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Hi, Jeroen,<BR> <BR>I have used the following information successfully with clients - some of it may be of some use to you tomorrow, especially the last sentence!<BR> <BR>Good luck,<BR>Linda<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR><u><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Self-Organization and Open Space Technology<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></u><BR><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>The phenomenon of self-organization is not new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has been around a few billion years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the intentional focus on self-organization utilizing Open Space Technology with organizations and communities, with just a 25 year history, is relatively new.<o:p></o:p></span><BR><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Self-organization and complexity theory were first talked about by scientists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It simply means that groups and communities as they come together have an inherent capability to organize “all by themselves.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From bacteria, bees, ant colonies, and now groups of people - what they all have in common is the ability to engage, collaborate, and create higher, more successfully adaptive, levels of functioning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Open Space Technology is designed to leverage that natural power of self-organization to create more effective organizations and communities. Such a process requires not only a new way of thinking about process, but also about leadership and facilitation. </span></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'></span> </p><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><span class="body1"><span style='font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-font-size: 11.0pt;'><o:p><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Originated by Harrison Owen, the Open Space process has been used throughout the world in organizations of every kind and size from 5 to 3,000 participants. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>He began designing Open Space Technology when, after spending a year and a half helping to shape and organize a large international conference, the evaluations indicated that the best part of the highly structured event were the coffee breaks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><BR><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>That was an “ah-ha”moment for Harrison who then set out to design a process that was so elemental it could not fail and just as compelling as a really good coffee break. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>With the help of some friends and colleagues Open Space emerged.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In hindsight, the coffee break and Open Space are quite simply highly effective and efficient examples of deliberately tapping into the power of self-organization – the natural ability of groups and communities to creatively collaborate and successfully adapt. <span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>The elegance and simplicity of the process as well as the powerful collaborations and the effective results always surpass expectations.<o:p></o:p></span><o:p></o:p></span></p></o:p></span></span></span><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="body1"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Margaret Wheatley describes the relevance of self-organization to organizations and communities as follows:</span></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><em>In self-organization, structures emerge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not imposed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They spring from the process of doing the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These structures will be useful but temporary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We can expect them to emerge and recede as needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></em></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><em></em></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><em>It is not the design of a specific structure that requires our attention but rather the conditions that will support the emergence of necessary structures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we work with <u>organizing-as-process</u> rather than organization-as-object, it changes what we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Processes do their own work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our wonderful abilities to self-organize are encouraged by openness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, like all life, can anticipate what is required of us, connect with those we need, and respond intelligently.<o:p></o:p></em></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>The success of Open Space Technology depends on establishing and trusting that the following “conditions” can set the stage for self-organization:<o:p></o:p></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><ol style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1" start="1"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>An important issue <o:p></o:p></span></li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Levels of complexity <o:p></o:p></span></li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Rich diversities of opinions and participants<o:p></o:p></span></li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Plenty of passion<o:p></o:p></span></li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Potential for conflict<o:p></o:p></span></li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Genuine sense of urgency<o:p></o:p></span></li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font></ol><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Given the complexity of any human system, the process itself may sound too simple, but the results are unbelievably effective and efficient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OST always works, provided the initial “conditions”are met and the integrity of the process is honored.</span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Open Space thrives on new connections, new learning, and new ways of being together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From finding common ground and experiencing trust, there emerge more effective collaborations, structures, and leadership through continued partnerships and communication based on passion and taking responsibility for any next steps which are identified during the process.</span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font><BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'>Opening such a collaborative space will allow the discovery of not only the issues and opportunities, but also the greater capacities needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> It also </span>can unleash the creative leadership potential, talents and resources of everyone involved while allowing them to take responsibility for the emergent outcomes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Everyone involved</span> will become the champions for necessary change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Margaret Wheatley insightfully points out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“people don’t resist change, they resist having it imposed on them.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>In other words, people don’t get behind something they were not involved in helping to create.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"></font> <BR><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style='font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";'><o:p> </o:p></span><br> </p><div><div id="SkyDrivePlaceholder"></div>> Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 23:03:43 +0200<br>> From: jrn.rmrs@gmail.com<br>> To: oslist@lists.openspacetech.org<br>> Subject: Re: [OSList] number of topics and number of timeslots, presence board members<br>> <br>> Hi Linda,<br>> <br>> thanks for the offer. Tomorrow I have a talk with members of the<br>> projectgroup. I'll keep you posted on the outcome and depending on the<br>> outcome of this talk I might take you up on your offer.<br>> <br>> all the best<br>> <br>> jeroen<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></div> </div></body>
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