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<DIV>The interesting things about "systems," whether they are electronic or
living, is that there is often more going on within a system than most of us can
truly understand. Intervening or modifying processes in a system is an
activity that we should consider prudently "in context." I know that many
readers on this list-serve are systems-thinkers, and pursue systems
interventions and changes with this in mind. Open Space is definitely an
operating system...a living system...which demands the same degree of respect
for would-be interventionists as any other complex system.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>regards,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Richard "Doc" Holloway</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:owenhh@mindspring.com" title=owenhh@mindspring.com>Harrison
Owen</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU"
title=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, March 22, 2000 12:17
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Open Space 2000: An
Operating System</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>At 06:35 PM 3/20/00 +1000, you wrote:</DIV>
<DIV>>Dear Friends</DIV>
<DIV>></DIV>
<DIV>>At a recent lunch with an OS colleague (with suitable liquid
encoragement -</DIV>
<DIV>>perhaps a little more than two martinis!) I described OS as an
operating</DIV>
<DIV>>system (like Microsoft Windows 98) in contrast to other useful
techniques</DIV>
<DIV>>(eg De Bono, scenario planning and the like) as high powered,
focused</DIV>
<DIV>>applications (like MS Word).</DIV>
<DIV>************************************</DIV>
<DIV>Given the crashing nature of win98 -- I am a little nervous with the
analog. But the idea is a good one. Certainly folks have used all sorts of
"interventions and processes (i&p)" in Open Space, but there is a worry
and a caution. Some of these i&ps seem to close space down. I guess the
real point is that you can do whatever you want, just don't infringe on the
space of others. So any time I hear somebody saying, "Let's all do ______" I
get quite nervous. Unless of course everybody really wants to do it. And then
who am I to stand in their way. Good thinking!</DIV><BR>
<DIV>Harrison</DIV><BR> <BR>
<DIV align=center>Harrison Owen<BR>7808 River Falls Drive<BR>Potomac, MD
20854<BR>USA<BR>phone 301-469-9269<BR>fax 301-983-9314<BR>website <BR><A
href="http://www.mindspring.com/~owenhh"
eudora="autourl">www.mindspring.com/~owenhh</A><BR>Open Space Institute
websites<BR><A href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/"
eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</A><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>