of differing perspectives are engaged in a tight container 
> together to make something better. Open Space does not always do this, 
> so if you need a required level of diversity (and conflict doesn’t 
> always mean a fight) then OST might not be the best way to do it.
>
> I agree with this. Sometimes you need a formal negotiation structure 
> to reach a decision. Sometimes you need expert opinions engaged in a 
> deliberated and structured and way to do due diligence.
>
> Dave has other concerns with Open Space that I think he’s wrong about 
> (that it is a convergence process for example) and I’ve talked with 
> him extensively about that. But anyone who think that Dave believes 
> Open Space doesn’t have utility is also wrong. He believes that it’s 
> useful for certain things in certain contexts and not in others. On 
> that we all agree, I would think.
>
> Chris.
>
> _____________
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> www.chriscorrigan.com <http://www.chriscorrigan.com>
>
> On Jan 30, 2018, at 2:24 PM, Harold Shinsato via OSList 
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org 
> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>> wrote:
>
>> Daniel,
>>
>> Interesting concern. I think I remember hearing this from a well 
>> respected management guru as a critique of Open Space. I can't help 
>> but wonder the following:
>>
>> - How well do individual adults resolve conflicts when an authority 
>> figure forces them?
>> - How well do conflicting peoples or tribal communities resolve 
>> conflicts when they are forcibly held together by an imperial force 
>> (think Rome, USSR, pre-partition India, etc etc etc)
>>
>> If you are dealing with children or developmentally challenged 
>> individuals - especially those who have violated others rights are 
>> are in prison - I can imagine there being some value to some level of 
>> compulsion or coercion here. But even there, it may temporarily 
>> resolve the fighting and damage, but not the children's growth.
>>
>> If you are dealing with severe human rights being violated in tribal 
>> scenarios, I can see how that might justify gunboat diplomacy. But I 
>> can't imagine the tribal system will evolve to respect human rights 
>> without a huge additional investment from the gunboat diplomats. And 
>> it is all too likely that such interference may not only cause even 
>> bigger problems later on, but can also encourage exploitation of the 
>> less developed tribe/community.
>>
>> Thanks for asking this question!
>>
>>     Harold
>>
>>
>> On 1/30/18 2:07 PM, Daniel Mezick via OSList wrote:
>>>
>>> I am hearing this pointed criticism from some quarters: That OST 
>>> actually encourages conflict-avoidance via the Law of 2 Feet. In 
>>> other words, people who need to be resolving conflict (or at least 
>>> discussing it) can just avoid the touchy topic... and each other.
>>>
>>> Could this actually be true? If not why not?
>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> 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/0984875336> 
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>> -- 
>> Harold Shinsato
>> harold at shinsato.com <mailto:harold at shinsato.com>
>> http://shinsato.com
>> twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>
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-- 
Harold Shinsato
harold at shinsato.com <mailto:harold at shinsato.com>
http://shinsato.com
twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>
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