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At 11:56 PM 12/11/2001 +0100, Michael Molenaar - Tilburg Holland
wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>I would like to make a point about
my opinion of the essence of Open Space:<br>
Some might think it's self organization that invokes some human
processes<br>
like motivation and community. I think that's not really true, it's
the<br>
experience of Spirit.</blockquote><br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>Why does
this have to be an <b>either/or</b> -- why not <b>both/and</b>? The whole
point about Open Space as Self-Organization for me is that we (humanoids)
like (apparently) all the rest of the cosmos are rooted in fundamental
processes which (to some extent) determine our behaviors and range of
responses. That is not all there is -- but is a start. Our growing
understanding of the phenomenon of self-organization allows for a
rational explanation of what otherwise might be inexplicable -- Why does
open Space work??? Is this true -- in some absolute and abstract fashion?
Who knows, but it seems to work (logically) and more importantly for
those who use Open Space, it provides a deeper awareness of the realm we
are operating in, and simultaneously explains some seemingly
anomalous happenings -- such as -- the more we seek to control what
goes on, the less successful we are. <br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>But not to
stop here. For a deeper understanding of Open Space and our experience in
Open Space, I find it useful to consider the realm of Spirit. The
phenomenon of self-organization is only a partial explanation.
Before all that is Spirit, or what classically would be called
Consciousness. To deeply understand Open Space and our experience
therein -- we in fact have to go deeper. Actually (to let the cat out of
the bag) I started with Spirit and only later, and quite by accident, ran
into Open Space. My first book, which was written in 1982-3, and
published in 1987 -- was all about Spirit. The words "Open
Space" do appear, but have nothing to do with what we now call Open
Space Technology. The reference is to what the Buddhists might call The
Abyss, or The Void. How I got from Open Space as "void" to an
approach to meetings, may seem a little strained, but my reason was that
much of what I experienced in The Void I also found whenever space was
opened. <br>
<x-tab> </x-tab>All of
which poses an interesting question -- Does everybody have to go into The
Void in order to experience/understand Open Space? I guess the answer is
Yes and No -- it is all about levels. It is quite possible to just
"do" Open Space. No explanation needed or wanted. Or you could
dig a little deeper into the question -- Why the Hell does the damn stuff
work -- when everything (well almost) in our training and experience says
that it couldn't and shouldn't? And I think some sort of an answer starts
to emerge when we open up the discussion to include Self-Organizing
systems. But is that all there is? to which I must answer, No we
are just getting started -- and it is off to The Void. Is there anything
else? Probably. It might just be pure nothingness... Now try that for a
sales pitch in the The Corporate Board Room!<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>There are two sides of Open Space,
as I see it:<br>
The first side is the easy understandable and funny part, which makes it
so<br>
attractive and, YES!, invites almost everyone to go for it. In this it
is<br>
not really special and Open Space has to compete with the other 17
methods<br>
of the Change Handbook. But if you started to talk about the
Shamanistic<br>
principles on which Open Space is based there would be a problem. So
of<br>
course you usually don't start with this part of the story (at least I
don't<br>
when I talk to someone who might be interested).<br>
On the second side is the essence (like Birgitt calls this) in which
Open<br>
Space can have a very deep effect on how people work together: they
make<br>
their Action Planning to a success, because they have discovered that
they<br>
are connected on a deeper level in the organization and that the essence
is<br>
not about hierarchy, but about Spirit and that it is really easy to
open<br>
this special communication canal to do so.<br>
Is it that easy?? Yes and no.<br>
No if you do the first side Open Space, but the excitement of the
experience<br>
will fade out...</blockquote><br>
Absolutely! Which is why it has always seemed to me that anybody with a
good head and a good heart can"do" Open Space, but it probably
takes a life time to get to the bottom of things. <br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Now I'm stopping, because this is
getting to far for the moment, I'm writing<br>
an article on comparing Open Space and Organization Constellation but
it's<br>
not ready yet.</blockquote><br>
I will look forward to seeing it.<br><br>
<br><br>
Harrison<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<div align="center">Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-469-9269<br>
Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
<br>
Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
Personal website <a href="http://www.mindspring.com/~owenhh" eudora="autourl">www.mindspring.com/~owenhh</a><br><br>
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