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<font size=3>At 09:13 PM 8/28/2002 -0400, Meg Salter wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Hello all<br>
Yes, I too am a Wilber fan, quite familiar with Spiral dynamics and
have<br>
done a fair bit of OST facilitation.<br>
OST works in all 4 quadrants in that it gives a minimal structure for
group<br>
process (lower right) that affects how groups interact and
inter-think<br>
(lower left - the "group mind"), individual behaviours (upper
right) and<br>
individual consciousness (upper left). Whew! While different
individuals in<br>
a group will be at different places, there will be a center of gravity
to<br>
whatever group is using OST. OST is attractive to greens, because
of it's<br>
high group inter-activity and "level playing field" message,
but I have also<br>
used it with groups who are largely orange or even blue. My sense, is
that<br>
OST can serve as a gateway for movement "up the Spiral" by
stimulating<br>
growth and expansion in both individual and collective consciousness. So
for<br>
example, a government hide-bound beauracracy may become more
entrepeneurial<br>
and accountable - orange. Or a $- result only orange corporation
may soften<br>
and expand the group of stakeholders with whom they feel
accountable<br>
(green).<br><br>
And this, I feel, is because (and I'm only building off Harrison here)
is<br>
because OST operates at that self-organizing, creative edge of chaos
place,<br>
where transformational growth can occur. This growth can occur when
a<br>
critical mass of individuals shift there own awareness, and this is
often<br>
made easier in a group context. And the centre of consciousness moves to
the<br>
only place it can - next level on the spiral.</font></blockquote><br>
As many of you know, I feel a great debt of gratitude to Ken Wilber, and
I have known Don Beck for some years. I find Wilber's work to be a marvel
of conceptual genius, although probably more complex than is needed for
my work in human systems and particularly in Open Space. In short it is
great for understanding, but rather overwhelming in practice, but that is
doubtless the finding of a pragmatic character -- namely me. As for
Spiral Dynamics, I personally find that it falls short at both ends. It
lacks the glorious conceptual and academic perceptions of Wilber and also
is too complex to be useful. In my own work, I have found The Original
Version of both -- which usually travels under the name of The Great
Chain of Being -- to be good enough for road work, as in everyday work on
the road of life. If you also have Ken Wilber in your background (mind)
simple applications have an incredible depth. For anybody interested in
at least my take on the situation, you might take a look at my last book,
The Power of Spirit.<br><br>
A key point that Beck (SD) does make, and which Wilber acknowledges is
what I have called, <i>Conflicts in Consciousness</i>. Whether you are
using the model of Wilber, Beck, or my own simplified version (old
traditional version) I am very clear that a major stumbling block in the
affairs of human beings is conflict that arises between groups and
individuals separated by one or more levels of consciousness. They simply
exist in different worlds, and therefore see the same thing in radically
different ways -- which almost inevitably leads to argument, conflict and
worse. All of which is definitely detrimental to the tranquility of our
world. <br><br>
Where I would fault both Wilber and Beck is when you come to action --
what do you DO about this conflict. Their resolution as I understand it
looks a lot like massive amounts of time on the couch or in the ashram.
Or it becomes some sort of rational program to knit the pieces together.
Frankly, I don't think we have the time or the couches/ashrams to get the
job done. Further, I find the level of complexity (in real life) so
overwhelming that it is impossible even to think it. And just when you
seem to have a handle on it all, the world changes again, and you are
back to square one. It is precisely at this point that I think the power
of self-organization becomes absolutely critical -- for self-organizing
systems have chaos, complexity and conflict for lunch and cry for more.
That is what they do on an everyday basis. And to the extent that Open
Space is the conscious application of the Powers of self- organization
(which I think it is) OS can be (is) a very central tool for the
resolution of these conflicts -- or put in positive terms -- making
Peace.<br><br>
Peacemaking has become (or maybe it always was) the central concern of my
life. Since 911 (now almost a year to the day) I have found myself on a
journey internally and through such places as Serbia and The Middle East
-- and it is all about peace. When something like this happens to me, I
write -- mostly for therapy. And I have been doing a lot of that. Those
jottings have now taken form in a book (I think), which is essentially
done. My plan is to ask everybody (who cares) to assist me in deciding is
it really a book, and if so, how to make it better. My Title is The
Practice of Peace. So when I get myself together (soon) I will let you
know. <br><br>
Harrison <br><br>
<br><br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite><font size=3>Harrison
Owen</blockquote>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<div align="center">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>
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