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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Chris -- you have a turn of phrase. <FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>("Kind of like hammering a nail with a Do it
Yourself book.</FONT>") And it makes me think of the oddly uncomfortable moments
in various training programs I have participated in over the years when some one
says at the start that they have come to "add one more tool to their tool box."
The discomfort arises when I think to myself -- do I tell them the truth, now,
later, or never? Just let them figure it out for themselves. Integrity would say
"Now." Tactics would say, "Later." Perhaps Wisdom would say, "Never." Truth of
the matter is that regardless of what you say -- they really won't hear/believe
you. At the end of the day -- you just have to have been there.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I guess all this has something to do with the
conversation a while back about the spread of Open Space. No question, great
things can happen in OS, most of which seem to me to be useful and maybe even
essential in the sort of world we live and work in. Given the option, I vote for
Open Space -- which translates into helping more people engage in the practice.
However, for the vast majority of likely prospects (facilitators, consultants,
coaches, managers, Human Resource People, etc) engaging in such a practice
appears, on the face of it, to be contrary to all their training, tough on their
wallets (hard to get paid for doing nothing), bad for public recognition
(limited "face time") -- and probably illegal, immoral, and fattening. Who would
want to go there?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>So when I think about "spreading Open Space" or the
spread of Open Space -- I am totally amazed that it went anywhere at all. By all
rights it should have died in the bottom of my martini glass, or perhaps on the
idyllic shores of Monterey Bay in California where the first Open Space showed
up in 1985. But we know the reality is rather different, dramatically
different. I guess that might suggest that whatever we are doing seems to
be working, even if we can't say quite what it is. And under the heading of
thinking of one more thing not to do, it might be worth while to heed the local
admonition (Local to the State of Maine) -- Don't fix it if it ain't
broke.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Harrison</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 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=chris.corrigan@gmail.com href="mailto:chris.corrigan@gmail.com">Chris
Corrigan</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> Monday, May 23, 2005 11:14 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: replacing?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Yup...Open Space makes a lousy tool, but a great
practice. Kind of like hammering a nail with a Do it Yourself
book.<BR><BR>:-)<BR><BR>Chris<BR><BR>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 5/23/05, <B class=gmail_sendername>Michael
Herman</B> <<A href="mailto:mjherman@gmail.com">mjherman@gmail.com</A>>
wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">this
might be cutting things a bit fine, but as we know, there are<BR>subtle
differences in openspace that make a bigdifference. so
try<BR>this on if you like...<BR><BR>many times we hear os talked about as a
"tool." makes sense enough. <BR>and what i've been suggesting
where i can is that bulletin board,<BR>marketplace, circle, etc are
tools. open space is a practice that is<BR>the skillful use and
integration of many of these tools.<BR><BR>i thnk it's worth making a
distinction in this way not only about open <BR>space, but about other tings
as well. perhaps the thing with this<BR>replacing business is not
so much replacing os with something else,<BR>but replacing a 'tool' mind
with a practice mind.<BR><BR>m<BR><BR>--<BR><BR>Michael Herman
Associates<BR><A
href="http://www.michaelherman.com">http://www.michaelherman.com</A><BR>...inviting
organizations into action<BR><BR>Small Change News Network<BR><A
href="http://www.smallchangenews.org">http://www.smallchangenews.org
</A><BR>...blogging giving
flourishing<BR><BR>*<BR>*<BR>==========================================================<BR><A
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<BR>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<BR>view the archives of
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<BR><BR>CHRIS CORRIGAN<BR>Consultation - Facilitation<BR>Open Space
Technology<BR><BR>Weblog: <A
href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot">http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot</A><BR>Site:
<A href="http://www.chriscorrigan.com">http://www.chriscorrigan.com</A> * *
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