[OSList] Where angels fear to tread
Chris Corrigan
chris at chriscorrigan.com
Fri Nov 19 09:36:30 PST 2021
I think I have come to learn that all the work of an Open Space meeting
happens in the invitation, and the more personal and intentional the
better. Recently I had a client work for two months to get 20 very
powerful people in a room to talk about a major issue in the education
system, and the Open Space was only six hours, and my work was really only
20 minutes of active facilitation. That to me is a mark of great
participation and a high chance for sustainability of the results. Hoping
one day I can coach a client in invitation so well that they don;t even
need a big face to face meeting, or at the very least, they don't need me
there. At that point I will call it "Achieving a Harrison" and award
myself a badge. And then go and take a nap.
Chris
On Fri, Nov 19, 2021 at 12:15 AM Thomas Herrmann via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
> I love this way of clarifying how you can look for inviting the whole
> system, Peggy! Thanks for sharing! I will make sure I incorporate it in my
> practice as I think it helps the thinking about how to spread “the
> irresistible invitation”. And I also agree its great to involve as many of
> these stakeholders early in the process, especially as there is often a low
> level of trust between them.
>
> Usually I invite my sponsors quite clearly to not jump up and raise their
> topics but wait and see what happens, I assure them that I will be very
> clear to give space for everyone and not closing the agenda creation
> without very clear last opportunities – so they can rest assured that all
> of their important topics can be posted. So if they miss anything at the
> end, they can add. I agree with others, they are mostly surprised by the
> richness of the agenda created by participants.
>
>
>
> One piece I have included in my designs the last years is to have a
> “sync-meeting” some time the last week before the OST, to give them an
> opportunity to share their hopes and fears for the upcoming OST and clarify
> any practicalities they may be wondering about. This is much appreciated
> and givs them more of a feeling of safety and it increases their curiosity,
> openness and peace 😊.
>
>
>
> With appreciation for all of the wisdom in this circle
>
> Thomas Herrmann
>
>
>
> *Från:* OSList <oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org> *För *Peggy
> Holman via OSList
> *Skickat:* den 18 november 2021 23:08
> *Till:* Open Space Listserv <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> *Kopia:* Peggy Holman <peggy at peggyholman.com>
> *Ämne:* Re: [OSList] Where angels fear to tread
>
>
>
> Like Michael, I have had the experience of leaders making a list behind
> the scenes and being surprised that participants not only posted everything
> on their list but also things that they hadn’t thought of that turned out
> to matter to them. And, of course, the experience of witnessing the
> passion, interest, and creativity of people often surprises everyone who is
> in an Open Space meeting for the first time.
>
>
>
> Jeff, to your question about requisite variety of topics in an Open Space,
> I see that as a matter of being mindful about invitation. The biggest
> investment of preparation time for the Open Spaces I’m involved with are
> inviting, as Harrison would say, “the people who care.” Whomever I’m
> working with, I encourage them to do the work of thinking through, given
> their purpose, who makes up the system — who are the people who care? In
> many cases, that may include involving a microcosm in shaping the
> organizing question and invitation so that it resonates with the people of
> the system.
>
>
>
> I take my cue on how to think about who makes up the system from Marv
> Weisbord and Sandra Janoff’s rubric of inviting the people who “ARE IN” —
> with *A*uthority, *R*esources, *E*xpertise, *I*nformation, and * N*eed. I
> also suggest an overlay for considering demographic diversity. For thinking
> about that, I draw from the Maynard Institute’s “Fault lines” - race,
> class, gender, geography, and generation and two “fissures” - politics and
> religion. Not all dimensions apply to every situation but bringing them up
> enables the people planning the Open Space to make a conscious choice about
> whom they invite and how.
>
>
>
> This is a long-winded way of saying that my experience is that by doing
> the work to invite a requisite variety of people, a requisite variety of
> topics will show up. And then, to the principle of whoever comes is the
> right people, I let go of worrying about it.
>
>
>
> Birgitt — to words and embodied experience, yes you are saying what I
> meant: *it is not the words used that are most likely to help, rather the
> embodied experience*. For example, describing the experience of Open
> Space and what it produces can be enough for some. For most of us, hearing
> a description or even seeing a video doesn’t come close to being there. It
> is a multi-dimensional experience that involves, head, heart, body, spirit.
> Rarely does this come across in a description. A story might communicate
> more of it. But I’m guessing most people discover some aspect they hadn’t
> expected from just reading, hearing, or watching a video about it.
>
>
>
> Appreciatively,
>
> Peggy
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> Peggy Holman
> Co-founder
> Journalism That Matters
> 15347 SE 49th Place
> Bellevue, WA 98006
> 206-948-0432
> www.journalismthatmatters.org
> www.peggyholman.com
> Twitter: @peggyholman
> JTM Twitter: @JTMStream
>
> Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into
> Opportunity <http://www.engagingemergence.com>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Nov 17, 2021, at 1:52 PM, Michael M Pannwitz via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
>
>
> Dear Birgitt,
>
> your two sentences:
>
> "My perspective: following the principles of OST, spirit shows up in the
> moment, inspiring people to post exactly the topics that need to be posted
> at that moment in time. This dynamic is altered when relying on anyone to
> pre-post topics, or to set meta-topics, catering to limitation rather than
> abundance of possibilities."
>
> had some memories come up.
>
> In at least three of the ost events I was involved in it turned out that
> the sponsors prepared a set of "issuse" they felt should be part of the
> event before the event... in case nobody would post them.
> To the surprises of the sponsors all their issues were posted by the
> participants.
> In addition, they themselves experienced that other issues entered their
> mind during the process that they then posted.
> In many other ost events sponors were very surprised about the broad
> passion, interest, creativity, etc. and most of all selforganisation that
> manifested...
>
> For what actually happens when ost is part of the everyday life of an
> organisation over a number of years with a special focus on the vast system
> of that enterprise have a look here
>
>
> https://www.westkreuz-verlag.de/de/Practicing-Open-Space-Our-First-Ten-Years-E-Book
>
>
> in English, French, Polish, Spanish and Chinese ... translated from the
> German Original by ost-colleagues all of you know
>
> Cheers from Berlin
> mmp
>
>
>
>
> Am 17.11.2021 um 21:32 schrieb Birgitt Williams via OSList:
>
> Jeff...thanks for sharing the article and for the discussion that emanated
> from the question you posed to the OS list. I have enjoyed the responses
> and look forward to more conversation showing up. You have added more great
> questions.
> You asked:Do we assume that the passion and responsibility of a gathered
> group will create the requisite variety of topics/contexts to generate
> excellent Warm Data from a theme question, and foster these unseen
> transcontextual sources of systems changing creativity?
> Or does the sponsor need to think up and post the outlying topics/contexts
> to invite that fruitful variety?
> What are the upsides and downsides of having a passionate advocate post
> and host each topic of conversation? What topics don't get posted, and does
> that limit the potential and health of the system?
> My perspective: following the principles of OST, spirit shows up in the
> moment, inspiring people to post exactly the topics that need to be posted
> at that moment in time. This dynamic is altered when relying on anyone to
> pre-post topics, or to set meta-topics, catering to limitation rather than
> abundance of possibilities.
> Peggy...I am intrigued by your sentences "Sometimes more and different
> words can help. More often, it takes an embodied experience." I would like
> to understand more. My current understanding is that it is not the words
> used that are most likely to help, rather the embodied experience. Is this
> what you mean?
> in genuine contact,
> Birgitt
> Picture*
> *
> *Birgitt Williams*
> *Senior consultant-author-mentor to leaders and consultants *
> *Specialist in organizational and systemic transformation, leadership
> development, and the power of nourishing a culture of leadership.*
> www.dalarinternational.com <http://www.dalarinternational.com>
> >> Learn More & Register <
> http://www.dalarinternational.com/upcoming-workshops/> for any of our
> upcoming workshops here.
> PO Box 19373, Raleigh, NC, USA 27613
> Phone: 01-919-522-7750
> Like us on Facebook <
> https://dalarinternational.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35ed818c946a88ba7344da05f&id=6677c35b38&e=e7zyhHfiqG
> >
> Connect on LinkedIn <
> https://dalarinternational.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35ed818c946a88ba7344da05f&id=c26173f86b&e=e7zyhHfiqG
> >
> On Wed, Nov 17, 2021 at 7:31 AM Jeff Aitken via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>>> wrote:
> Now I am considering whether there is a (hopefully) funny joke
> lurking here somewhere.
> The facilitator asked the sponsor, "do you want a book of
> proceedings created from your event?" And the sponsor said "no, I'm
> going for the aphanipoesis, but thanks."
> But seriously folks, do we assume that the passion and
> responsibility of a gathered group will create the requisite variety
> of topics/contexts to generate excellent Warm Data from a theme
> question, and foster these unseen transcontextual sources of systems
> changing creativity?
> Or does the sponsor need to think up and post the outlying
> topics/contexts to invite that fruitful variety?
> What are the upsides and downsides of having a passionate advocate
> post and host each topic of conversation? What topics don't get
> posted, and does that limit the potential and health of the system?
> What can the OST methodology teach the WDL methodology, and vice versa?
> Early morning questions,
> Jeff
> On Tue, Nov 16, 2021, 5:45 PM Peggy Holman via OSList
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>>>
> wrote:
> From what I can glean in Bateson’s article and what I have
> heard about Warm Data, what happens does sound parallel to what
> occurs when people meet in Open Space.
> I find her writing frustrating. But when one is attempting to
> give language to new ideas, it’s rough. The effort falls into a
> pattern she discusses: our tendency to want to relate to the
> ideas through habitual lenses. Sometimes more and different
> words can help. More often, it takes an embodied experience.
> Perhaps a Warm Data Lab?
> I find her insight that we need a word for life coalescing
> towards vitality in unseen ways intriguing. By naming it, I hope
> it will become more seen. Sounds like something we want to
> notice and grow.
> Thanks for sending the article Jeff.
> ________________________________
> Peggy Holman
> Co-founder
> Journalism That Matters
> Bellevue, WA 98006
> 206-948-0432
> www.journalismthatmatters.org <http://www.journalismthatmatters.org
> >
> www.peggyholman.com <http://www.peggyholman.com>
> Twitter: @peggyholman
> JTM Twitter: @JTMStream
> Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval
> into Opportunity <http://www.engagingemergence.com>
>
> On Nov 16, 2021, at 2:48 PM, Chris Corrigan via OSList
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>>> wrote:
>
> Thanks for sharing this Jeff. I have known about Nora's work
> for sometime and although I don't fully understand it yet I
> think what I do know of it, it's great.).
>
> WHy does she choose the words she chooses? I think because
> this is how she has come to an understanding about the simple
> truths that Warm Data works with. God know we have some pretty
> funny language amongst us all to explain things like "let
> people look after things they care about." But, Jeff, the
> first piece you posted of hers makes a lot of sense to me and
> is a concise description of Warm Data process, and is very
> helpful to me having an "aha" about it.
>
> Chris
>
> On Tue, Nov 16, 2021 at 1:37 PM Jeff Aitken via OSList
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>>> wrote:
>
> Also I note that Nora is still very early in the practice
> of a methodology that she invented (I think.)
>
> Maybe it's like the first five-ten years of OST as folks
> were figuring out what the hell this is all about... : )
>
> And from the lens of an artist and family therapy
> researcher whose father was Gregory Bateson. That makes
> sense to me...
>
> Warmly
> Jeff
>
> On Tue, Nov 16, 2021, 1:21 PM Jeff Aitken
> <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com <mailto:r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com
> <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com>>>
> wrote:
>
> Hi Birgitt. My first guess is that it serves
> practitioners to be simple, while it serves systems
> scientists to be complicated or complex.
>
> They are writing about living systems at all scales
> and making very subtle distinctions.
>
> It may serve us practitioners to have some
> appreciation for the latter. "Your mileage may vary"
> tho, as a friend says!
>
> Warmly
> Jeff
>
> On Tue, Nov 16, 2021, 1:10 PM Birgitt Williams
> <birgittwilliams at gmail.com
> <mailto:birgittwilliams at gmail.com
> <birgittwilliams at gmail.com>>> wrote:
>
> Jeff..I don't understand why it serves to be so
> complicated? Why not simply refer to seen and unseen?
>
> Birgitt
>
> On Tue, Nov 16, 2021, 3:57 PM Jeff Aitken via
> OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>>> wrote:
>
> One more email - I was amiss to mention this
> new theory by Nora, without defining the word
> she is introducing, and she finds occurring in
> Warm Data Lab and I think is true in OST too.
>
> It is "a way to describe a life giving
> process, by which vitality, healing, and
> creativity come into being by the coalescence
> of multiple unseen factors."
>
> "Aphanipoiesis combines two words from ancient
> Greek to describe this way in which life
> coalesces toward vitality in unseen ways.
> (Aphanis comes from a Greek root meaning
> obscured, unseen, unnoticed; poiesis is from
> one meaning to bring forth, to make.)"
>
> Yes it's an academic term, and is presented at
> a systems science conference and in a journal
> article.
>
> Useful for practitioners to think about and to
> notice in our work? That's my question for the
> oslist.
>
> It reminds me of Harrison's definition of
> "peace" in The Practice of Peace. With an
> emphasis on the unseen, internal, very subtle
> shifts that take place that are NOT reflected
> in proceedings and action plans.
>
> Warmly, Jeff.
>
> Reference:
>
> Bateson, N.,(2021). Aphanipoiesis. In Journal
> of the International Society for the Systems
> Sciences, Proceedings of the 64th Annual
> Meeting of the ISSS, Virtual (Vol. 1, №1) —
> under review.
>
>
>
> This work was presented at the Annual
> Biosemiotics Conference June 2021, the Annual
> Conference of the International Society of
> Systems Sciences July 2021, and the Annual
> conference of the Institute of General
> Semantics September 2021.
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 15, 2021, 11:16 PM Jeff Aitken
> <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com
> <mailto:r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com
> <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com>>> wrote:
>
> As a refresher or quick intro to the
> process, Warm Data Lab starts with a group
> of folks and a theme question. But the
> topics of conversation are chosen in
> advance by sponsor and facilitator. Each
> breakout table (or area) gets a topic
> written on a sign: which names a context
> from which to address the theme question.
>
> So if the theme is drug abuse, the chosen
> wide variety of contexts might be:
> education, prisons, public health,
> initiation, addiction, pharmaceuticals,
> parenting, ceremony, etc. People go to the
> breakouts of their choice and stay or move
> as they wish. The law of mobility is used.
> A closing circle might end the event after
> some number of hours.
>
> It has some qualities of OST and World
> Cafe while being different.
>
> I've only been in one WDL so other folks
> might improve my description.
>
> Jeff
>
> On Mon, Nov 15, 2021, 7:22 PM Jeff Aitken
> <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com
> <mailto:r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com
> <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com>>> wrote:
>
> Where does systemic change take place?
> I am reflecting on earlier posts about
> the Warm Data Lab and comparing -
> contrasting this work with other
> hosted conversation processes like OST.
>
> What seems different - please correct
> this if it's wrong - is the level of
> attention paid to the complex ways in
> which WDL might help bring about
> change. Looking well beyond action
> plans and carefully harvested
> proceedings etc.
>
> This may be a fruitful area of inquiry
> for OST folks. (The subject line here
> is from a reference in a book by Nora
> Bateson's late father Gregory.)
>
> Nora Bateson just shared a video and
> long essay, coming out prior to her
> essay being published soon in a
> journal. She is introducing a new term
> "aphanipoiesis" to the conversation of
> systemic transformation.
>
> The essay is here:
>
> https://norabateson.medium.com/aphanipoiesis-96d8aed927bc
> <
> https://norabateson.medium.com/aphanipoiesis-96d8aed927bc>
>
> Some teaser paragraphs for us. Can
> this also be said about OST, but we
> just don't??
>
> "Rewilding the Interior
>
>
> In the words of the Warm Data hosting
> theory, we tend the “about” so that
> what is re-configured is in the
> “within.” It does not really matter
> what people talk “about” in a Warm
> Data Lab. There is nothing to capture
> at that level. What matters is the way
> the participants are internally sewing
> together the different conversations
> and contexts. On a transcript this
> information is inaccessible.
>
> "In the Warm Data processes,
> communication in explicit form is not
> held to be the communication of
> interest. That level of conversation
> is there as a skeleton, onto which the
> stories not told reshape the person
> who did not tell them, the alterations
> in tone, the re-tilted perception is
> given free rein to rub memories and
> stories against each other. One
> comment that comes up repeatedly is,
> “Your story changed my story.” Through
> this “side-by-side-ing,” stories told
> change stories almost told, and their
> bearers are able to reshape their
> impressions in ways that are untamed.
> By careful tending of the “about” and
> “within,” the rich world of memory and
> story re-wilds.
>
>
> "The gaps are where the hope of
> systemic transformation is waiting. In
> the Warm Data processes, participants
> are given a structure to re-stitch, to
> re-wild, to begin a new abductive
> process into these gaps. Again, by
> placing the contexts of life
> side-by-side in new configurations,
> the aphanipoietic processes are given
> room, without conscious purpose or
> goals or defined outcomes, without
> scripts or roles or trends — to allow
> the tender new beginnings of another
> abductive description to form mutually.
>
> "Through this work, I have found I
> needed this term to embark on a deeper
> study of the importance of
> aphanipoiesis. The changes I witness
> occurring in the Warm Data processes
> are completely unpredictable and
> profound. They suggest ever more
> vividly that there is a real, if
> unseen, mingling of the body, culture,
> education, family — and a whole batch
> of transcontextual experience that is
> guiding all other actions. It is to
> this change that I have devoted my
> efforts toward systemic transformation."
>
> Warmly,
> Jeff
> Yelamu / San Francisco
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to
> OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <OSList at lists.openspacetech.org>>
> To unsubscribe send an email to
> OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click
> below:
>
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> <
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org>
> Past archives can be viewed here:
>
> http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org
> <
> http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> <OSList at lists.openspacetech.org>>
> To unsubscribe send an email to
> OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <mailto:OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> <OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org>>
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
>
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> <
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org>
> Past archives can be viewed here:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org
> <http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> Michael M Pannwitz
> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin
> +49 30 7728000 mmpannwitz at gmail.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> Past archives can be viewed here:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> Past archives can be viewed here:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org
--
---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training - Process Design - Strategy
Complexity - Art of Hosting
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
Grateful to live on Nex̱wlélex̱wm (Bowen Island), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory,
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20211119/adfd0b72/attachment.html>
More information about the OSList
mailing list