<html><div>At 09:56 AM 3/4/99 +0000, you wrote:</div>
<div>>Wow, this is really juicy, this self-organization/complex
adaptive system </div>
<div>>stuff. Ralph</div>
<div>*****************************************</div>
<div>Right on Ralph!!!!</div>
<br>
<div>The relationship between Open Space and self-organizing systems is
one to one so far as I am concerned. The connection, however, doesn't
make a great deal of difference in terms of "proving" Open
Space or something like that. If only because Open Space needs no proof.
It just is and seems to do quite well by itself.</div>
<br>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>But I
have found the connection with self-organization helpful in terms of
understanding more clearly what is going on when space is opened, and
more particularly what I should or should not be doing as a facilitator.
There are also some interesting clues as to what might be done after the
Open Space event. For example, if we are encountering self-organizing
system every time space is opened, it is very clear what we should do as
facilitators -- as little as possible -- just get out of the way and let
it happen. </div>
<br>
<div><x-tab> </x-tab>As
for later, I think this is where things really get exciting. I have come
to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a non-self-organizing
system. There are only an number of people who think (erroneously) that
they organized the systems. This turns out to be a terrible whack to the
old ego, but as we make the turn and come to peace with the fact that we
do not make our systems or our universe, I think wisdom may just be
sneaking up on us. Of course this does not mean that we should just
flap out hands helplessly -- cause I think there are lots of things that
we could and should do, but most of them are not what we are doing at the
moment. </div>
<br>
<div>Anyhow, those interested in such stuff might take a look at my
website at an article called "Emerging Order" which was
published in the ODN Practitioner with the title "Open Space. Or if
you are really a glutton for punishment, you can wait for my next book
which carries the working title of "Organization for a New
Millennium: Self-Organization at work" Berrett-Koehler will
presumably bring it out in 2000, provided they are still taking to me
after the release of my latest this Spring with the title "The
Spirit of Leadership"</div>
<br>
'Organization for the New Millennium" is now finished as far as I am
concerned, and I have essentially used our 14 year experience with Open
Space as a natural laboratory to experience and experiment with what I
take to be the new, emerging organizational life form -- which is also
the oldest organizational life form going -- self-organizing systems.
What is new I think is that we are now becoming aware of the process of
self-organization and learning (very slowly and with no small amount of
pain) to live with it. Open Space for me is just a crash course in
learning to live with what we essentially are -- and are coming
consciously to accept -- self-organization.
<br>
<div align="center">
Harrison Owen <br>
7808 River Falls Drive <br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA <br>
301-469-9269 (phone) <br>
301-983-9314 (fax) <br>
email owen@tmn.com<br>
Website
<a href="http://www.tmn.com/~owen" eudora="autourl">http://www.tmn.com/~owen</a><br>
Open Space Institute website<br>
<a href="http://www.tmn.com/openspace" eudora="autourl">http://www.tmn.com/openspace</a></html>