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<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Sorry I am a little late with this -- been having some
email problems. And Eric, I can certainly see your point about having more
strings for your bow, and more tools than a hammer, lest the whole world become
a nail. And at some level, Open Space Technology is one method amongst many
others, to be used (or not) depending on the circumstances. However I think this
conversation might take place at a different (deeper) level, and the question
changes. The critical question for me is always how to create the conditions
underwhich a particular group can function in an optimal fashion. In approaching
this question, I confess to a certain pre-conception -- that all human systems
are self organizing. Or put in slightly different terms -- There is no such
thing as a non-self organizing system. There are only some misguided folks that
think they did the organizing and control the system. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>I recognize this assertion can be provocative -- but the
more I think about it the more I feel comfortable with it. It is true that
people spend a lot of time organizing and controlling. But the organization
created is really (in my opinion) only a map which will hopefully correspond
with the territory. But maps do not create the territory. And once we move from
abstract (paper) design to implementation (execution) all the best
laid plans are thrown into a totally self-organizing world, and
become just one more piece in the self-organizing stew. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Optimal function of any organization occurs, in my
judgment, when an organization (and the people in it) has sufficient room
(space) to operate fully and effectively as the self-organization it is
inherently . Restrictions, of one sort or another reduce agility, capacity for
adaptation, opportunity for learning (all of which self-organizing systems do
quite well). When the restriction is sufficient, the organization will
strangle.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>So the real question for me is always, How much open space
can be offered such that the organization can be fully and effectively what it
is -- self-organizing? Some approaches provide lots of space (FS), some
virtually none (Strategic Real Time Change), and only one -- all the space
anybody cares to deal with (OS).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>At the end of the day, it is all about opening space. The
only question is how much? Personally, I have never encountered an organization
that could not negotiate Open Space. I have met managers, MDs, CEOs who get very
nervous -- maybe even too nervous. But that, it seems to me, is their issue. I
do try to be helpful -- but to quote another old saw, "You can take a horse to
water, but you can't make him drink." </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>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><BR>Personal
Website <A href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</A><BR></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=e.kolenaty@aon.at href="mailto:e.kolenaty@aon.at">Erich Kolenaty</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, June 13, 2006 6:00
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Future Search</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Dear Tree and Agneta,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>whatever you may have experienced
and whatever you might think about other ways of bringing change into life
except open hearts and open space - t</FONT><FONT face=Arial color=#800080
size=2>here is one little thing I want to remind to you:
</FONT> <FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Open Space always works, if
you can fulfill some conditions - we discussed this many times.
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Unfortunately sometimes you find
yourself in a place where you CANNOT fulfill these conditions for specific
reasons and you know, that open space WILL NOT work properly. So you have to
look for other options and future search sometimes is one of
them.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Paul Watzlawick once wrote a
very nice aphorism: "I you only have got a hammer, every problem
appears to be a nail" </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#800080 size=2>Erich from sunny and lovely
Vienna</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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