<div dir="ltr">oh, and... skye... i don't think naming has to be about controlling. sometimes we say face, sometimes nose, sometimes nostril, or deeper still sinuses. sometimes it's just about higher resolution understanding. </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 Sun, Oct 6, 2013 at 1:28 PM, Michael Herman <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:michael@michaelherman.com" target="_blank">michael@michaelherman.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr">what your quoting suggests to me, dan, is a distinction akin to what i've already shared about tools/techniques versus practice. <div><br></div><div>in another message you've suggested rules, feedback etc, and defined ost as a game. what i hear harrison saying in the quoting here, though, suggests that organization is the game. ost is a strategy, a style of play, a gambit, or something inside of that game. it's a way we choose to play. (when i go look it up to be sure, i think when you're calling ost a game, i think gambit might be the better word.)</div>
<div><br></div><div>this helps explain, at least to myself, why calling open space itself a game seems too small. it seems to remove open space from the larger context, and in doing so, the practice loses it's reason for being. it never exists on its own, for it's own sake... always we "do it" for some purpose. the chasing of that purpose is the game. if we make open space a game, we give up our license to comment on the larger game that is organization, software development, or whatever. in other words, my sense is that if the languaging of these things makes ost a "game" and organization/software/whatever is "real" -- then ost becomes significantly limited in what it can do to change what i see as the real game, the bigger field of play. </div>
<div><br></div><div>i don't know this for sure, but this is my hunch. it also may be that this story works better in software circles, where the actual work, much of it done by people glued to computer screens, looks more like some kinds of gaming. this context would make the split between real work and gaming less pronounced. </div>
<div><br></div><div>i'm all for it, if and wherever it works. and my guess is that it doesn't translate immediately, cleanly, and effectively to all kinds of work. but then again, almost story does translate easily and effectively to every/any context. </div>
<div><br></div><div>m</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></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><div><div class="h5">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Oct 6, 2013 at 10:44 AM, Skye Hirst <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:skyeh@autognomics.org" target="_blank">skyeh@autognomics.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr"><div>I guess I want to play in this "game". Feedback implies mechanistic processes that have been identified through cause and effect responses. This is where we get into trouble. Life is not machine like, in any way. It is complex and not complicated as a set of gears and cogs can become if there are too many trying to interact. However processes of living require new metaphors to capture or even point to the "game" of living process where each entity and combination of entities initiate to form a group, organization or society and have formed to "experience satisfaction" or find effective actions separately and together. The constraints emerge from what the individuals and the collective discover as useful temporary rules of the moment - they can take habit if they are useful beyond the moment. Some where in the process someone decides to "name" the rule, the process and everyone nods in agreement to call what they have shared in common by "that word" (i.e. jargon) Then someone else comes along who perhaps was not in the experience and take up the name and they pass it along as the "rule" that must be the container for that process and try to create the same process starting with the rule instead of the initiating impulse to come together.<br>
<br></div>Well I think you can see an ephemeral organic process that is ever changing gets bogged down with words, the names and with labels, however useful they may be for a bit. GAme on, as they say, yet, all I'm suggesting is that we stop trying to name, and control with naming a process beyond anything but pointers we can use to share a common experience - each of us forming it each time uniquely with both particular and universal operatives. Unique to the entities in the forming circle, the space time event forming the circle and so on and so on<br>
<br><br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div>On Sun, Oct 6, 2013 at 10:41 AM, Daniel Mezick <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dan@newtechusa.net" target="_blank">dan@newtechusa.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
</div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div>
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Hi Harold,<br>
<br>
In THE CULTURE GAME book I make the radical/heretical claim that
culture is a game...and every meeting...a game.... and in fact every
interaction... is a game. <br>
<br>
In the book there are examples that support the idea that all
meetings are games. <br>
<br>
According to this theory, if OST is a type of meeting, then OST is a
type of game. <br>
Games have: Goal, Rules, Feedback mechanisms, Opt-in Participation.<br>
<br>
The OST Game:<br>
<br>
The Goal:<br>
Explore the Theme-Question.<br>
<br>
The Rules:<br>
1 Law, 4/5 Principles, some defined Roles, a few other suggestions.
A supporting slogan...<br>
<br>
The Feedback Mechanics:<br>
Continuous, rich feedback via all of the senses, in real time for
each individual and group-as-a-whole.<br>
<br>
Opt-In Participation:<br>
YES<br>
<br>
By these measures, OST is a beautifully designed meeting-game.<br>
<br>
<br>
Here is a specific quote from your message, below:<br>
<br>
"But I'd never heard anyone describe Open Space Technology as a
beautifully designed game before."
<div><br>
The reality is that Harrison mentions the word [game] when
discussing High Play & High Learning as it pertains to
self-organizing social systems... it shows up in the book Wave
Rider. OST encourages a social system to reach higher levels of
self-organization...Hmmm.<br>
<br>
Here is the quote (emphasis added...):<br>
<br>
"...High play is the antidote to dogmatic thinking & therefore
an essential companion to High Learning. It is also fun. In 'X"
Company, PLAY is strictly prohibited, for after all there is work
to be done and it is always very serious. Even worse, PLAY, almost
by definition, is out of control- which is what makes if fun. Can
you imagine anything worse than PLAYING A GAME where the results
are already known in advance? Boring! "<br>
-H.O., Wave Rider, page 132<br>
<br>
<br>
On 9/4/13 6:23 PM, Harold Shinsato wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>Dan,<br>
<br>
Thank you for forwarding that interview. I've worked with your
interviewer Amr Elssamadisy before in Dr. Christopher Avery's
"Leadership Gift" program. Great to hear his voice. Thought he
did a great job bringing forward your insights.<br>
<br>
It's hard for me to express how deeply your thinking aligned
with what I see as the essence of Open Space, and what I feel
emerging in my own psyche and that in the collective when we
spoke and I got to be present at your session in Nashville at
Agile 2013 last month. I continue to find your material to be a
critical piece in helping bridge the Open Space and Agile
communities - something Peggy Holman called "Sister Communities"
at the World Open Space on Open Space in St. Petersburg back in
May.<br>
<br>
I'd heard your thinking before and it continues to astound me
the relevance and power in getting these two communities to work
together.<br>
<br>
Open Space truly is the "secret sauce" making possible
successful Agile adoptions. The science behind this awareness
goes deep. The timing of it feels like perfection. You seem to
be getting just the right audiences to engage with this idea.
And what you posted earlier in terms of a framework for adoption
involving interspersed Open Space events to help promote agency
and engagement - very exciting. Very simple. Truly elegant. And
phrased in a way the holders of the bottom line can "get it".<br>
<br>
What's new about your stuff?<br>
<br>
Perhaps it's been mentioned before - but here are some points I
find most critical.<br>
<br>
1) The Mandate. Perhaps Open Space Technology came out of
Organizational Development (and Organizational Transformation).
But most attempts to transform the organization that I've seen
have been "rolled out". Kind of like a steam roller. It's
definitely mandated. You went into great depth in your Agile
2013 presentation how Mandated Agile goes fundamentally against
the values and principles in the Agile Manifesto. Open Space can
help us bring back the original thinking of the signatories of
the Agile Manifesto.<br>
<br>
2) Games and engagement. Jane McGonigal's book "Reality Is
Broken", and the whole arena of Gamification, has become a focal
point of driving home ideas from positive psychology, and is
also driving many huge wheels of industry (and dollars). Because
getting people excited about using your products is important.
Getting employees excited about contributing to your products -
also critical. But I'd never heard anyone describe Open Space
Technology as a beautifully designed game before. This
perception I think plays directly with the TOOL versus
PHILOSOPHY debate in our community.<br>
<br>
3) Agency. This might have been a significant idea as well in
Paolo Friere's book - "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed". Without
people feeling like they have some say in how they apply their
blood, sweat, and tears - engagement is not going to happen.
Open Space is a critical way to nurture agency in people.<br>
<br>
I'm so thankful that you've started posting on the OSList and I
look forward to how things unfold. From what I see you saying,
and how I see people are hearing you, it seems as if we're on
target for a much more explicit chapter in the relationship
between the Agile and Open Space "sister communities".<br>
<br>
Thanks!<br>
Harold<br>
<br>
<br>
On 9/4/13 2:37 PM, Daniel Mezick wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
Here's a 16-minute video that explains the crisis of
disengagement in Agile adoptions, and how the time to act was
yesterday, and how Open Space can help...<br>
<a href="http://www.infoq.com/interviews/dan-mezick-qcon-new-york-2013" target="_blank">http://www.infoq.com/interviews/dan-mezick-qcon-new-york-2013</a><br>
<br>
<div>-- <br>
<p>Daniel Mezick, President</p>
<p>New Technology Solutions Inc.</p>
<p><br>
<br>
</p>
<div>-- <br>
Harold Shinsato<br>
<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com" target="_blank">harold@shinsato.com</a><br>
<a href="http://shinsato.com" target="_blank">http://shinsato.com</a><br>
twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/hajush" target="_blank">@hajush</a></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<br>
<div>-- <br>
<p>Daniel Mezick, President</p>
<p>New Technology Solutions Inc.</p>
<p><a href="tel:%28203%29%20915%207248" value="+12039157248" target="_blank">(203) 915 7248</a> (cell)</p>
<p><span><a href="http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/" target="_blank">Bio</a></span><span>. <a href="http://newtechusa.net/blog/" target="_blank"><span>Blog</span></a>. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/" target="_blank"><span>Twitter</span></a>.<span> </span></span></p>
<p><span>Examine my new book:<span> </span><a href="http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/" target="_blank"><span>The Culture Game </span></a></span><span>: Tools for the Agile Manager</span><span>.</span></p>
<p>Explore Agile Team <a href="http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/" target="_blank"><span>Training</span></a> and <a href="http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/" target="_blank"><span>Coaching.</span></a></p>
<p>Explore the <a href="http://newtechusa.net//user-groups/ma/" target="_blank"><span>Agile
Boston </span></a>Community.<span> </span></p>
</div>
</div>
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<br></blockquote></div><span><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><div><div><b>Skye Hirst, PhD</b><br></div>President - The Autognomics Institute<br></div><div><i>Conversations in the Ways of Life-itself</i><br>
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