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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>In the early 80’s a number of books appeared
announcing the dawning of a new age. Marilyn Ferguson brought us the
“Aquarian Conspiracy”, John Nesbit contributed
“Megatrends”, and in a slightly different mode, Peters and Waterman
offered, “In Search of Excellence.” In what seemed like an
incredibly short time, “new age” had been capitalized, and we had
the phenomenon of New Age music, life styles, organizations and the like. It
was in this same period that I and some friends connected the words
“organization” and “transformation” to produce
Organization Transformation which contrasted with Organization Development. The
later to be understood as the linear, orderly, manageable, and controllable
progression of organizational life towards some better way to be –
productive, efficient and profitable. Organization Transformation was a very
different critter which saw the process to be one of radical leaps, jumps and
state changes. Some of our group thought you could actually induce the process
and effectively transform organizations. My self, I wasn’t too sure. In
fact it seemed to me that transformation happened pretty much all by itself in
a quite unpredictable and uncontrollable fashion. The best one could do was to
learn to ride the waves of change and possibly come out to some whole and
healthy conclusion – which remained until the next set of waves rolled
through. Not incidentally, Open Space Technology emerged from the bottom of two
martinis in the same time frame. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Now almost 30 years later is has become apparent that
something of remarkable power and importance has emerged from the depths of
human consciousness. Bob Dylan had it quite right – “The times,
they are a-changing!” But I think it fair to say that what has emerged
coincides only in part with the euphoric expectations of the “New
Agers.” It is quite true that the global awareness of the
connectedness of all of life, including human life, has radically increased,
but the vision of flower children holding hands across a peaceful planet
didn’t quite come about. There are those who contemplate what has
transpired with a cynical, even anguished eye – quite sure that
everything is going to disappear in a destructive maelstrom. That could happen,
of course. However I find myself in a rather different place.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>What has happened, or more accurately, what is happening –
I think – could be called Paradigm Shift or in terms I would prefer, a
fundamental shift in human consciousness. By whatever name, the net result is a
fundamental change in the way people understand themselves. Not very long ago,
the basic understanding (at least in the West) was that we were rational beings
capable of shaping our world in accord with the individual desires and plans.
Not everybody could do this, of course, but those who could were called The
Leaders, and the presumption was that They (capital T) ran the world. Everybody
else just had to get in line, and join the program. The shift, I think, is that
it is becoming clear that we are all closely (even inseparably) interconnected
not only with each other but with the planet and indeed the whole cosmos. Further
– that web of connection is so complex, fast changing, to say nothing of
chaotic that rational plans which look fine on paper turn out rather
differently. Of course there is more, and if you are seriously interested in
what I think that “more” might look like you might take a look at
my B-K book, “The Power of Spirit” – or for an earlier
version, take a look at “Spirit: Transformation and Development in
Organizations.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>At some level all of this looks rather like the New Age
vision. We are all globally connected and all of us have the potential and opportunity
to lead. But what the New Agers missed, or chose not to look at, is what I
might call the Darkside of Paradigm Shift. Thomas Kuhn, who originated the
notion of shifting paradigms was very clear that at the point of shifting there
is inevitably a mass of chaos, confusion and conflict. Just comes with the
territory. I think it fair to say that we have all of that in abundance.
And in the presence of the Triple C’s people understandably become disoriented
and fearful – which will often lead to retrogression and extreme
fundamentalism. When the ground shifts you hold onto whatever you can grab! Sound
familiar?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>So now what? Those who think they can find a fix using the
same tools and approaches that got us into the fix are going to be
disappointed. The idea that we can rationally plan and control our way to safe
ground is absurd. But that is not the end of the story. There is a deep wisdom
in crowds, and if we who have been wandering about in Open Space for 20 years
have learned anything it is that that wisdom can be accessed, given the
time/space to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>So what to do now? Could be – Open Space anywhere,
anyhow, about anything with anybody. Substantive goals may be achieved, but at
a deeper level we may just provide the grease to smooth the way of a shifting
paradigm. Or something.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Idle thoughts on a gorgeous chilly morning in <st1:State
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Maine</st1:place></st1:State>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Harrison</span></font></st1:place><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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