<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Dan,<div><br></div><div>My experience is that off-limit subjects are "in" as soon as you put them explicitly "off-limits". And that's in Open Space as well as in numerous other contexts.</div><div><br></div><div>What does your mind dwell on, if I ask you to <i>NOT</i> think of a pink elephant... It would appear that our sub-consciousness simply does not recognize negatives.</div><div><br></div><div>Best regards + Chris</div><div><br><div>
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<br><div><div>Le 13 juil. 2011 à 15:08, Harrison Owen a écrit :</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div>Welcome Dan!<br><br>Restricting conversation is something that some people have tried. And I<br>guess they think it works. But that has never been my experience. Of course,<br>every Open Space needs a theme to define the general area of discourse.<br>That, after all, is why people come -- or don't. Your Agile community would<br>scarcely show up for a gathering focused on "The Future of American<br>Dentistry." And I doubt that the dentists would be too intrigued with the<br>"Agile Passions." <br><br>But once the general theme has been determined, everything else is "fair<br>game" in my book. The reasons are several. First, when you limit the areas<br>of exploration you also limit the possibility of innovation and renewal,<br>which in my book is the major objective. And if it isn't -- why get together<br>anyhow?<br><br>A second reason, which is the clincher for me... is that even if you tell<br>everybody that "certain areas" are off limits -- there is not much chance<br>that they will actually pay attention. Especially if the areas are<br>interesting. As a matter of fact, I suspect that by proscribing certain<br>discussion, you actually insure that it will come up. I guess you could call<br>that the "forbidden fruit" syndrome. Or maybe "beans in the nose" (Never<br>tell a child not to put beans in their nose, because they will surely do<br>it.)<br><br>So the "forbidden fruit" will be discussed, but perhaps not publically. And<br>that just creates more problems. I think that is the way you grow elephants,<br>and other nasty creatures that lurk in the shadows.<br><br>So I have never found any reason or profit in limiting the conversation.<br><br>Harrison <br><br>Harrison Owen<br>7808 River Falls Dr.<br>Potomac, MD 20854<br>USA<br><br>189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)<br>Camden, Maine 20854<br><br>Phone 301-365-2093<br>(summer) 207-763-3261<br><br><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a><br>www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)<br>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST<br>Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org<br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org<br>[mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Dan Mezick<br>Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2011 11:30 AM<br>To: oslist@lists.openspacetech.org<br>Subject: [OSList] Intro and inquiry: Open Space with some off-limits topics<br><br>Hi,<br><br>I am a respectful lurker who now has an inquiry, so it is time to <br>introduce myself.<br><br>Hi! I am Dan Mezick, coach to Agile teams, their sponsors, and executive <br>management. I live in CT. I am friendly, curious and playful. I enjoy <br>conducting frequent experiments. I like to be surprised and learn. I <br>have a history of software development. I receive a software patent in <br>1999. In 2003, I run an elaborate search engine optimization experiment <br>that results in over 120,000 unsolicited, incoming web links from all <br>around the world, in 20 days. Those 120,00++ links-in result in a #1 <br>Google rank for over 7 years.<br><br>Now I am curious about Open Space. I play with it. I read all the books <br>from Harrison. I experience many surprises as I read these books. I <br>convene five OST events in Boston since 2009. The largest is the Agile <br>Boston Open Space in Sept 2010 where 275 people participate. I have <br>experience directly facilitating some smaller OST meetings for clients <br>recently.<br><br>I am currently quite fascinated with Open Space and OST dynamics.<br><br>This list is very awesome and awe-inspiring. I am very happy to be here.<br><br>If you like to be surprised, you may enjoy this:<br>http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp.html<br><br><br>Here is my inquiry:<br><br><br>My Inquiry<br>=========<br><br>"Let' s not go there."<br><br>This is a common utterance used in conversation, one that clearly <br>signals that the space is closed to that topic.<br><br>Open Space, limited by only a broad Theme, is not very limiting. <br>Authority often is concerned with this wide-ranging freedom to explore <br>"just about anything" when considering OST, and what might result from <br>that afterward.<br><br>I wonder if any of us have experience with doing OST with some sections <br>in the discussion-space explicitly closed.<br><br>I wonder how these limits are expressed-in-fact; for example inside the <br>Invite or in the composition of the Theme.<br><br>I wonder how the "explicitly stated as closed" space is then <br>successfully maintained in an OST setting. I then wonder how much fun <br>the event is, when some space is closed.<br><br>I wonder also, if this is an oxymoron, that just does not work very <br>well, ever.<br><br>I think have read here somewhere here, in a passing comment, that <br>sometimes, certain topics are closed in OS meeting.<br><br>I wonder if anyone has experience trying this, and if any specific <br>knowledge about this is documented explicitly anywhere.<br><br>Thank you for your help ! I am preparing to be surprised.<br>_______________________________________________<br>OSList mailing list<br>To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org<br>To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org<br>To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:<br>http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org<br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>OSList mailing list<br>To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org<br>To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org<br>To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:<br>http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org<br><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>