<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Funda wrote:</DIV>
<DIV>I understand this. But what about a little encouragement, something
like teaching someone riding bycle? a smile, an invitation, an eye
contact, a gentle joke to invite to participate or a serious
decisive movement to stop people taking others'
turn. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>********************************</DIV>
<DIV>Smile, eye contact etc are very much a part of holding space, at least the
way I hold space. But where I would draw the line is with you last
suggestion. My experience has been that if I intervene in such a fashion it is a
long time, if ever, that I can get back to what I think of as my primary job of
holding space. But more to the point, in 20 years of doing this stuff I have
never found a situation that the people could not work out to their benefit
-- no matter how much I might want to jump in. Tough to do -- but
really pays off for the group and the individuals in the long run. And I would
cerftainly support what Mr. Kloth has to say about all the preliminaries --
which are most essential. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Harrison</DIV>
<DIV> </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=fundaoral2003@yahoo.com href="mailto:fundaoral2003@yahoo.com">funda
oral</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> Wednesday, July 13, 2005 12:48
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Fw: Deep power differentials
in OST</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Harrison,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I remember Zachary, you and me discussing this issue at Goa.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And this is something i always think about.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>What I have noticed is that in situations where
everybody said that the differentials in power would shut the space
down.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT color=#000000>No, i don't think the space would
shut down..the space is open regardless power
differentials.</FONT> </FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But, can we use the space more efficiently while it's open
? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>I guess the major reason I would keep my hands off is
that I find that empowerment is ultimately something you must give yourself.
If I intervene and offer a quart of power -- guess who is powerful? On the
otherhand, when an individual takes that first, perhaps tentative, step to
claim their own power by word or deed, that is a self-gift that can never
be taken away and will never be forgotten.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>I understand this. But what about a little encouragement, something
like teaching someone riding bycle? a smile, an invitation, an eye
contact, a gentle joke to invite to participate or a serious
decisive movement to stop people taking others'
turn. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Definitely not by using power, forcing someone or stopping others or
insisting.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I guess there are cultural differences here also. In our culture if you
don't say anything people don't think that you are letting them free. They
rather think that you are indifferent, you don't mind. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I also undertsand that the issue is theirs. I shouldn't care
how or whether they solve it or not. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And Harrison, especially for you: a sentence from a famous foreign
architect visiting Istanbul last week " you have such a chaos here,
keep it as it is and everything will be fine" </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Funda</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>as you see i can not keep quiet ::)) </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><B><I>Harrison Owen <hhowen@comcast.net></I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Chris -- funny thing -- I have never noticed great
power differences making much of a difference either. What I have noticed is
that in situations where everybody said that the differentials in power
would shut the space down -- this did not happen. I found that very
surprising. In a Latin American corporate setting with the President-owner
very much present and taking an active part in a "whole company" OS, the
going in conventional wisdom was that nobody would say a word until "he"
spoke, and then only those words that aligned with his position. In actual
fact, the President was largely ignored and one session that he proposed had
zero participants. I guess it isn't accurate to say that he was ignored --
but certainly treated as a respected colleague. No less, no more.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Would this always be true? Obviously you can't say
-- and for sure there must have been somebody, somewhere, sometime who
felt repressed for what ever reason. And the next question, of course, would
be should we (as facilitators) attempt some special
intervention/facilitation to assist such people? Personally, I rather think
not -- for several reasons. First of all, I am not very clear how you would
determine who such people were. Words are not the only way of participating
and making a point/contribution, and just because somebody says little or
nothing is not necessarily an indication that they are uninvolved. I
remember one lady in a non-western culture who attended several sessions
where the other participants were for the most part male. It was a smallish
OS, so I could pretty well hear/see what was going on. As best as I could
see, she never opened her mouth. But when the session was over, the other
participants came up to her and thanked her! for her contribution. She
smiled and went to another group -- also male dominated.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I guess the major reason I would keep my hands off is
that I find that empowerment is ultimately something you must give yourself.
If I intervene and offer a quart of power -- guess who is powerful? On the
otherhand, when an individual takes that first, perhaps tentative, step to
claim their own power by word or deed, that is a self-gift that can
never be taken away and will never be forgotten. And once that small step is
taken others seem quickly to notice the possibilities. In an odd way, the
dis-empowered can seemly empower others in ways that the powerful can never
manage. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Now it is quite true that in the moment a group will
lose the input/contribution of the hesitant. And perhaps that
input/contribution could have been critical to the "mission" of the group.
Obviously that is a loss -- but I never look at a single OS "event" as an
end in itself. As I see it, it is always a moment on the journey. I think we
have all had the experience of the true impact of an OS showing up weeks,
months, or years after the gathering -- and showing up in ways we could
never anticipate. In several situiations like that which I recall, the
instigating factor was one of those apparent non-participants who had a
small taste of their own power and then decided to use
it. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>So Chris, I guess where I come down on your question
is just to let the "space" do its work. Of course, we have a major job to do
in holding that space with dignity, respect and expectation, but for me
this is just one more thing not to do.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </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>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=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> Tuesday, July 12, 2005 4:45
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Deep power differentials in
OST</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Hi all:<BR><BR>I was in conversation with some folks about
Open Space yesterday and a question was asked about how the process works
in places where there are deeply entrenched power dynamics. I'm
thinking specifically of a multi-caste event in India for example (that
was the example from our conversation) or in a mixed group in a place
where women are traditionally spoken for.<BR><BR>I have certainly used the
process in many places where there are a variety of marginalization
dynamics at play, be they economic, racial, age, cultural and class, and
never have I heard about people feeling like the self-organizing part
didn't include them too. I'm wondering if others working in more
rigid places than Canada, the US or New Zealand might have had different
experiences and if so, what did you do either before the event or
during?<BR><BR>Chris<BR><BR>-- <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> *
* ==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
</BLOCKQUOTE>* * ==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>
<HR SIZE=1>
<A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=34442/*http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs">Start
your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page </A>* *
==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist