[OSList] open message to Nick Martin

[Michael M Pannwitz]

Dear Marei,

this thorough review of „OST with a twist“ is a gem.

It would not surprise me if it would become an eye-opener for spotting 
other „OST with a twist“.

 From me, several thoughts:

--- the OST process has no trademark and is not owned by any one 
individual and Harrison sometimes points out that he is not the inventor 
but simply stumbled onto it with the help of some earthly spirits, in 
fact exactly two of them BUT if you use it, you are committing yourself 
to pass on what you learned

--- one of the mantras for me has become Critical Practice Reflection 
(CPR, not trademarked, mentioned by one of the elders): "Reflect on the 
OST event that I just facilitated and look for one thing I would do 
without next time I facilitate an event"

--- this almost always has a control reduction effect. Thats important 
because I know that a sure fire way to reduce the space for 
selforganisation is "control". The space shrinks and if it disappears 
altogether, whoosh the group, organisation or system evaporates(but dont 
dispair, it never shrinks to absolut zero and no matter how much it 
shrunk it will blow up again under supportive conditions such as 
described in the book

--- doing one thing less also makes the process simpler... and, if it 
works, easier to reproduce. And this is important, if OST is to spread. 
I am interested in having many folks getting into using the OST approach 
because I know how liberating it is to selforganise. OST is available to 
everyone, not just the caste of specialized facilitators

And one last thing: Nothing can be partially inspired by xyz if you 
remove the core notion of xyz.

Greetings from a very hot day in Berlin... here the government of Berlin 
no longer uses the neutral term "climate change" but "climate heating" 
to scare us, I is scared!

mmp

Am 05.06.2019 um 01:53 schrieb Marai Kiele via OSList:
> Hello Nick Martin,
> 
> I find myself tense in my belly after reading your newsletter today:
> 
> I just wanted to share with you a popular WorkshopBank tool 
> <https://t.dripemail2.com/c/eyJhY2NvdW50X2lkIjoiMjM3MTU2MiIsImRlbGl2ZXJ5X2lkIjoiNjc1OTQzNzE4MiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd29ya3Nob3BiYW5rLmNvbS9vcGVuLXNwYWNlLXRlY2hub2xvZ3k_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1kcmlwXHUwMDI2dXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbFx1MDAyNnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXctdG9vbC1vcGVuLXNwYWNlXHUwMDI2X19zPXFtZXdvcGZiZnpzMnBvY3ltZTRnIn0> you 
> can start using with your clients right away. Let me know what you think.
> 
> You suggest that the reader lets you know what they think. I choose to 
> do that.
> 
> I also choose to do that in the form of an open letter, as several 
> months back you asked on the os-list for input to your description of 
> the OST process for the Workshopbank.
> You introduced your version of „OST with a twist“, and there was a 
> somewhat heated discussion on this list about it.
> I participated in both, revising and giving you feedback on your 
> description (as requested) and discussing about „is something with such 
> a twist still OST?“
> 
> Your twist was about giving the leaders control about the topics.
> 
> Back then I used the analogy that you are mixing red wine with coca cola 
> (which some people actually do and drink — I tried it out as a teenager).
> And that calling such a beverage „red wine with a twist“ is an 
> inaccurate representation of a) red wine and b) the taste that a 
> consumer will experience.
> (side note: usually, this mix is done with red wine of poor quality)
> In my analogy, OST is the red wine and controlling the process is the coke.
> 
> In your description, you early on distinguish between OST and OST with a 
> twist. I first appreciated you for making that distinction so upfront.
> Then I read what you wrote under:
> 
> *If you’re following the traditional Open Space Process...*
> 
>   *
>     1
>     Gather your participants together and briefly explain how Open Space
>     events work using Harrison Owen’s 1 Law and the Guiding Principles
>     as appropriate. Traditionally you should do this with everyone in a
>     circle around youbut you don’t necessarily have to.
>   *
>     2
>     Ask participants to spend 10 minutes thinking through if they have
>     any issues they’d like to raise.
>   *
>     3
>     If there is a general agreement that the issue has enough support
>     and passion behind it invite the issue owner to add the issue to the
>     schedule.
>   *
>     4
>     Once all issues have been added invite the participants to sign-up
>     for the sessions they’re planning on attending (they are free to
>     change their mind later if they want to).
>   *
>     5
>     Your sessions start.
> 
> 
> There is much more on this page that, as I see it, is NOT "the 
> traditional Open Space Process“. I am giving just some further examples:
> https://workshopbank.com/open-space-technology
> 
> 
>     Process for a Session
> 
>   *
>     1
>     Each session should be a round group of chairs (no table in the
>     middle) with preferably one facilitator to lead the discussion and a
>     scribe on the flip-chart.
>   *
>     2
>     A session starts with the issue owner welcoming and thanking the
>     group for coming and then giving a description of the issue as they
>     see it.
>   *
>     3
>     The facilitator then leads the discussion inviting people to give
>     their input at their request.
>   *
>     4
>     The scribe records the discussion on flip chart paper making sure to
>     mark Issues, Ideas, Questions (that can’t be answered today) &
>     Actions. When a flip is finished they should tear it off and put it
>     in the center of the circle or on a nearby wall for people in the
>     group to see.
>   *
>     5
>     Allow people to leave and arrive as they see fit though don’t allow
>     them to interrupt or slow-down your progress. It is a new arrival’s
>     responsibility to catch-up with the discussion using the flip chart
>     outputs no matter how high up or important they are.
>   *
>     6
>     When the issue looks like it has been covered and there are no more
>     inputs coming from your group thank them for their time and invite
>     them to join other groups if the session time is not over.
> 
> 
> To me, calling this description "the traditional Open Space Process“ I 
> wonder if
> 
> - I am totally rigid and should just loosen up to the variations of OST
> - You have never experienced a traditional Open Space Process
> - You just don’t care about the originality and instead rather cater to 
> business needs of controlled processes that limit self-organisation
> - I misremember all my trainings with Harrison Owen, Michael M Pannwitz, 
> Michael Pannwitz jr, Joe Töpfer, and last but not least Birgitt Williams.
> - or… ?
> 
> I totally don’t get it.
> I don’t like what you are doing.
> I also dislike that you market this description of „the traditional Open 
> Space Process“ as „a popular WorkshopBank Tool“.
> 
> I feel sad when I imagine people following your description and 
> spreading the word that „this is the traditional way of doing OST“.
> 
> Using my former analogy:
> I imagine what you are doing is like a beverage shop introducing someone 
> who has never tasted a good red wine to that beverage.
> Because this person usually drink coke, they are being given red wine 
> mixed with coke (to match their taste buds).
> And then they are being told, „this is a traditional Cabernet Sauvignon“.
> 
> I want you to revise your description and move your adaptions away from 
> "the original version" to „OST with a twist“.
> 
> Are you willing to do that?
> 
> Probably even better: Call it „…………….. - a process partly inspired by 
> Open Space Technology“
> 
> I look forward to your response,
> Marai
> 
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/marai-kiele/
> https://about.me/maraikiele
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Michael M Pannwitz
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49 - 30-772 8000
mmpannwitz at gmail.com


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