[OSList] Space invaders and using your two feet
Michael Herman
michael at michaelherman.com
Mon Feb 21 14:51:52 PST 2022
I think that’s the law of gravitas you’re defying, Paul!
🎿🚡⛷m
On Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 23:28 paul levy <paul at cats3000.net> wrote:
> That's beautiful, Michael, and I can go with it
>
> Yet, mysteriously for me, in my deeper experience of my life, even the law
> of gravity feels like a kind of invitation, one which I occasionally refuse.
>
> Paul
>
> On Mon, 21 Feb 2022, 04:11 Michael Herman via OSList, <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
>> for me, it actually is a kind of law: "you and only you know when you
>> are learning and contributing as much as you can."
>>
>> a law, as chris corrigan taught me to say, "...that's not like a speed
>> limit, but more like the law of gravity. defy it at your own risk!"
>>
>> having pointed this out in an opening circle, i then suggest that
>> everyone in circle has the same job, the right AND the responsibility, to
>> use their two feet and/or whatever else they use to get around, to go
>> wherever they need to, to maximize their own learning and contribution.
>>
>> in the end we don't care if they move... what we want is highest learning
>> and highest contribution.
>>
>> for me, in open space, personal passion/freedom is always
>> bounded/informed by responsibility/contribution to the whole.
>>
>> i think our pulsation between these apparent opposites, passion and
>> responsibility, learning and contributing, me and us, past and future, and
>> so on... is what drives it all. we can't get stuck. we have to keep
>> moving. each of us, for all of us.
>>
>> learning and practicing this kind of pulsation, between apparent
>> opposites, is for me the most important thing we invite in open space.
>> it's in the going back and forth that strengthens us.
>>
>> michael
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Michael Herman
>> Michael Herman Associates
>> 312-280-7838 (mobile)
>>
>> MichaelHerman.com
>> OpenSpaceWorld.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Feb 20, 2022 at 12:49 PM paul levy via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>>> I haven't called it a law in years.
>>>
>>> That is because it isn't a law. It is an eternal invitation.
>>>
>>> Paul
>>>
>>> On Sun, 20 Feb 2022, 16:08 Bhavesh Patel via OSList, <
>>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Thanks Michael, always appreciate the time you take to write longer
>>>> emails and share stories.
>>>>
>>>> The way you intro the Law is pretty much exactly how I do it as well,
>>>> using almost the same language. That for me still involves using my freedom
>>>> to take responsibility for my learning, contribution, productivity, and
>>>> where that is going to happen or not going to happen, at the same time
>>>> never fully knowing and always responding to all that is happening within,
>>>> between, and among... self-organisation, or as Morin says
>>>> eco-self-organsation!
>>>>
>>>> I also have a very similar approach to space invaders, and have rarely
>>>> encountered one. There was one time when a person twice the size of me, a
>>>> former head of a big brand, took the mic for me and told everyone to stop
>>>> putting up topics on the second morning, because he had done a full
>>>> analysis of day 01 and could now tell us what we needed to do. I told him
>>>> that was great and kindly asked him to write it up and stick it up, but he
>>>> held on to the mic and repeated that this was not necessary and now we all
>>>> needed to listen to him and... there was a stand-off with both of us
>>>> holding the mic, until one of his peers asked him to let the facilitator do
>>>> his job, he backed off, and guess what, not many came to his session, and...
>>>>
>>>> I have also used the walk out approach when nothing was happening, on
>>>> reflection I think I needed to leave the room for that group to truly
>>>> believe the power is in their hands to post topics!
>>>>
>>>> I guess what I was trying to think about was what to do when someone is
>>>> clearly speaking in a way that is offensive to others... people can use
>>>> their two feet, the facilitator can also walk out of the room, what else is
>>>> there... I don't think OST = anything and everything is ok... so I was
>>>> reflecting on that... not sure if I am making sense to anyone???
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, 20 Feb 2022 at 12:41, Michael M Pannwitz via OSList <
>>>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Dear Bhavesh,
>>>>>
>>>>> The Law of Two Feet (this is, of course, no Law but tongue of cheeck
>>>>> speak of the Man with the Hat) has not felt to me as a reminder to be
>>>>> responsible for where I want to be.
>>>>> In my intro to the process I say in the role of facilitator: "And
>>>>> here",
>>>>> pointing to the large poster on the wall of the space or on a large
>>>>> pinboard on the edge of the outer circle or floating above the crowd
>>>>> of
>>>>> 2108 supported by large balloons, have a look here
>>>>> >
>>>>> https://openspaceworldscape.org/events/165-jetzt-meine-leidenschaft-meine-verantwortung-ueber-die-tagung-hinaus-now-my-passion-my-responsibility-beyond-the-conference
>>>>>
>>>>> "is the Law of Two Feet which has to be utterly adhered to as it is a
>>>>> LAW:
>>>>> I honor a group with my absence if I neither learn nor contribute
>>>>> something. If I am learning something I stay, if I am contributindg
>>>>> something I also stay.
>>>>> But if neither, then I'll do the group and especially myself the favor
>>>>> of taking my feet... ", and here I imitate the Man by looking at my
>>>>> feet
>>>>> for 3 seconds lift them and run a short distance in front of the
>>>>> assembled crowd... continuing:"... and move to a space which is more
>>>>> productive for me... or to take a nap." (At this point folks usually
>>>>> laugh out loud, incited by my awkward running style)
>>>>>
>>>>> Now all this has nothing to do with taking responsibility for where I
>>>>> want to be. I am focusing on this because I as facilitator am not in
>>>>> any
>>>>> way responsible for what anyone does, under the assumption that
>>>>> everyone
>>>>> is naturally "responsible"... and I adress it in the systemic context
>>>>> we
>>>>> are in when in an os event, and that it is selforganisation all the
>>>>> time.
>>>>>
>>>>> Regarding space invaders - which I rarely have encountered probably
>>>>> because I am such an awsome event myself, especially when totally
>>>>> present and at the same time invisible - I do intervene.
>>>>>
>>>>> My first intervention is to do nothing and wait (at this point I
>>>>> understand why I am being paid for this job). If the crowd is kind of
>>>>> struck and silent, also waiting, I still wait. Usually, this
>>>>> intervention does get addressed by a participant, which causes another
>>>>> participant to react... and results in a short exchange in which
>>>>> usually
>>>>> someone then gets the space invader to see that the group does not
>>>>> oust him.
>>>>>
>>>>> If no participant intervenes and I have counted to 10, I ask: "Who
>>>>> else
>>>>> feels like Charlie?" This always works, one or several other
>>>>> participants will say something. The main advantage of participants
>>>>> participating in this is that the space invader immidiately sees that
>>>>> he/she is still part of the group, not an outsider.
>>>>>
>>>>> Another observation I have made is that some space invasions are
>>>>> aggressive while others are certainly productive but not executed
>>>>> completely.
>>>>>
>>>>> At one event, one participant got up to introduce his issue (others
>>>>> had
>>>>> posted issues before him) and said: "I have the most important 5
>>>>> issues
>>>>> that need to be worked on!" and deposited his 5 issue sheets in the
>>>>> center.
>>>>> Here I intervened right away and reminded him that the issues have to
>>>>> be
>>>>> announced and posted on the Bulletin Board and that he shoulc say his
>>>>> name. Somewhat nervous he picke up his 5 issues, spoke to them and
>>>>> then
>>>>> posted them on the Bulletin Board.
>>>>> Later in the day he approached me and said: "Michael, nobody signed in
>>>>> for my issues! This was an important lesson for me."
>>>>>
>>>>> So, its not about what is allowed or not. Its about how space and time
>>>>> for selforganisation are expanded right then and here. Thats what I
>>>>> recommend facilitators to focus on.
>>>>>
>>>>> The utmost the facilitator can do in case stuff gets out of control
>>>>> and
>>>>> nothing works is to leave the space.
>>>>> I have experienced this twice in os events.
>>>>> First event was the gathering of 300 Imams and Rabbis in Sevilla where
>>>>> HO facilitated and I was his assistant. The participants kept posting
>>>>> isssues without end and even after allocating 15 minutes more they
>>>>> kept
>>>>> going. When the time was over, HO turned to me and spoke into the
>>>>> mikrophone "Michael, please take over!" and left the room. It took
>>>>> only
>>>>> minutes that the participants stopped posting issues and moved into
>>>>> the
>>>>> phase to walk up to the Bulletin Board to sign up for issues they
>>>>> wanted
>>>>> to work on.
>>>>>
>>>>> The second example was an os with facilitators from different
>>>>> approaches
>>>>> in which I was participant.
>>>>> In the closing circle of the first day, one participant insisted on a
>>>>> discussion of a particularly critical aspect. He ignored the
>>>>> facilitators suggestion to post his issue for a session after dinner
>>>>> or
>>>>> the next day. No, he wanted to continue. The facilitator pointed to
>>>>> the
>>>>> schedule and the amount of time left. At the end of the agreed upon
>>>>> time
>>>>> he stood up and left the room.
>>>>> Two minutes later, the entire group left, too.
>>>>>
>>>>> What about other stories on The Law and Space Invadors?
>>>>>
>>>>> Right now I am returning to the breakfast table where we are talking
>>>>> about the urgent recommendation of the German Government to all German
>>>>> citizens presently in the Ukraine to leave the Ukraine and return home
>>>>> immediately.
>>>>>
>>>>> War?
>>>>>
>>>>> Greetings from Berlin
>>>>> mmp
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Am 20.02.2022 um 08:18 schrieb Bhavesh Patel via OSList:
>>>>> > It's an interesting one because:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > * The Law of Two Feet - is about us choosing to take responsibility
>>>>> > for where we want to be.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > * Space Invaders - is the idea that NOT everything is allowed, and
>>>>> if
>>>>> > it feels like someone is controlling the space for another, then
>>>>> the
>>>>> > facilitator does something about it.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > So it's an interesting grey area between when it is more about the
>>>>> Law
>>>>> > and when it is more about Space Invaders and stepping in... and who
>>>>> is
>>>>> > the facilitator when it comes to this loop anyway?
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> > On Sun, 20 Feb 2022 at 03:58, Harold Shinsato via OSList
>>>>> > <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org <mailto:
>>>>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>>
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > The OSList is intended to truly be "whoever comes is the right
>>>>> people".
>>>>> >
>>>>> > The "Law of Two Feet" is hopefully something we take seriously
>>>>> here.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I wish there was a feature in the OSList where you could "walk
>>>>> away"
>>>>> > from a conversation without having to leave the OSList. Well,
>>>>> you could
>>>>> > just ignore the conversations where you are neither learning nor
>>>>> > contributing.
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Another option most email systems have ways are message filters
>>>>> that
>>>>> > could automatically delete what you don't want. That is an
>>>>> option. With
>>>>> > a little effort that would be a way to employ "The Law of Two
>>>>> Feet" or
>>>>> > the "Law of Mobility".
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Best wishes to all!
>>>>> > Harold
>>>>> > _______________________________________________
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>>>>> > <
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>>>>> >
>>>>> > _______________________________________________
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>>>>> --
>>>>> Michael M Pannwitz
>>>>> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin
>>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Draisweg+1,+12209+Berlin?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>> +49 30 7728000 mmpannwitz at gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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>>
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>
> --
--
Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 (mobile)
MichaelHerman.com
OpenSpaceWorld.org
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