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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white 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'>Wonderful stew! Thanks Dan!!<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'>With this question, as with all questions, the answer you give will depend upon your point of view. What is “correct,” given a particular point of view becomes questionable from another. In the interest of transparency, allow me to state my point of view: <i>All systems are self organizing</i>, which I take to be a prior and fundamental quality of their existence. It is also true that human beings have historically believed that they organize systems, and therefore possess all the attendant rights and privileges as organizers -- to control, to be in authority, to grant authority to some specific person. The fact that there is a small disparity between these propositions doesn’t change the relationship, in my view. All systems are self organizing, even those we think we organize.<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 story, as I would understand it, goes something like this. A system emerges from a nexus of caring. A funny way of saying that one day someone was struck by a passion and took responsibility for it. Their passion was attractive, and others came and shared the passion and took responsibility... The emergent organization appeared. Over time “ways of doing business” (Structures and controls) formed, and to the extent that all of that was congruent with the demands of the environment, the emergent became formalized (as in formal organization). But always as a secondary phenomenon. Self organization first. <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'>As long as the environment remains stable, at least relatively stable, everything works, but over time the people involved forget their roots. They assume the priority of the Formal Organization and forget where and how it came to be. There is no real difficulty with this assumption until or unless the environment shifts...or worse... shifts massively. At that point, structures and controls (authorities) which had been adequate in the prior situation fail.<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'>Of course, this is just a story, but to the extent that it has any validity, there are I think some serious implications for Agility, or more particularly, the search for Agility – which I take to be Dan’s essential mission. Major one is: <i>Agility is inversely proportional to the degree of formal structure and control.</i> When everything is tied down to a specific way of doing business (forms, controls, procedures, authorities) movement, especially Agile movement becomes difficult or impossible. As long as the Formal Organization is congruent with the environment, no problem. And to the extent that shifts in the environment can be predicted and prepared for, not much of a problem. But when that environment shifts in radically un-thought of and predicted ways...BIG DEAL! Reading my newspaper this morning, as indeed every morning, I think we got a BIG DEAL.<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'>So what about Agility in this old world?? I somehow think we have gotten well beyond the effective range of the power and authority of the CEO, his minions, and designees. Interesting, but really not all that consequential. There is some good news, I think. We now have the opportunity to get back to basics, the place we come from – and remember that organizing a self organizing system is not only an oxymoron. It is stupid, especially when the system can do a better job that we can – which I suspect to be the case. As for Agility? That is what self organization is all about, but it is more usually called, Adaptive Behavior. </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'><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><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'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Camden, Maine 04843<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'>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'>(summer) 207-763-3261<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'><a href="www.openspaceworld.com%20"><span style='color:blue'>www.openspaceworld.com</span></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="www.ho-image.com%20"><span style='color:blue'>www.ho-image.com</span></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 OSLIST Go to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org"><span style='color:blue'>http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</span></a><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";color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Daniel Mezick<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, March 29, 2014 4:58 PM<br><b>To:</b> oslist@lists.openspacetech.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [OSList] Open Space and Authority<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>I am asking for help. Will you help me clarify my thinking?<br><br>I'm wondering if 100% equivalence in authorization for all participants is actually a key/defining characteristic of any genuine and authentic Open Space event...<br><br><br>First things first. Definitions:<br><br>Authority: The right to do specific work<br><br>Authorization: The conferring of authority<br><br>Formal Authority: Authorization conferred from the formal organization to a person. Example: "the CEO".<br><br>Informal Authority: Authorization conferred from peers, colleagues and co-workers. Example: "emergent leadership".<br><br><br>Now let's get into it. I currently think, and believe, that:<br><br>1. For an Open Space event inside an organization, the Sponsor must occupy a role with substantial formal authorization, definitely more than enough to actually authorize that OST event. The higher the level of formal authorization of the Sponsor, the better it is for the event overall.<br><br>2. The Sponsor authorizes the participants- the "invitees"-- to meet together, and do the specific work of exploring and investigating the Theme. This "authorized work" is done in "authorized space"...in that specific place, for a specific period of time. The Sponsor explicitly authorizes all of the above and conveys this message after they stand up, and before they sit down, at the opening.<br><br>2. The Facilitator is formally authorized by the Sponsor to do the specific work of OST event. Absent this authorization, the Facilitator has no standing.<br><br>3. This is the big one: Everyone else, Sponsor included, has 100% equivalent authorization (100% equivalent "right to do work") as of the moment of opening of the Bulletin Board and/or the opening of the Marketplace.<br><br>4. As the event progresses, authorization dynamics are in play. These "informal authorization" dynamics occur continuously throughout the day in real time, moment by moment. Those who experience net increases in levels of informal authorization as of the end of the meeting have membership in the "emergent leadership" group.<br><br>I am very interested in what experienced folks think about the validity of the assertion in (3) above. <br><br>Ex the Facilitator, does everyone else actually have 100% equivalent authorization in an OST meeting? Why or why not?<br>Is this 100% equivalence of authorization actually a key/defining characteristic of any genuine and authentic Open Space event?<br><br>Thanks for any insight you may be able to provide, and <br><br>Kind Regards,<br>Daniel<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>-- <br><br><o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>Daniel Mezick, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>New Technology Solutions Inc.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>(203) 915 7248 (cell)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=p2><span class=s1><a href="http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/">Bio</a></span><span class=s2>. <a href="http://newtechusa.net/blog/"><span class=s1>Blog</span></a>. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/"><span class=s1>Twitter</span></a>.</span><span class=apple-converted-space><span style='color:black'> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=p3><span class=s2>Examine my new book:</span><span class=apple-converted-space><span style='color:black'> </span></span><span class=s2><a href="http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/"><span class=s1>The Culture Game </span></a></span><span class=s1>: Tools for the Agile Manager</span><span class=s2>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>Explore Agile Team <a href="http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/"><span class=s3>Training</span></a> and <a href="http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/"><span class=s3>Coaching.</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>Explore the <a href="http://newtechusa.net/user-groups/ma/"><span class=s3>Agile Boston </span></a>Community.<span class=apple-converted-space> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>