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<DIV>I'm really interested in this thread of conversation. I wonder about the "need" for admin to control. With organizations changing so rapidly, one would think that the models of Complex Adaptive Systems and Adaptive Leadership would really catch on and drive a new openness to the impact of complexity theories on management. Yet, our human nature when confronted with rapid change is to dig our heels in the ground, bare our teeth and charge in to control what we can. Regardless of the quiet whispers that tell us that all living systems reside outside of our "control." The system <STRONG>will </STRONG>hit a bifurcation point and new life <STRONG>will </STRONG>emerge or death will occur. Our western business culture is so afraid of death. Why? Death makes possible new opportunities. I'll take a breath now.<BR> </DIV>Scott Willard<BR>Affinity Consulting Group<BR>affinity-scottwillard.com
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<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif">----- Original Message ----<BR>From: Tenneson Woolf <tenneson@berkana.org><BR>To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR>Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 7:41:29 AM<BR>Subject: FW: Causing Trouble<BR><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thank you for voicing this. It has helped me to name something that I have seen many times and has made my skin crawl each time, without knowing why.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A prevalent management strategy seems to be “how to create obligation.” I contrast this with the simple invitation to “co-create.” The former feels like a never ending job that continues to require more and more effort, but in a way that will never accomplish the most possible (or even more). It is three parts manipulation, perhaps cajoling, perhaps retention of power, and one part human to human synergy. The latter feels calls deep down to the core of the human spirit, without even needing to be too funky, which seems to enliven us through its simplicity. </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">OK, maybe it isn’t all that simple. And yes, many approaches work to some extent in many circumstances. But this fundamental distinction – obligation vs invitation to cocreate – speaks volumes for me.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Thanks all.</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Tenneson </SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=green size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: green; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Tenneson Woolf</SPAN></FONT><FONT color=green size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: green"></SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Harrison Owen<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Thursday, March 22, 2007 5:27 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> FW: Causing Trouble</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> Uwe Weissflog [mailto:Uwe.Weissflog@t-online.de] <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Thursday, March 22, 2007 6:28 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> hhowen@verizon.net<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: Causing Trouble</SPAN></FONT></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Courier New'">Dear Harrison ,<BR><BR>what you say resonates with my experience and my heart. After numerous Open Space events in high-tech businesses and universities I have come to similar conclusions. Humberto Maturana's says in one of his books: "... but creating and managing are basically different. I co-create, by consciously living in the Now, making life more harmoniously - without enslaving other people". But this, apparently is the dilemma we face when opening the space: the self-organising and co-creating power of people becomes obvious and collides with the desire of some who want have power over people.<BR><BR>I had cases, where after very successful Open Space events (for example one, which resulted in 3 patents) higher management simply stopped it because the structure did not fit the "normal way of life" in the company - what
a waste of possibilities.<BR><BR>I'm now very careful when and how to use Open Space - sometimes it seems better to say no - for the sake of the people involved.<BR><BR>-- <BR>Uwe Weissflog<BR>Pathway Guidance - Europe(TM), GbR<BR>www.pathwayguidance.eu<BR>uwe.weissflog@pathwayguidance.eu<BR>Rinnengärten 1<BR>D-34516 Vöhl-Marienhagen , Germany<BR>+49 5635 99 11 97 (fon)<BR>+49 5635 99 39 34 (fax)<BR>+49 175 521 76 56 (mobile)</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>* * ========================================================== 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 * * ========================================================== OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your
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