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Dear OSLIST,<BR>
<BR>
Peg Holman and I are being bumblebees.<BR>
<BR>
We're both on the OS and AI listserves (along with BJ Peters and probably others). Peg compiled the OS/AI thread messages from our list a couple days ago and posted them on the AI list. Here are two responses from Bernard J. Mohr which I found to be important and illuminating. Information about joining the AI list is included at the bottom.<BR>
<BR>
Buzzingly Yours,<BR>
Chris Weaver <BR>
<BR>
----------<BR>
From: BJMSynapse@aol.com<BR>
To: pholman@email.msn.com, AIList@business.utah.edu, aiconsulting@listbot.com<BR>
Subject: Re: [Ailist] OS and AI<BR>
Date: Sat, Apr 28, 2001, 2:40 PM<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<TT>Peggy - thanks for sharing this OS list thread with this AI list. <BR>
<BR>
Having been "trained" in OS in the early days and having had the opportunity <BR>
to be with Harrison and you in at least one large OS, (and having run <BR>
numerous other ones myself) I fully resonate with many (or perhaps all) of <BR>
the positive attributions made to OS in the list comments.<BR>
<BR>
The difficulty I have in adding much beyond that is because Im aware that <BR>
the understanding of AI underneath many of the OS list comments is quite <BR>
diferent from my understanding of AI - so its almost as if we are speaking a <BR>
different language - or to use a somwhat hackneyed term - we seem to standing <BR>
within differing paradigms (ie beliefs about the nature of reality, the world <BR>
etc)<BR>
<BR>
For example I hear people talking about AI as if it were a tool or a method <BR>
rather than a set of principles which guide practice ( what a significant <BR>
difference!)<BR>
<BR>
I hear people talking about AI as if it were the interviews - rather than a <BR>
continual process people use to enagage each other in building the kinds of <BR>
worlds and communities and organizations they want to live in<BR>
<BR>
I hear people talking about AI as if flexibility, customiztion and <BR>
co-creation with our clients were somehow not core and central to AI practice.<BR>
<BR>
I hear people talking about AI as the 4 (or 5 ) D cycle - as if they were <BR>
one and the same - rather than understanding that this is one of many <BR>
articulations of a set of principles( for example Imagine Chicago calls it <BR>
Understand-Imagine-Create )<BR>
<BR>
I hear almost no reference to or understanding of the underlying theory and <BR>
research base. (Social Constructionism, the Power of Image, and what is <BR>
generally termed " the new sciences eg the principal of non locality, <BR>
Participative Design, the work of Dee Hock etc etc etc)<BR>
<BR>
I see little or mention of the all important Design phase in AI - with <BR>
respect to the importance of which Cooperider says<BR>
<BR>
"Too often we skirt these "tougher" issues, like the sharing and distribution <BR>
of <BR>
resources, or images of ideal power relations" and goes on to say...<BR>
<BR>
<<What is becoming increasingly clear to me is that if people do great work <BR>
with Discovery and Dream, then rarely, if ever, do the older command <BR>
and control structures of eras past serve the org; the new dreams <BR>
always seem to have outgrown the structures and systems. If we, on an <BR>
ongoing basis, start sharing propositions emerging in our work we <BR>
might begin seeing patterns and connections, and images of post <BR>
bureaucratic forms, where the future is brilliantly interwoven into <BR>
the texture of the mosaic of all our inquiries. In my experience, <BR>
which is curious to me, I have never seen people create propositions <BR>
about creating more hierarchy, more command and control, more <BR>
inequality, more degradation of the environment, more socially <BR>
irresponsible business practices, etc. Indeed the propositions, as <BR>
I°¶ve seen them written, have always moved in a direction of more <BR>
equality, more self-organization, more social consciousness in terms <BR>
of business practices, and the breakdown of arbitrary barriers <BR>
between groups and functions.<BR>
>><BR>
<BR>
Peggy - Of course all of this could be dismissed as over complexifying - and <BR>
I for one certainly like Harrisons invocation " what is one less thing to do <BR>
and have the experience be whole?" But I think we need be cautious in our <BR>
attempt to stream line and not forget the end concept from Harrison ...and <BR>
still "have the experience be whole"<BR>
<BR>
What I do know is that there are many practitioners out there who are deeply <BR>
committed to <BR>
<BR>
<<building a better world through the creation of organizations that are <BR>
healthy and prosperous-- living systems that connect to the best and most <BR>
positive in human beings and are in harmony with nature. >> ( the <BR>
purpose/raison d'etre of AIC - Appreciative Inquiry Consulting)<BR>
<BR>
...practitioners that use OS and or AI as guiding frameworks. My hope is that <BR>
as a larger community, we begin by seeking to understand each other as fully <BR>
as possible ie developing a common language perhaps, a shared set of <BR>
meanings. - and perhaps your cross positngs are just the vehicle to help us <BR>
do that !<BR>
<BR>
Bernard J Mohr<BR>
<BR>
In a message dated 4/29/01 12:09:09 AM, <FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>pholman@email.msn.com</U></FONT> writes:<BR>
<BR>
<< Bernard,<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for your very thoughtful reflections. I really take your point about<BR>
<BR>
"its almost as if we are speaking a different language - or to use a somwhat<BR>
<BR>
hackneyed term - we seem to standing within differing paradigms (ie beliefs<BR>
<BR>
about the nature of reality, the<BR>
<BR>
world etc)" I must admit I was a little nervous about sending the messages<BR>
<BR>
to this list wondering if some of the perceptions would seem insulting. As<BR>
<BR>
the discussion shifted to perceptions about role of the facilitator, it<BR>
<BR>
seemed useful to me to broaden the reflection to this list. Your hope of<BR>
<BR>
aiding greater understanding is certainly one I share.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Peggy >><BR>
<BR>
====<BR>
<BR>
Peggy - Since the point of departure for AI is dialogical place (ie Social <BR>
constructionism and relational theory), how could anyone object to a <BR>
conversation that says 'lets explore"! This of course doesnt mitigate the <BR>
difficulty of shared meaning for so many words.<BR>
<BR>
Personally, I am continually impressed by my own inability to create new <BR>
shared meanings in workshops of less than a week. People have no difficulty <BR>
in grasping superficially the words associated with the 5 D's - after all its <BR>
just basic action research isnt it. But it is the meaning, the nuance of <BR>
choice and the whole world view within which one stands that makes the <BR>
significant difference in deeper understanding and then practice. Its that <BR>
moment, when people say, "so from this perspective, everything changes" - <BR>
which incidentally is an experience I also associate with OS.<BR>
<BR>
None of this is particularly intellectually complex and many of these ideas <BR>
are, Im certain shared by the OS community - but the dialogue needed to tease <BR>
out the subtleties, those meaning full little differences that matter so <BR>
much, (like the difference between action planning and design) is a <BR>
challenge in general and via email it seems daunting <BR>
<BR>
But perhaps, given so much in the way shared ground between the communities, <BR>
we have an opportunity here?<BR>
<BR>
Bernard J Mohr<BR>
President/CEO<BR>
The Synapse Group, Inc.<BR>
"Supporting Positive Organizational Change for More Than 30 Years"<BR>
<BR>
Mailing address:<BR>
57 Coyle St.<BR>
Portland, ME 04101<BR>
<BR>
Bernard's office direct line and Voicemail 207-874-0118 (24 hrs)<BR>
Synapse administrative office (207) 761-4221 (24 hrs)<BR>
Fax (207) 874-0456 (24 hrs)<BR>
Home (207) 775-6577 (only after office hours and before 9 pm)<BR>
Email <<FONT COLOR="#0000FF"><U>BJMSynapse@AOL.com</U></FONT>><BR>
<BR>
Hope to see you at the First International AI Conference, Sept 30 - Oct 3, <BR>
2001, Baltimore, MD<BR>
For more info go to < www.pegasuscom.com/ai/ ><BR>
<BR>
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