<html><head><style type='text/css'>p { margin: 0; }</style></head><body><div style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000'><font size="2">Harrison,<br><br>I celebrate these past few months in finding my voice, a voice that I always had but never spoke loudly or clearly enough. Yes you are right: what was there to be anxious about? I don't need more education, more experience, more and more. I will use what I have and that will be good enough. All these years of reading books, of me <span style="font-style: italic;">gently </span>guiding people in the
direction of open and authentic conversations and never fully speaking
my mind and my heart or giving it my best shot to get the job done. Open Space was the trigger that gave me my courage. <br><br>Something else happened. How often I revered others who told the story that was in my heart and mind rather than telling my own story which is basically the same story. Why have I placed people like you, Diane Gibeault and so many others on a pedestal feeling such gratitude for what you are doing to help people engage in real conversations, discover their passions and act upon those passions to make a meaningful contribution in this world. By doing so, I have robbed myself of the equality and my gifts that are so much part of living systems and self-organizing. <br><br>For me the real story is my witnessing of so much pain in our organizations at every level. I had a career with many wonderful moments. I took many risks but it was never enough. I saw such hurt, apathy and cynicism. So many people leave their heart, their emotions and their intuition at the door when they cross that threshold. How many times have I watched one improvement program after another come through those revolving corporate doors with the promise of growth, of efficiency, continuous improvement and better financial results and then see them fail because we never acknowledged the very important subjective elements of common sense, passion, intuition, gifts, conversations with the ownership and pride that can only come when we, the people, become the creators and the experts giving it our all together. <br><br>As I read about you talking about the emperors who have no clothes, I
heard myself uttering these same words so many times especially now
when there is truly no place to hide. How often I have heard myself
talk about us enabling the addict by trying to cushion or delay their
fall. There are many addictions in corporate life where we have done
the very same thing under the guise of <span style="font-style: italic;">helping</span>. And then look at all the times, we water down
what we do and lose the essence of it all because we think people can't
deal with taking responsbility for what they are passionate about which
is what Open Space is all about. I want to fight for doing it right and while Open Space may not be the only way, it's good enough for me. There's lots of work to be done: complex problems that need addressing, with an urgency of yesterday and all hands on deck. <br><br>Great damage was done centuries ago when we split science (the supposedly objective,
fact-based and data driven) from the spiritual (emotions, subjective
and intuitive) thus robbing our work environment and the serious business
of life from living in the natural system of harmony, natural deaths and rebirths. That's why I joined IONS and why I'll be facilitating Open Space at the conference on Harvest day. <br><br>So now, as I get off <span style="font-style: italic;">my </span>pedestal, I feel energized that it is time to invite <span style="font-style: italic;">everyone </span>to the grown-up table through Open Space. I never liked being relegated to the kiddie table when I was young and I know others feel as I do. So Harrison, I owe you a good martini and will admit that I prefer my gin to yours, with olives over cucumbers but that's ok cause I have my voice now and "different is good"!<br><br>Suzanne</font><br><br><p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p><br><br>----- Original Message -----<br>From: "Harrison Owen" <hhowen@verizon.net><br>To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 3:47:39 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern<br>Subject: Re: Open Space Magic<br><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Suzanne – that you
found the Open Space for your company useful did not surprise me, but it
certainly is pleasing.</span></font><font color="navy" size="2" face="Wingdings"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Wingdings; color: navy;">J</span></font><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> And I for one found your description anything
but gushy. Quite the contrary it was moving and insightful. I particularly
liked, “After our own Open Space summit, I now know without a doubt that
Open Space works. How could it not? It’s all about self
organizing and shared leadership, a living system and the laws of nature. Yes Harrison, you have been singing the tune for a long time.
I get it! We get it! And for us, what we want to do now is be Wave Riders
by living Open Space from the inside out in our community of practice.” </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">You made my day! Thank
you!!</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">It is so simple, so
natural – and the “it” is not Open Space. The “it”
is our appreciation of ourselves and our organizations as living, natural,
self-organizing systems. The magic occurs when we fully become what we already
are – intentionally. Open Space may get us there, but the <i><span style="font-style: italic;">there</span></i> was there way before Open Space. It
will be there long after Open Space has (thankfully) been hung out to dry. Isn’t
it interesting how we have anxiety attacks wondering whether it will work? The
wonder would be if it didn’t work!</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">It is probably worth
while to consider the source of our anxiety. Why on earth would we doubt that
Open Space (self-organization) would work? Given what know about the history of
the cosmos, the failure of Open Space is about as likely as the failure of
Gravity, and for much the same reason. But we do doubt – strongly supported
by most of our training, many of the books, and the social pressures which tell
us that effective organization (our lives) can only be achieved courtesy of The
Leader who will plan, guide, direct (control) the proper course of events. We
all know that – and so Open Space not only can’t work, it shouldn’t.
The fact that The Leader is clearly an emperor without clothes and that the
control He (we) seek is nothing but an illusion doesn’t deter us. Such is
the power of our history and tradition. And isn’t it sad that sensible
human beings are confined to such constricted space? Isn’t it
wonderful when they discover, as you did – that your bondage is self
imposed!</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">We had some discussion
here a while back about what to do with, or for, all those folks who are
nervous about Open Space. One might suggest “other” approaches that
may seem a little less radical for those who are concerned to preserve the pre-ordained
hierarchy and maintain their personal control. In all honesty I have no small amount
of difficulty with that approach. One might suspect proprietary interest and
prejudice -- Open Space or Nothing! But as one who desperately hopes that we
can take off the training wheels, retire Open Space, and just go for the ride –
perhaps I can be absolved. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">My reasons have to do
with what in other fields is called “enabling.” Those who deal with
various forms of addiction, alcoholism in particular, have identified individuals
in the addict’s life, who with the best of intentions, actually sustain
the addiction – by being helpful. With that “help” the addict
is enabled to avoid the harsh facts of his/her existence and continue in the
destructive patterns. I think we could be accused of being enablers. In
our desire to be helpful we offer approaches that apparently sustain the
(client’s) need for control. I find this troubling.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Harrison</span></font><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Harrison Owen</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">189 Beaucaire Ave</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Camden</span></font><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">, ME 04843</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">207-763-3261 (Summer)</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">301-365-2093 (Winter)</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Website <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com" target="_blank">www.openspaceworld.com</a> </span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Personal Website <a href="http://www.ho-image.com" target="_blank">www.ho-image.com</a> </span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">OSLIST</span></font><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font><font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;">To
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><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>Suzanne Daigle<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Sunday, June 14, 2009 9:15
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> Open Space Magic</span></font><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></font></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">We lived the Open Space magic!</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Exhausted, exhilarated, in awe and filled with
gratitude…Wow! Wow! Wow! Our budding company, which is almost two
years young, just completed its third Partner Summit. As a community of <b><i><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">wholistic </span></i></b>partners
joined by our associate marketing company colleagues and a handful of close
business friends, we decided to give it our all , invest and immerse ourselves
in a full-blown Open Space. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a time of transformation, of discovery, of intense
reflection and emotions, of intimate sharing of dreams, fears and hopes all
under the big tent of Open Space. Diane Gibeault, who had trained about a
third of us in Ottawa (English and French sessions), guided us through our two
and a half days of emergence and convergence which culminated in a flurry of
action-packed initiatives that we each feel so passionate about and so deeply
committed to. There are no words to describe the magic of what happened
there. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">There were many funny moments. Like the night before we
started when we discovered there was no electricity in our chosen Open Space
venue. We knew the place was in construction and had seen the cement floors,
exposed ceilings, bare white walls now adorned with the 4 Principles, Law of 2
feet, Market place, etc. Then there was the weather: dark and gloomy
every day except for the final morning which meant that the natural light we
had planned on from all those windows still kept us in the dark. We
connected cables from the corridor to manage our newsroom equipment. It was all
part of the chaos and confusion, of the birthing and letting go. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">In a frenzy of activity, we helped in the prep creating the
posters, the forms, designing the invitations, creating a banner with the theme
of "Inventing our future". We wanted to learn and experience
EVERYTHING as participants so that one day, we would truly know what our
clients would live and feel when they tasted their first Open Space. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I got the OS bug at an Art of Hosting event. Trusted my
gut and attended the Open Space training in Ottawa. Was then totally hooked after helping
a friend facilitate her first Open Space. From there, it was Wave Rider
at Sleeping Lady. Now next week, I’m taking the big leap by hosting my
first Open Space at the Ions Noetic Science conference in Tucson on Harvest Day. I will be surrounded
by many friends of Open Space and feel confident (though I will have
butterflies in my stomach) that self organizing will work there too. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">After our own Open Space summit, I now know without a doubt
that Open Space works. How could it not? It’s all about self
organizing and shared leadership, a living system and the laws of nature. Yes Harrison, you have been singing the tune for a long time.
I get it! We get it! And for us, what we want to do now is be Wave Riders
by living Open Space from the inside out in our community of practice. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">So Diane Gibeault, Barbara Hebert, Sharon Joy Kleitsch,
and my Sleeping Lady friends…, Larry, Anne, Roosevelt, Sherry, Anh, Colette, Elaine, Dan, Jun, Robert,
Dale, Tenneson, Brian, Teresa, Ashely, Joan, Elena and so many others, thank
you for inspiring me in Leavenworth. What a precious gift! </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">If any of you are in Tucson
for the IONS conference next week, come join us on Sunday afternoon June 21<sup>st</sup> .
The theme of this Open Space Harvest is <b><u><span style="font-weight: bold;">Global Shift: Next steps</span></u></b> and if you come "Be ready to
be surprised!"</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Suzanne </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">941-359-8877</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">203-722-2009 (c)</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Calibri"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="mailto:s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com" target="_blank">s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nufocusgroup.com" target="_blank">www.nufocusgroup.com</a></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman";">* *
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