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<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005><FONT face='"Arial"'>Hi,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005>I think trusting the principles includes
trusting the people and trusting the people leads us to behave according to the
principles. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005></SPAN><SPAN class=828521616-11032005>This
may be a question of the chicken and the egg. It may not really matter which
comes first as long as they are understood.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005>I was explaining OST in an OD meeting
last night and when came the moment to point out how OST was different from
other processes, the feeling and thoughts that came to me were someting
like this: </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005>- the fundamental values,
attitudes or something of that nature on which OST is based and
operates is trusting people and fostering openness and "positivity"
(looking at things from the perspective of possibilities - Whatever happens,
whoever is there, etc) </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005>- and the behaviour of letting go which is
coherent with these "values". </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005><FONT
face='"Arial"'></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005>All of which are reflected in the OST
principles. </SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005>So trusting the principles includes trusting
the people and vice versa.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=828521616-11032005><FONT
face='"Arial"'></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face='"Arial"'></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=7><FONT face="Palace Script MT"><FONT face="Brush Script MT"
size=4>Diane Gibeault </FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Brush Script MT" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Brush Script MT" size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Brush Script MT" size=4></FONT><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT face=Arial color=#0080c0
size=2><STRONG></STRONG></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Jack
Ricchiuto<BR><B>Sent:</B> March 11, 2005 9:40 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Trust the Process OR Trust
the People?<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Harrison, full alignment here. Would it be equally accurate to say that in
OS, we are trusting both the principles and the people? I ask simply from the
observation, working with facilitators over the years, that for some, the lack
of (what I would call appreciative) principles lead to more emphasis on managing
the process.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Peace,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Jack</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>~~~~~~~~~~</DIV>
<DIV>jack ricchiuto</DIV>
<DIV>two.one.six/three.seven.three/seven.four.seven.five</DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://www.designinglife.com/">www.designinglife.com</A> / <A
href="http://www.appreciativeleadership.org/">www.appreciativeleadership.org</A>
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV>------------Original Message------------</DIV>
<DIV>From: Harrison Owen <hhowen@comcast.net></DIV>
<DIV>To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</DIV>
<DIV>Date: Fri, Mar-11-2005 9:14 AM</DIV>
<DIV>Subject: Trust the Process OR Trust the People?</DIV>
<DIV>Several evenings ago I was invited to participate in a group
considering</DIV>
<DIV>"Strategic Planning in a Self-Organizing world." The topic really
interested</DIV>
<DIV>me and I was hoping for a great discussion. As it turned out, we had a
great</DIV>
<DIV>discussion, but the focus turned to Open Space which I suppose was</DIV>
<DIV>understandable given my history. The conversation moved to a
consideration</DIV>
<DIV>of the role of the facilitator, and several people in the group made
it</DIV>
<DIV>quite clear that the notion of standing in the middle of a circle of
300</DIV>
<DIV>folks who may not like each other very much was very nervous making
(at</DIV>
<DIV>least to them). Question: How do you do that? Answer: "Trust the
Process."</DIV>
<DIV>And when that answer was given just about every one in the group
nodded</DIV>
<DIV>their heads in agreement as if Truth had been spoken.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"Trust the Process" is, and has been, the mantra of group work for as
long</DIV>
<DIV>as I can remember, and when the words were spoken, my head started to
nod</DIV>
<DIV>along with all the rest. But suddenly my head stopped - mid-nod, so
to</DIV>
<DIV>speak. Something seemed quite wrong and I found myself thinking - NO - it
is</DIV>
<DIV>really all about trusting the people!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The people present were largely OD (Organization Development)
practitioners</DIV>
<DIV>for whom the design of processes which enable groups of people to get
useful</DIV>
<DIV>work done is their stock in trade. And running those processes with
multiple</DIV>
<DIV>groups is how they make their living. I myself have been there and
done</DIV>
<DIV>that. Trusting the process (especially when things got a little bit
hairy)</DIV>
<DIV>is the standard mode of behavior and the accepted path to salvation when
it</DIV>
<DIV>seemed that everything was falling apart. So what was my problem?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>It suddenly dawned on me that we had been placing the process above
the</DIV>
<DIV>people, and in that act had assumed a god like position of omniscience.
For</DIV>
<DIV>the best of reasons (usually) we tacitly assumed that our infinite
wisdom</DIV>
<DIV>would enable those poor benighted souls to rise to the level of
Inspired</DIV>
<DIV>performers. With this new process - whatever it was - salvation was</DIV>
<DIV>definitely close at hand, and we were present to usher in that
beatific</DIV>
<DIV>state. What an ego trip! And of course - the way forward was, Trust
the</DIV>
<DIV>Process.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But . . . you might reasonably ask - Isn't Open Space simply another
example</DIV>
<DIV>of the same sort of thing? Just another "process." I am sure that
most</DIV>
<DIV>people who have heard about Open Space, and not a few who have actually
used</DIV>
<DIV>it, might think so. These are the sorts of people who show up in
every</DIV>
<DIV>training program I have conducted with the objective of "finding a new
tool</DIV>
<DIV>for their toolbox." In most cases, before the program has concluded
they</DIV>
<DIV>have either left early in frustration - or more likely have found
their</DIV>
<DIV>minds twisted in some curious ways. If Open Space is a process, just
like</DIV>
<DIV>any other process, it is definitely a very odd process. It was "designed"
in</DIV>
<DIV>less than an hour on the strength of two martinis. For a successful</DIV>
<DIV>application, there are zero requirements for advance training for those
who</DIV>
<DIV>will participate, no special steps to remember, no private language
to</DIV>
<DIV>learn. The facilitator "does" next to nothing, and it always works
provided</DIV>
<DIV>nobody (and most particularly the facilitator) attempts to "manage"
the</DIV>
<DIV>process and/or take charge.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Of course, on some level Open Space is a process - but it is a process
that</DIV>
<DIV>is totally internal to the people involved. There is nothing to learn,
they</DIV>
<DIV>are already there - although it may be true that there is much to
un-learn.</DIV>
<DIV>The role of the facilitator then becomes one of trusting the people to
be</DIV>
<DIV>fully what they already are. And more often than not that is what
happens.</DIV>
<DIV>Trust the People.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Some thoughts on a beautiful March morning here in little old
Potomac.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Harrison</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Harrison Owen</DIV>
<DIV>7808 River Falls Drive</DIV>
<DIV>Potomac, Maryland 20845</DIV>
<DIV>Phone 301-365-2093</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <<A
href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/">http://www.openspaceworld.com/</A>></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org</DIV>
<DIV>Personal website <A
href="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm">http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</A></DIV>
<DIV>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU </DIV>
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