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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080>Your Welcome Harrison,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080>I took your advice, and after finishing my
Master Thesis, I started Opening Space when and where the opportunity
presented itself (condo associations, university alumni org, a high school
football team, ASTD, even once at a beachside picnic for County Family
Mediators). I have no formal training in Open Space (did read
the books and a million articles)......and as advertised it worked and continues
to like clockwork. Each experience appeared to me to become visually
chaordic....looked like the models of a chaordic organization as folks self
organized, but without the "feeling" of being in one I am not sure the model
transposes to Open Space.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080>My strongest conclusion so far is
that Open Space does nothing more than embody the spirit of self
organization. Since we are all self organizing beings, and contain the
"self organizing spirit" then it makes sense that when the "OST bell gets
rung" we take to it like ducks to water....very familiar territory for the
human species.</FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#000080> </FONT><FONT
face=Arial color=#000080>For me my conclusion answers the
questions...... <FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#000000>Why does it
work? Why does it work so quickly? Why does it apparently work everywhere,
regardless of geography, ethnicity, economics, education, culture....? Why do we
have to explain so little in order to achieve so much?</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080>I read this excerpt in the archives from one
of the OSONOS. It has stuck with me and relates to self
organization. Maybe our connection as a human community holds the
answer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">TOPIC
#16:<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Open Space Dynamics and the
Creation of Community <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">CONVENER(S):
Ric Giardina <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">PARTICIPANTS:<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Maureen McCarthy,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Bob Nelson,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Albert Schinazi, Greg Sedbrook,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Sushma Sharma,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Dick Whitehouse,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Gil Herman,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>David Rupley, Harrison Owen,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Peg Holman,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ed Jacobson,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>David Koehler,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Judy Gast,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hart Frech,<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Gretchen Neve.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">SUMMARY
OF DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND, ACTIONS: <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">All
of us have experienced the transformation of a group of people (sometimes
strangers) into a community of value as a natural result of the OST process.
What is it about the OST process that contributes so consistently to this
transformation?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Several initial
ideas were suggested for this phenomenon, including the clarity of intention of
both the facilitator and the participants, that OST provides an environment in
which personal relationships can deepen from the more common "acquaintanceship"
model to one of true friendship, etc. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">It
was suggested that OST doesn’t really add anything, but that it is simply a
matter of acknowledging what is already there.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There was a suggestion that posing the
question about what is it that OST does to create community actually misses the
point.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><U>There is no "creation" or
"adding to," but an uncovering what is in reality in existence</U>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This approach says that in OST we START
with the notion that we are all already in community, that the divisions we
experience in normal life are all self-imposed, and that OST is a structure in
which those self-imposed divisions are removed. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
behavioral characteristic principles of OST that contribute to this structure
are: <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">ONE
– High Learning, in which radically diverse opinions and ideas are expressed.
Moreover, it is an environment in which diverse opinions are honored and
respected. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">TWO
– High Play, in which the participants take what shows up in the environment and
construct a good story to connect the facts in a delighted, playful manner.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">THREE
– Appropriate Structure and Control, by which we acknowledge that OST is NOT
structureless, but that it is self-generating. This means that it is totally
appropriate to the group that has spawned it, and, if it becomes something that
is not appropriate to the group, the group will change it.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">FOUR
– Genuine Community is the natural and direct product of the previous three
conditions. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">OST
is not about doing an event, but about participating in the evolution of human
consciousness. That is not to say that reflection after the event can not be
enormously powerful.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">There
was then significant discussion of other "community" organizations with
comparisons between those viewed as "healthy" (read: "good" ) versus those
viewed as "unhealthy" (read: "bad).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>In the end we seemed to agree that all communities were efficient
organizations created to deal with their respective environments.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For example, street gangs are very
effective communities for dealing with the issues that the members are
passionate about and totalitarian governmental systems are very efficient
communities to deal with the issues facing the proponents of that system.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Human
beings are self-organizing, and the type of self-organization will depend in a
large degree on the environmental forces surrounding the
community.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0.5in 0pt 0.25in; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Lastly,
it was suggested that OST works so efficiently to create community at such a
deep level because OST’s four characteristic principles and one law give people
permission to do what they were going to do anyway. Giving them permission to do
it, however, removes the guilt and transforms the space. (Giardina, date
unknown)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff>Rich Norris </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000080></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000080 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=owenhh@mindspring.com href="mailto:owenhh@mindspring.com">Harrison
Owen</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, March 14, 2002 8:28
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: OSO and chaordic
commons</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>At 08:53 PM 3/13/2002 -0500, <FONT face=arial
color=#000080>Rich Norris</FONT> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=cite cite="" type="cite"><FONT face=arial
color=#000080>HMMMM...........Open Space sounds like the natural hatchery
for chaordic embryos.</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>HMMM.... yourself. Rich -- this
is infinitely more than an incidental point, an idle reflection. If we are
correct in understanding that one of the central mechanisms "behind" Open
Space is the phenomenon of self-organization, then I think you have hit the
nail precisely on the head, and the implications are quite profound. From
where I sit our growing understanding of self-organization provides a useful
basis from which to answer a number of bothersome questions arising from our
experience and practice of Open Space. Such as Why does it work? Why does it
work so quickly? Why does it apparently work everywhere, regardless of
geography, ethnicity, economics, education, culture....? Why do we have to
explain so little in order to achieve so
much?<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>The
common experience of bringing 100's of diverse, conflicted folks together to
deal with complex issues productively -- all without prior agenda, designated
leadership, and pre-designed structure -- can only be viewed as a mental
aberration when looked at through the eyes of what I might call "Standard"
organizational theory. OST cannot happen. Indeed it should not happen. But it
does, and when viewed through the eyes of self-organization theory -- our
experience is totally predictable.
<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>The
rapidity of organization in OS is another problem for the standard view,
because we all know that organization happens only by dint of major effort and
usually takes a long time. Self Organization Theory tells us that what we
experience is what we should expect.
<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>With regard
to the apparent universality of Open Space (see our growing list of Countries)
a standard view would suggest that given the divisions, complexities, and
peculiarities (uniqueness) of cultures and peoples no procedure or process
could work equally all across the globe. Yet it appears that Open Space
is somehow "culture free." Which would suggest that the fundamental mechanism
of Open Space is "behind" or "beneath" culture. That would be the case if the
operative mechanism were indeed self-organization. Just as all peoples are
subject to Gravity, so also Self-Organization -- regardless of culture, time
and place.
<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>And why do
we have to say so little in order to achieve so much? No training of
participants, no endless meetings and conferences of the agenda, no extended
procedural steps to bring the group to the point of action .... just 20
minutes of conversation about 4 principles and a law ... and we are off. For
all of us who over the years have labored in the Meeting Management world or
the world of Training, this is quite a shock. And it can be very expensive,
because we used to bill clients for all that activity. Obviously something is
wrong, and yet when seen through the eyes of self-organization this experience
is also predictable. After all, why would you have to explain something as
deeply rooted as DNA?<BR><BR>So is it really all about Self-Organization? Well
it is certainly a testable hypothesis, and it works for me. But time will
tell. In the meantime, I find it a very useful starting point for not only
understanding the function of Open Space, but also its potential applications
as well. Which brings me back to Rich's HMMMM.... <FONT face=arial
color=#ff0000>Open Space sounds like the natural hatchery for chaordic
embryos.</FONT><FONT face=arial> Chaordic Organization is of course Dee Hock's
happy appellation for a self-organizing system. And if you want to get there,
as a number of people seemingly do, the way forward is probably not through an
intensive design process combined with clear executive decision (We will now
become a Chaordic Organization!) and extensive training for all concerned.
Just open some space and you will discover that you are already there. But
that is just the start of the story -- embryos, after all are always a
beginning. You will have to decide if you want to continue and how to grow up.
<BR><BR></FONT>Thanks Rich!<BR><BR><BR>Harrison<BR> <BR><BR><X-SIGSEP>
<P></X-SIGSEP>
<DIV align=center>Harrison Owen<BR>7808 River Falls Drive<BR>Potomac, MD 20854
USA<BR>phone 301-365-2093<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><FONT
color=#0000ff><U>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR></U></FONT>To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options,<BR>view the archives of <FONT
color=#0000ff><U>oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu<BR></U></FONT>Visit: <A
href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"
eudora="autourl"><FONT
color=#0000ff><U>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</A><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT></U></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>