<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Hola Harrison,<br>
<br>
Yes, and I join with you in the (current) belief that:<br>
<br>
<ul>
<li>all systems are open and </li>
<li>all systems are fundamentally self-organizing to the core. </li>
</ul>
<br>
I'm zooming in on authorization, because I notice that when
coaching, there is always this sticky "authority aspect" in any
problems that need addressing. Authority always seems to be the
central concern. This seems to play out in self-organizing systems.<br>
<br>
I do probably need to reiterate that what I am calling 'informal
authority" has absolutely nothing to do with the formal,
hierarchical, positional authority we are used to talking about.
This is something different.<br>
<br>
"Informal authority" is your street-cred, the respect that others on
your team confer to you. It's the "informal, self-organized"
authorization you get when your team looks to you for
leadership...from time to time....in real time. <br>
<br>
And so in addition to the belief that all systems are open and
self-organizing, I also currently hold the following additional
beliefs:<b><br>
</b>
<ul>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<li><b>Self-organization in a social system (like a team) is
actually the act of self-management.</b> Management is a
function, not a role. Manager-roles are obsolete, even as (self)
management becomes more important than ever. Example: OST.<br>
</li>
<li><b>Self-management in a group is the act of distributing
informal authority in real time.</b> Authority is dynamically
allocated (given and taken away) by the informal system in
real-time. The informal system responds moment by moment to
environmental change 1000 times faster that the best formal
system. It is super-efficient. For this reason the “informal
system” (the self-organizing universe) is superior in every way
to man-made, formalized methods of authority distribution. The
informal system wins every time. There’s a REASON for that:
Higher, better, superior performance.</li>
<li><b>All self-organization is self-management at the level of
group. </b>Meaning that all self-organization in human
systems is fundamentally about authority distribution<b>.</b>
This means that the distribution of informal authority is going
on continuously, in real time, all the time anywhere people come
together in groups to reach a goal or accomplish a task. <b><br>
</b></li>
</ul>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<br>
If this is true, it might explain what is going on, in the Open
Space.<br>
<br>
Blog Post Link:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://newtechusa.net/agile/authorization-in-self-organizing-systems/">http://newtechusa.net/agile/authorization-in-self-organizing-systems/</a><br>
<br>
Daniel<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 3/30/14 11:57 AM, Harrison Owen
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="mid:001501cf4c30$d24df7e0$76e9e7a0$@net"
type="cite">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered
medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Consolas;
panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:black;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.p1, li.p1, div.p1
{mso-style-name:p1;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:black;}
p.p2, li.p2, div.p2
{mso-style-name:p2;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#0000EE;}
p.p3, li.p3, div.p3
{mso-style-name:p3;
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:#1A37EE;}
span.s1
{mso-style-name:s1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.s2
{mso-style-name:s2;
color:black;}
span.s3
{mso-style-name:s3;
color:#0000EE;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.apple-converted-space
{mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;}
span.EmailStyle24
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<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
moz-do-not-send="true" 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
moz-do-not-send="true" 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 moz-do-not-send="true"
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">
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org">oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a>
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org">mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Daniel Mezick<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Saturday, March 29, 2014 4:58 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a><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 moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/">Bio</a></span><span
class="s2">. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newtechusa.net/blog/"><span class="s1">Blog</span></a>.
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
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 moz-do-not-send="true"
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 moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/"><span
class="s3">Training</span></a> and <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
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 moz-do-not-send="true"
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>
<br>
<fieldset class="mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<br>
<pre wrap="">_______________________________________________
OSList mailing list
To post send emails to <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:OSList@lists.openspacetech.org">OSList@lists.openspacetech.org</a>
To unsubscribe send an email to <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org">OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org</a>
To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css">
<title></title>
<meta name="Generator" content="Cocoa HTML Writer">
<meta name="CocoaVersion" content="1138">
<style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial}
p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; color: #0000ee}
p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; color: #1a37ee}
span.s1 {text-decoration: underline}
span.s2 {color: #000000}
span.s3 {text-decoration: underline ; color: #0000ee}
</style>
<p class="p1">Daniel Mezick, President</p>
<p class="p1">New Technology Solutions Inc.</p>
<p class="p1">(203) 915 7248 (cell)</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
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p>
<p class="p3"><span class="s2">Examine my new book:<span
class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><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></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></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></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>