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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Scott</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Love it! Back in my “early days”
back when I was writing and thinking a lot about myth, ritual, culture, story
etc. I coined a phrase I really liked. “Mythos manifests Spirit.” I
used the Greek “mythos” as sort of a catch basket for myth and
ritual – for the simple reason that myth is spoken ritual, and ritual is
acted myth. You can’t have one with out the other. So one word for the
two of them. And the function – is to manifest Spirit. But this is more
than acting and story telling unless it is really good acting and story
telling. Not just facts about Spirit – but face-to-face encounter. Sounds
a little esoteric – but I think we all have the experience. When a good
story teller is really on a roll, you don’t just get “facts about”
– you get the feeling – Spirit. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>If you really want to go there, check out
the 1<sup>st</sup> section of my book, Spirit: Transformation and Development
in Organizations. <a href="http://openspaceworld.com/Spirit.pdf">http://openspaceworld.com/Spirit.pdf</a>
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>But I am curious. Why do you call it “pseudo-
community”? My experience in Open Space is that the experienced community
may be very surprising, unexpected, even mind warping – but very real for
all of that. I have even been so bold as to call it “Genuine Community.”
But does it last? Well yes and no. What definitely does last is the memory that
it occurred. And that memory very often becomes the bench mark against which
other “community” experiences are judged. It is not uncommon to
hear people say after an Open Space and once they have returned to “the
real world” – why couldn’t we do “that” (OS) all
the time? Why not indeed? And what’s to say that the experience in Open
Space is not the real world? We weren’t doing drugs. Nobody was hypnotized.
Just a bunch of folks getting together – and it can happen any time you
want. Makes it pretty real to me.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Harrison</span></font><font color=red
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Harrison Owen</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>7808 River Falls Drive</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Potomac,
Maryland 20854</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Phone </span></font><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>301-365-2093</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Skype hhowen</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Open Space Training</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.openspaceworld.com</span></font></a>
</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Open Space Institute</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.openspaceworld.org</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Personal website</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.ho-image.com/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.ho-image.com</span></font></a> </span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>OSLIST</span></font><font
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'>: To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: </span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'><a
href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'>www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font></a></span></font></p>
</div>
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12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Scott Willard<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, April 23, 2007 1:42
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: Imposed Structure,
Self-Organisation, Ritual</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>One thing that I would add to the definition of ritual
is that ritual is all about spirit. I just finished
reading The Healing Wisdom of Africa- great book. I believe it was
by P.M. Some' and he states very clearly that ritual is an opportunity for
spirit to impact the lives of the observant. To me, that's what happens
in OST. One idea sparks the room and the market
place, conversations, evening news act as litany that welcomes the spirit
of unity and community to emerge. </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Writing this, I wonder about what happens after
folks leave the room. While in the ritual space of OST a pseudo community
is formed. Do folks have experience in fostering community once the
meeting is closed and folks go back to their homes? I see the
meetings that happen all over the world, where folks go back time after time
for OS on OS, but what about smaller scale scenario's?<br>
</span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Scott Willard<br>
Affinity Consulting Group<br>
affinity-scottwillard.com </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:
.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:
.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>-----
Original Message ----<br>
From: Andrew Ballance <andrew_ballance@yahoo.com><br>
To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2007 5:45:56 AM<br>
Subject: Imposed Structure, Self-Organisation, Ritual</span></font></p>
<div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:
.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Hi
again!<br>
<br>
On the subject of my writing.. When it rains, it pours.. I didn't want to
clutter the previous post with too much reflection and interpretation. [If you
didn't read the previous post, you need to, or you might not know where this is
coming from]<br>
<br>
There appeared to be a polarity at play here, between order and chaos, or
between imposed structure and self-organisation, something that the chaordic
thinkers have probably already chanced upon. To paraphrase what some of the
participants said, "Why do we need Open Space? Surely we can just decide
to be free, and have whatever conversations matter, that's our decision and
responsibility, and if anyone needs some help doing that, I'm here to
help." This is an important point: Open Space is a structure. To my mind,
though, there is an important dimension to it: it is a ritual structure.
Rituals allow us to say or do things that don't normally come out in everyday
conversation, they set the tone and say it's ok to express yourself now in a
particular way.<br>
There are two definitions of ritual that I find quite interesting in this
context:<br>
- any practice or pattern of behavior regularly performed in a set
manner<br>
- a prescribed code of behavior regulating social conduct, as that
exemplified by the raising of one's hat or the shaking of hands in greeting<br>
It's clear to me that OS already is the first of these. That's great, because
that's the way we get results, or rather that's the way in which we as
facilitators regular social conduct for a period of time. But what about that
word 'prescribed'? What do you think of that? What happens if it is prescribed?
By whom? If it's not by anyone in particular, then that means OS is accepted
practice. But as accepted (expected?) practice.. does that limit its
effectiveness? Is that no longer a structure that generates energy, but one
that feels like an imposition and so acts as a dampener?<br>
<br>
OK, enough philosophising for one day. Not that I expect we can come to an
answer to these questions, I'd be interested to hear what other people think
about OS as ritual?<br>
<br>
Andrew</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car"
smell?<br>
Check out <a
href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48245/*http:/autos.yahoo.com/new_cars.html;_ylc=X3oDMTE1YW1jcXJ2BF9TAzk3MTA3MDc2BHNlYwNtYWlsdGFncwRzbGsDbmV3LWNhcnM-">new
cars at Yahoo! Autos.</a> </span></font></p>
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