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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Hi Chris.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Hmmmmmmm . . . Interesting optimization of your efforts !<BR>
<BR>
I concur that “community” is the natural fit for OST.<BR>
<BR>
And . . .<BR>
In my twelve year experiment and experience using <BR>
OST in large corporate and Government contexts,<BR>
OST worked profoundly well on an ongoing basis ---<BR>
but required that I and my OS-oriented colleagues be<BR>
embedded and influential within the power structures<BR>
of the organizations. As an OST convener, I usually had<BR>
to carry actual or delegated-proxy P&L responsibility.<BR>
<BR>
I do ponder the experience of effectiveness and generativity <BR>
in being a trusted convener in the “embedded” sense within<BR>
communities, corporations, and Governments. I have played<BR>
with a strategy of establishing relationships that allow me to<BR>
at least temporarily serve in an embedded leadership capacity<BR>
— even if mostly virtual. More work, more messy -- more like <BR>
“community”. Of course, that does make me more like a <BR>
Stakeholder of the organizations — and less like a consultant.<BR>
In the past, some of my OST colleagues have challenged this<BR>
role as being inappropriate. But I like it — it works for me !<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for the thought stimulation . . .<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Monotype Corsiva"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18.0px'><B><I>Mark R. Jones<BR>
</I></B></SPAN></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="#FF00FF"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Chief Executive Officer<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000080"><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Academy Engraved LET"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:16.0px'>The Sunyata Group<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Academy Engraved LET"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:16.0px'><FONT COLOR="#008000">The Integral Wellness Group<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></B><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
PO Box 58788<BR>
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Phone: 425-413-6000<BR>
e-Mail: sunyata@att.net <a href="mailto:sunyata@att.net"><mailto:sunyata@att.net></a> <BR>
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On 4/3/06 10:50 PM, "Chris Corrigan" <chris@chriscorrigan.com> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>I have been finding lately that in the world of business, government and big organizations, people are much less likely to let go of control than in community settings. Corporations exist to stabilize and protect things: assets, property, ideas, money, reputations...they are all about control. Communities are messy, evolutionary, out of control and chaordic. I find that Open Space works beautifully in community settings, and works great in organizations where you are all about building a community, or where the leaders understand that the real way anything happens in the organization is if you view the whole enterprise as a big messy community, in which the agency of all contributes to the bigger good. In general, you will find very few people in corporations willing to take this risk, but in communities, for the most part, this is how people operate. <BR>
<BR>
I've given up on the holy grail of using OST in Fortune 500 settings to help groups of IT managers find innovative work processes, for example. It's certainly possible there, and applicable and probably improves the world in some small way. But I've seen OST animate community action on poverty, sustainability, rights, suicide, drug addiction, homelessness, food security, economic development and child welfare. I've seen people who have nearly nothing find a true sense of power and purpose in the process. So I've taken to using it in places where it makes a huge difference in the lives of people and communities, and I hold this arena in high regard, because the people who take risks here do so with everything on the line, and in some cases, everything means their life. <BR>
<BR>
Dee Hock's quote is about living and life. People live and die in communities every day. If they are willing to bring that richness of experience to work in the corporations and organizations that exist all over the place, Open Space will follow them in there and do all kinds of great things. But it will not make magic for folks who don't want to truly experience the naked terror of "Is anything possible?" <BR>
<BR>
Cheers,<BR>
<BR>
Chris<BR>
<BR>
On 4/3/06, <B>Harrison Owen</B> <hhowen@verizon.net> wrote:<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Thomas -- I hear what you are saying, and I can certainly understand why<BR>
certain executives would want to hold onto some "givens" (which I read as<BR>
"controls"). And these are the same people who want certainties and <BR>
guarantees. The only problem is there are no certainties, no guarantees in<BR>
this life. There never have been, and there never will be. Yes, of course,<BR>
there is one -- Life will end. But in the interim between beginning and <BR>
ending -- everything is at risk, everything is uncertain. And that, of<BR>
course is both the joy and terror of living. Dee Hock of Chaordic<BR>
Organization fame has a nice phrase (amongst many) in his book. Dee was also <BR>
the CEO of one of the world's largest corporations: Visa International. Goes<BR>
like --<BR>
<BR>
"Life is not about control. It's not about getting. It's not about having.<BR>
It's not about knowing. It's not even about being. Life is eternal, <BR>
perpetual becoming, or it is nothing. Becoming is not a thing to be known,<BR>
commanded, or controlled. It is a magnificent, mysterious odyssey to be<BR>
experienced."<BR>
<BR>
Harrison<BR>
<BR>
Harrison Owen<BR>
7808 River Falls Drive <BR>
Potomac, Maryland 20854<BR>
Phone 301-365-2093<BR>
Skype hhowen<BR>
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com"><http://www.openspaceworld.com></a> <BR>
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org"><http://www.openspaceworld.org></a> <BR>
Personal website www.ho-image.com <a href="http://www.ho-image.com"><http://www.ho-image.com></a> <BR>
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-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: OSLIST [<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]">mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]</a> On Behalf Of Thomas<BR>
Herrmann<BR>
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 5:35 PM<BR>
To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR>
Subject: Is anything possible?<BR>
<BR>
Dear friends in Open Space<BR>
I am wondering where you find those leaders in organizations and <BR>
corporations who are willing to support whatever will emerge from an<BR>
OS-meeting? Unfortunately my experience is that this level of trust is very<BR>
hard to find. I´ve also experienced leaders closing the space down, which <BR>
could have been avoided if they had had some givens to hold on to.<BR>
<BR>
I always do my best to give the sponsor the possibility to make an informed<BR>
decision about if they think OST is the meeting format they´d like to use. <BR>
Using the concept of givens, I think makes it possible for the sponsor to<BR>
open authentic space within the reality of that organization. Well, as<BR>
he/she who is accountable perceives that reality anyway.<BR>
<BR>
Then of course it is important work to minimize the givens! And next time <BR>
there may be fewer...<BR>
<BR>
But this question is not easy, if we´d have had an OS-meeting 15 years ago<BR>
in Gothenburg about making the town internationally known, building an East<BR>
Indiaman at a cost of 500 000 000 SEK would probably have been far exceeding <BR>
any thinkable givens....now it is on its journey to China!<BR>
<BR>
So the question may be - is anything possible? And are the persons in charge<BR>
willing to take responsibility for whatever happens - without any givens? I <BR>
agree there is a difference when working focusing primarily within an<BR>
organization where someone is in charge - or thinks he/she is in charge.<BR>
<BR>
I have a given tomorrow morning, have to get up early so:<BR>
Warmest regards and good night <BR>
Thomas Herrmann Phone +46 (0)709-98 97 81<BR>
Open Space Consulting Fax +46 (0)300-713 89<BR>
Pensévägen 4<BR>
434 46 Kungsbacka, Sweden<BR>
Email: thomas@openspaceconsulting.com <a href="mailto:thomas@openspaceconsulting.com"><mailto:thomas@openspaceconsulting.com></a> <BR>
www.openspaceconsulting.com <a href="http://www.openspaceconsulting.com"><http://www.openspaceconsulting.com></a> <BR>
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