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<DIV><FONT face=Arial><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT face=Arial>Craig wrote:
</FONT>In other words, looking<BR>back, I believe that through questions, I
tried to open space. Sometimes I<BR>am certain I missed on my
estimation, sometimes I hope I didn't, but<BR>regardless, hopefully, whatever
happened, needed to happen."</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Craig -- I think you have hit on a very critical point.
The centrality of The Question. And The Question is a big space maker. Really
opens things up. And I think it is reciprocal. When space opens, the question(s)
emerge. So, for example, should you get fired (made redundant) you suddenly
experience a whole mess of open space. And inevitably a whole mess of questions,
some of which you hadn't thought about for years, if ever -- explode into
your awareness. Not the least of these questions is, "What am I going to do with
the rest of my life?" Pretty raw and existential! And that question metastasizes
into a lot of other questions -- How do I pay the mortgage, educate the kids,
fill my days with meaning. And what sort of meaning would be meaningful?
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Getting fired is certainly a question maker and a
spacemaker. but it is not the only space maker. Good things create space too. So
if you suddenly receive a million dollar grant you were not expecting -- all
sorts of great questions arise. And curiously enough, not all of them are
pleasant or positive. If I suddenly receive a million dollars does that mean I
have to change my whole way of life? Maybe you like things just the way they
are?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Point is -- The Question is never an abstract one. And if
it is totally abstract, it is not The Question. The Question, arising in the
open space of our lives, for whatever reason, demonstrates its validity for us
when, and only when it becomes a significant emotional event. In short, we care
about it. And if you don't care, you are not there. Simple as that. So if
somebody else, looking at your situation, says, "I think the question is. . ."
but you don't care -- that ain't the question. Happens all the time, as for
example, should a father look at the life style of his son, and ask, "What
are you going to do with your life?" -- and the response of the son is
(explicitly of implicitly), "I don't care" -- Nobody home, nobody there, nobody
cares. At least the son doesn't care.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Which makes another point. Questions become critical for
me only when I care. It must be my question. I must be the asker. And no matter
how many times somebody else asks precisely the same question, even in relation
to me -- it doesn't make a bit of difference (no space is open) until it is my
question.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Now back to Open Space (Technology). I guess you knew that
was where I was heading :-) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I think of every Open Space gathering as a (potentially)
question rich environment. That is why I always suggest to people that they
phrase the theme as a question, as opposed to a statement. But it has to be
their question, not my question. And if there is no question, there is no space,
and there is no need for an Open Space Gathering. And most importantly, it has
to be a question they care (passionately) about. Please note -- this is not
about answers. You can have all the answers in the world, and they are totally
useless until you have the questions. Which is one reason why having a whole
bunch of experts in attendance at an Open Space on the grounds that they "might"
have the answers to a question that somebody might ask -- is pretty much a waste
of time and effort. The ticket of admission is CARE -- Careing for The
Question. And of course, those who care (enough) will be there -- which is why
in my experience -- whoever comes are the right people. No ifs, ands, or
buts.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>So maybe we could reduce our understanding of genuine
facilitation to The Art of Asking the Question? But I think it may be a
little more sublte than that. As a facilitator I must remember that my question
is irrelevant. Their question is the only one that counts (for them). So we
probably need to move one step further out of the way -- and see our role as
creating the conditions under which The Question may be asked. And best of all
-- do that without saying a word, or as few words as possible. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Harrison</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Harrison Owen<BR>7808 River Falls Dr.<BR>Potomac, MD
20854<BR>USA<BR>301-365-2093<BR>207-763-3261 (summer)<BR>website <A
href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </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=wcraiggilliam@hotmail.com
href="mailto:wcraiggilliam@hotmail.com">Craig Gilliam</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> Friday, May 27, 2005 1:53 PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Growing Together at the
Emerging Edge of Evolution (long)</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Peggy said:<BR>My conclusion: there are times that support,
provided sparingly and always,<BR>always with the intent of letting go, is of
service.<BR><BR>If I am hearing you, the way I have come to frame this Peggy
is, that for<BR>years, when working with congreations or organizations, I was
very<BR>nondirective, using primarily questions, and it is there challenge to
move<BR>or not to move. But the more toxic, anxious, or less
mature<BR>theorganizations/congregations seemed to be, the more difficult time
it had<BR>even hearing the questions, much less responding to them. I
came to believe<BR>that my either/or was too dychotomistic (I guess that is a
word), too<BR>reducationistic, for it depended not only on where I was,
but also where<BR>they were. It became more of an art than a
science. I would have to make a<BR> determination of where they
were, and meet them there. The challenge ws to<BR>be nondirective enough to
challenge them to move forward, but being<BR>directive enough, that I
stayed in connection. In other words, looking<BR>back, I believe that
through questions, I tried to open space. Sometimes I<BR>am
certain I missed on my estimation, sometimes I hope I didn't,
but<BR>regardless, hopefully, whatever happened, needed to happen. And
that is<BR>something of what I think I hear in your discussion about the
other<BR>processes in addition to OS? How do we meet people were they
are or is this<BR>too much of a compromise, or rationalizing other
needs/issues going on?<BR>Thanks,
Craig<BR><BR><BR><BR><html><DIV><BR><P>W. Craig
Gilliam</P><BR><P>3762 Red Cypress Dr.</P><BR><P>New
Orleans, LA
70131</P><BR><P>504-393-0309</P></DIV></html><BR><BR><br><br><br>----Original
Message Follows----<br>From: Peggy
Holman<BR><peggy@opencirclecompany.com><br>Reply-To:
OSLIST<BR><OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU><br>To:<BR><A
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>Subject">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>Subject</A>:
Re: Growing Together at the<BR>Emerging Edge of Evolution
(long)<br>Date: Fri, 27 May 2005
08:54:38<BR>-0700<br><br>Harrison said:<br><br>Through
my eyes it has always appeared to<BR>me that there is precious little that
occurs at a deep level in WC, AI, and<BR>FS -- that does not also occur in OS.
Further, that the deepest moments of<BR>the preceding three happen when the
space (for whatever reason) is most<BR>fully open...if the common point of
power is open space -- why not just Open<BR>Space? Not much else
needed.<br><br><br>Harrison, I deeply and firmly<BR>believe
that all roads lead to Open Space. And yet, I do work with AI
and<BR>occaisionally TWC and I applaud the work of my fs colleagues.
Why? Because<BR>they are where a client is willing to start AND they
lead to Open<BR>Space.<br><br>Years ago I remember you telling me
that anytime you do<BR>something for another, it disempowers them.
Anytime I consider supporting<BR>someone in some way, I think of this.
As I've experimented with this<BR>through the years (mostly by not
stepping in to help), I saw others support<BR>someone that I had left
(lovingly) to find their way on their own. In many<BR>cases, that
helping hand gave the person or group the start they needed to<BR>take the
next step on their own. My conclusion: there are times that<BR>support,
provided sparingly and always, always with the intent of letting<BR>go, is of
service. That is how I hold any work I do that requires me to
do<BR>silly facilitator gyrations like asking people to do activity a,
then<BR>b.<br><br>The critical, critical discipline for me is to
continually ask<BR>myself my favorite Harrison design question:
"what's one less thing to<BR>do (and have this be whole and
complete)?" I know without hesitation<BR>that anytime things
start getting complicated that it is time to step back<BR>and ask,
"what is the intent?" and "what is the
minimum<BR>required for this to
occur"?<br><br><br>You said:<br>...it is not
The<BR>Designed Process (AI, FS, WC, or OS) but rather the natural gift
possessed<BR>by all of us that deserves the credit.<br><br>...I
seriously doubt that the<BR>genesis of all that good stuff happened because of
brilliant design and<BR>application. It happened because a total natural and
pre-existing phenomenon<BR>was allowed to do its work. Most importantly, this
phenomenon was NOT the<BR>creation of the conference designers and
facilitators. It was in fact the<BR>natural "possession" of
the group as a whole, and each
individual<BR>present.<br><br><br>Absolutely! Goodness
knows that I wouldn't dream of<BR>taking credit for their work! I do
believe that what is useful is naming<BR>what is happening (e.g., speaking the
law and the principles) so that they<BR>have the gift of consciously knowing
what's working and can take it with<BR>them when they
leave.<br><br>To that end, I have taken to describing the
law<BR>of two feet with the phrase "Take responsibility for what
you<BR>love". While simply another way of talking about passion
and<BR>responsibility, it has remarkable potency. In fact, I learned
something new<BR>about the implications of this invitation. On my way to
breakfast on the<BR>third morning, one of the many luminaries at the gathering
stopped me with a<BR>clear, crisp call. She said that she'd just
"gotten" what it<BR>means to take responsibility for what
you love. She explained that she had<BR>been excluded from a journal on
a subject in which she is an acknowledged<BR>expert. She had been hurt
and fretting about it and wasn't sure what to do<BR>with the angst. She
told me she woke up with my face in hers saying,<BR>"take
repsonsibility for what you love" and immediately knew what<BR>she
had to do. She started composing a letter to the publisher telling
him<BR>that he needed to publish something of hers and indeed, that he needed
her<BR>as a keynote at an upcoming conference. And with that, she could
let go.<BR>She went on to say (and this is where my new learning comes in)
that in the<BR>past she would have told herself that it was her ego talking
and let it go.<BR>What the phrase "take responsibility for what you
love" did for<BR>her was help her discern calling from ego. It
gave her the power to act<BR>appropriately.<br><br>Wow! She
did the work. No question. Yet those words<BR>-- take
responsibility for what you love -- the essence of Open Space,
made<BR>it possible for her to clearly see herself and her power in a
new<BR>way.<br><br>As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't get any
better.<br><br>from<BR>sunny<BR>Seattle,<br>Peggy<br><br><br><br>*<br>*<br>==========================================================<br>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>------------------------------<br>To<BR>subscribe,
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