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<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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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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