<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Harrison just spoke to something I've been mulling quite a bit as systems are becoming more erratic. Throughout the months of the US presidential campaign, I must have heard the news media say, "this is unprecedented" more times than I ever have. And now it is being said about the financial mess.<div><br></div><div>This is a very important time. </div><div><br></div><div>I'm seeing some shifts in the types of requests I'm getting. The work with the National Institute of Corrections is an example. They came to me because they knew they wanted something "emergent". They were incredibly nervous about it all but stuck with it. During the last morning, as we prepared for the convergence work I described in an earlier e-mail (10/10/08 <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; ">Three action planning approaches in Open Space - plus one more), the project director said something that continues to ring in my ears. People were trying to get clear about what was being asked of them in identifying where the project should focus its attention.</span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica">The client told the group that his board was asking him questions like, "what are you doing?" and "what do you expect to achieve?" It was clear they had him on the hot seat trying to get answers to questions they were used to having clarity on before launching a major project. And he gave them an answer that made me cheer. He said, "we don't know. We're making it up as we go along. If we had the answers, why would we go to all this trouble?"</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica">And just to put this even more in perspective, the head of the agency, who launched this project to "transform the system of corrections", was appointed by Bush's Attorney General. (I wonder if he'll be there after the transition to Obama? I hope so.)</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica">As systems are breaking down or not serving their purpose well, people in unexpected places are looking for original answers. And because we are associated with self-organization and emergence, the OS community could well be where they turn. As Harrison says, we know a lot about self-organizing systems.</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><b>What does this mean for us as a community of practice? For us as individual practitioners?</b></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica">It is a good time to reflect on how we can best equip ourselves to be of service during this fertile and likely rocky time of change.</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica">appreciatively,</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica">Peggy</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica">
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</font><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>______________________________</div><div>Peggy Holman</div><div>The Open Circle Company</div><div>15347 SE 49th Place</div><div>Bellevue, WA 98006</div><div>425-746-6274</div><div><a href="http://www.opencirclecompany.com">www.opencirclecompany.com</a></div><div><div> </div><div>For the new edition of The Change Handbook, go to: <br><a href="http://www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook">www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook</a> <br> <br>"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is to become <br>the fire".<br> -- Drew Dellinger</div></div><div><br></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br><div><div>On Nov 25, 2008, at 10:36 AM, Michael M Pannwitz wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div>Could it be that it wasn't Obama that won the election but the way space was opened for unfolding millions of selforganized initiatives with all the benefits of broadened leadership and high performance?<br>If it does not let itself be controlled or shut down it might have the capacity to perhaps keep things going towards a more peaceful and productive ride...Obama and Congress will not be able to provide the transformation needed, selforganization will...<br>So, where does that leave us grand facilitators?<br>Greetings from Berlin<br>mmp<br><br>Harrison Owen wrote:<br><blockquote type="cite">I could be very wrong, but it seems to me that recently there have been a<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">number of indications that people are finally taking self organization<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">seriously. The latest comes from a Washington Post Story dealing with the<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Obama campaign - which they note was massively self organizing. To see for<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">yourself, go to:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/24/AR2008112402</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">119.html I think this uptick in interest and awareness could be very important to<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">this community. We know a lot about self organizing systems and living<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">creatively with them because that is what OST is all about. This knowledge<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">and experience is something we can and should share. If nothing else this<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">sharing will enable us to break out of the "better meetings box," and join<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">what I take to be the infinitely more important conversation about high<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">level organizational function - which translates into efficiency,<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">effectiveness, profitability - to say nothing of surviving and thriving in a<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">crazy (self-organizing) world. Harrison<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Harrison Owen<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">7808 River Falls Drive<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Potomac, Maryland 20854<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Phone 301-365-2093<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Skype hhowen<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/">http://www.openspaceworld.com/</a>><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Personal website <a href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">Visit: <a href="http://www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><<a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a>> *<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">*<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">==========================================================<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">------------------------------<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><br></blockquote><br>*<br>*<br>==========================================================<br><a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>------------------------------<br>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:<br>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html<br><br>To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br>http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist<br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>*
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