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<div>Peggy Holman reports on her work with the US government division
concerned with the huge problems in the prison system and what
opportunities may be opening up for self-organization in these times
when nobody has the answers and none of the old ways of working
are functional. Where is open space being called for in
Taiwan?</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Gail</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>This is a very important time.
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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 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.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font 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,<i> "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?"</i></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font 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
(prisons)", was appointed by Bush's Attorney General. (I
wonder if he'll be there after the transition to Obama? I hope
so.)</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font 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></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Helvetica"><b>What does this
mean for us as a community of practice? For us as individual
practitioners?</b></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font 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></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica">appreciatively,</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica">Peggy</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font
face="Helvetica"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite>______________________________</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Peggy Holman</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>The Open Circle Company</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>15347 SE 49th Place</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Bellevue, WA 98006</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>425-746-6274</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><a
href="http://www.opencirclecompany.com">www.opencirclecompany.com</a
></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> </blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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".</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite> -- Drew Dellinger</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite>******************************************************</blockquote
>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>On Nov 25, 2008, at 10:36 AM, Michael M
Pannwitz wrote:</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>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" cite>I could be very wrong, but it seems to me
that recently there have been a</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>number of indications that people are
finally taking self organization</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>seriously. The latest comes from a
Washington Post Story dealing with the</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Obama campaign - which they note was
massively self organizing. To see for</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>yourself, go to:<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" 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/AR20<span
></span>08112402</a></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>119.html I think this uptick in
interest and awareness could be very important to</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>this community. We know a lot about self
organizing systems and living</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>creatively with them because that is what
OST is all about. This knowledge</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>and experience is something we can and
should share. If nothing else this</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>sharing will enable us to break out of
the "better meetings box," and join</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>what I take to be the infinitely more
important conversation about high</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>level organizational function - which
translates into efficiency,</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>effectiveness, profitability - to say
nothing of surviving and thriving in a</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>crazy (self-organizing)
world.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Harrison Owen</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Gail West<br>
ICA<br>
3F, No. 12, Lane 5, Tien Mou West Road<br>
Taipei, Taiwan 111<br>
8862) 2871-3150<br>
SKYPE gwestica</div>
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