<div dir="ltr">I can't ever remember "attempting to circumvent power dynamics," Bui. While it's quite common when people talk about sitting in a circle they say things like, "...the circle makes everyone equal." I always disagree. The circle gives everyone equal access to all the others in the circle, the markers and paper and microphone at the center, and the bulletin board gives everyone the same access to all of the info that is generated. It doesn't make them equal, the ceo has an entirely different set of skills, resources, experiences, concerns than the new intern. But as a facilitator, I give everyone the same job: learn and contribute as much as you can, from wherever you are, with whatever you have at your disposal. serve the common purpose. <div>
<br></div><div>none of this attempts or requires any circumventing. i think ost works in spite of whatever the power structure might be, once people show up. maybe the invitation tweaks the power structure -- but if the invite comes from the top, then it's the top giving power away -- hardly a circumvention, and certainly not the facilitator attempting. if the invite bubbles up from somewhere below, then it's the lower ranks claiming power for themselves. so i think any shifting of power arises because invitation exists as an option, not because anything we do in the process of 'opening space.' i think ost is just one way of pointing out that invitation is possible and the ost story is pretty much the same in all kinds of different "power" distributions. </div>
<div><br></div><div>or maybe i just don't understand. what do you do to notice and recognize power imbalances? and how have you seen this improve the ost experience for people? </div><div><br></div><div>m</div><div>
<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div> <br>--<br><br>Michael Herman<br>Michael Herman Associates<br>312-280-7838 (mobile)<br><br><a href="http://MichaelHerman.com" target="_blank">http://MichaelHerman.com</a><br>
<a href="http://OpenSpaceWorld.org" target="_blank">http://OpenSpaceWorld.org</a><br><br></div>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 5:06 PM, Bui Petersen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bui.petersen@gmail.com" target="_blank">bui.petersen@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
Michael, I guess we'll have to disagree. I see OST's temporal
attempt at circumventing power dynamics (e.g through the the
empowered of the the law of two feet) as one of the beauties of the
process. <br>
<br>
One of the reasons that the liberal view of market economics is
problematic is that it doesn't account for power imbalances. While
you can't take away all structural power, I think the OST experience
can be enhanced by at least some awareness and recognition of such
powers.<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
<br>
Bui</font></span><div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
<br>
<div>On 30/09/2013 10:56 PM, Michael Herman
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">i don't think ost is trying to "take away
structural power," bui -- not even temporarily. i think it's
more about acknowledging the distribution of knowledge and
choice (power) that already exists. the law of two feet isn't
something special we enact at the start of an event, it's
something we just notice and point out, for instance.
<div>
<br>
</div>
<div>m </div>
</div>
<div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all">
<div> <br>
--<br>
<br>
Michael Herman<br>
Michael Herman Associates<br>
<a href="tel:312-280-7838" value="+13122807838" target="_blank">312-280-7838</a> (mobile)<br>
<br>
<a href="http://MichaelHerman.com" target="_blank">http://MichaelHerman.com</a><br>
<a href="http://OpenSpaceWorld.org" target="_blank">http://OpenSpaceWorld.org</a><br>
<br>
</div>
<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Sep 30, 2013 at 10:21 AM, Bui
Petersen <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bui.petersen@gmail.com" target="_blank">bui.petersen@gmail.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> Interesting
discussion. When I have described OST, some people have
been skeptical as it to them has has sounded to
"neo-liberal" and not taking power balances enough into
consideration. Obviously what the "structure" of OST is
trying to do is to take away structural power temporarily.
But some people are still skeptical about OST's potential
to do this. My own take is that OST does not always fully
succeed in this regard. <br>
<br>
Still it is very interesting theoretically. Both there is
a lot of other (than economics) theoretical perspectives
that better deal with power.<span><font color="#888888"><br>
<br>
Bui</font></span>
<div>
<div><br>
<br>
<br>
<div>On 26/09/2013 5:33 PM, Michael Herman wrote:<br>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<div>I share your concerns, Jeff, but found
this piece to be mostly not about politics. And
where he comments on current views and policy, I was
less bothered by what he was saying than by my
tendency to agree in many cases. But mostly this is
interesting and useful totally separate from his
politics, I think. <br>
<br>
On Thursday, September 26, 2013, Jeff Aitken wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>thanks Michael! </div>
<div> </div>
<div>It's unfortunate that I have a lingering
dislike for Mr. Gilder, who was famous for
awhile around 1981 when the Reagan
administration rolled out its economic agenda,
and his work was considered one of its
intellectual pillars.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Twas a long time ago, and no doubt the man
remains a hard thinker and clear writer, perhaps
with more heart than I experienced back then.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>With that caveat, I'll dig into this when I
have a chance. Thanks for sharing.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Jeff</div>
<div>San Francisco<br>
<br>
</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Sep 26, 2013 at
12:25 PM, Michael Herman <span dir="ltr"><<a>michael@michaelherman.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="BORDER-LEFT:#ccc 1px solid;MARGIN:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;PADDING-LEFT:1ex" class="gmail_quote">
<div title="Page 3">
<div>
<div>
<div title="Page 1">
<div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Calibri">Here's
a long one, friends… But maybe
an important one.</font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Calibri">What
follows is an excerpt from a
markets newsletter I've read
for maybe 10 years by a
financial expert and
best-selling author Named John
Mauldin. He describes and
then shares an article by a
guy named George Gilder, Who
seems to have been writing
"important" books for at least
a few decades. </font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Michael Herman<br>
MichaelHerman.com<br>
<a href="tel:%28312%29%20280-7838" value="+13122807838" target="_blank">(312)
280-7838</a>
<p>Sent from my iPhone<br>
</p>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
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</div>
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