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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Lisa my friend – I applaud the sensitive effort you obviously expend in the “prework.” But I think I find myself in a different place, perhaps only a nuance away? In my conversations with the client prior to an Open Space I find myself doing virtually everything you do, although me being me I seek to do as little as possible – one more thing not to do. </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Wingdings;color:#1F497D'>J</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> Except – I have never made any attempt to suppress or equalize the power equation. I have no problem talking to anybody (CEO included) about their concerns in this area, but that conversation is almost inevitably a short one. I simply tell them not to worry about it. If it is suggested that senior managers should “hold back” my response is the same, perhaps sharpened a bit by my expressed expectation that those senior managers (along with everybody else) will add value.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I can understand that some may find my actions irresponsible, naive, or both. Irresponsible in the sense that an extreme power play on the part of some senior manager could be very painful, and I should prevent that possibility. Naïve in the sense that I am seemingly blind to the destructive power realities in many organizations. Possibly – but I do not think it is my responsibility to “fix” the organization. However, I fully accept the responsibility to open some space so that the organization can fix (heal) itself. There are some practical considerations here – I simply do not possess the wisdom, time, or energy to unravel the organizational pathology. However, what I lack, the people of that organization probably possess in abundance, and if they don’t, my feeble efforts will make little difference. Indeed those efforts are very likely to make the whole situation worse. My task is to create the time/space in which those people can identify their own resources and bring them to bear on the issues at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I have to tell you that what I have described above is directly opposed to everything I thought I was supposed to be doing. Truth to tell, during the first 25 years of my professional life I was a “fixer” for sure. Give me a good organizational pathology, and I was all over it like a tent with resolution and brilliant solutions just moments away. Or so I thought. What changed was Open Space which confronted me with the incredible restorative powers of a self organizing system. Not always, not everywhere – for organizations, like all other life forms, do die. But if there is life and the will to live – the folks will find the way. Contrast all of this with my powers as a fixer, and I wasn’t even in the ball park. Talk about eating Humble Pie! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The last 25 years have been wonderful, although the diet of Humble Pie continues. I have been privileged to work in some of the most massively autocratic, dictatorial situations where it was presumed by one and all that the operative power paradigm would simply carry over into the Open Space producing pain and destruction for the trusting few who dared raise their heads along with new and different ideas. I can’t say that there were not a few bumps along the way, or that all the new ideas found immediate acceptance. Truthfully some of those new ideas were plainly stupid. However the predicted carnage has never happened. And the truly good news is that the people left with genuine empowerment. They knew they had done it all by themselves – and nobody was pulling any punches. As for the formal leaders (CEO and all those nasty senior manager types) they received the education of a lifetime. They suddenly saw in glorious living color the robust character of all those funny people called “Employees.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Will this always be true? I don’t know, but it has worked so far.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Harrison<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a> (Personal Website)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of </span><a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu"><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:blue'>oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</span></a><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D'>:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:blue'>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> OSLIST <a href="mailto:[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]">[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]</a> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Lisa Heft<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 30, 2010 11:31 PM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: making requests of leaders<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Raffi and others - <o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>In my experience and approach...<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- everything in context,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- do thorough pre-work,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- be aware of culture<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- talk in advance about those things that support people of minority or diverse viewpoint (not in the OS process but in such things as the invitation, signage, whatever is appropriate)<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>- analyze with the client what (Open Space or otherwise) is the right tool for the task, time available, capacity and needs of the organization / group, and so on.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>So: in my pre-work conversations with the client - especially when I hear about a group of mixed levels of perceived or actual power - we talk about power dynamics. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>And then if we agree after our analysis that Open Space is indeed the tool we will be selecting for this event, sometimes the client says something like "My managers will be there - and they are very into leading and directing - and I can see that it is important to let all participants experience co-leadership / self-leadership instead. What shall I tell my managers so we can help them understand the benefit of not directing everybody?"<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>So we talk about this, and either they say 'Okay I know what I will say to them' or they say 'Can you give me some thoughts to help them keep in mind?' and we work together in the context of what they are asking, their needs, and their work culture. Sometimes the client / supervisor invites them to come or not come, but if they come, to be full participants rather than directive. Whatever s/he thinks works in her/his cultural context. Sometimes they invite me to meet with the managers to answer their questions about the upcoming Open Space. Sometimes we even meet at the hotel bar the night before and have a casual chat.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>And in those times I let them know that if they direct everyone they are losing the benefit of this interactive process. It will tell them a great deal about emergent leaders in their organization if they step back from directing everything and see who shines. And I invite them to be themselves - if they feel inspired to post a topic - especially something that comes up from within as a juicy puzzle or inquiry - this is the place and time. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Sometimes we talk about how if they jump up too soon to fill the space with topics, will that leave space for others to emerge, given the power dynamics? If they feel that may be an issue, I invite them to therefore let others post their topics, see what comes up, go with the flow and then announce any topic that inspires them. My response springs from their pre-event inquiry.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Sometimes they want me to write up something as a reminder. So I do.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>It is again: in context, it springs from conversations with the client and their teams, they are often the ones who lead and inquire in this pre-event exploration, and I'm there to answer their questions about what I have noticed in other similar Open Spaces when people with great power mix with people with lesser power in the meeting. All part of the conversation.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>I don't do it automatically. I don't do it for every organization I perceive to have a strong hierarchy. I don't do it most of the time. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>That would be a cultural assumption, and it would not be about me listening to them.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>That, I think, is the nuance, Raffi.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>And the context.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks for inviting this exploration,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Lisa<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><b><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:blue'>Lisa Heft</span></b></span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:#9B2C01'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'>Consultant, Facilitator, Educator<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:blue'>Opening Space</span></b></span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></span><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Nov 30, 2010, at 3:55 PM, Raffi Aftandelian wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Queridos amigos,<br><br>Muchas gracias for your responses. And I'm surprised to hear at least based<br>on the current responses that this practice of encouraging "leaders" to hold<br>back is rather uncommon.<br><br>I've cross-posted this question to the Genuine Contact list, too.<br><br>abrazos, <br>Raffi<br><br>p.s.-- Querido Miguel- I think right now we're a little less lucky here in<br>San Diego (and hence if you're calling me a "lucky cat," that probably makes<br>me a little less feline, too)-- it has been rather cold here recently...<br><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 <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:<br><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br><br>To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<br><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal>* * ========================================================== <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a> ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a> <o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>
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