<div dir="ltr">Dear All,<div><br></div><div>Trying to promote OS within a business world I find this discussion interesting</div><div><br></div><div>I can see that formally authorising the event as Daniel points out brings with it a commitment to make something happen afterwards.</div><div><br></div><div>What I have always struggled with is that if a meeting is booked by someone in authority then the likelihood is that the invitees will turn up. So the invite is not a invite - it is seen as "a meeting I need to go to". No bad thing in itself I suppose, but I want the attendees to have a passion about the theme, that "whoever comes are the right people". Arguably having got them in the room, then passions maybe stirred but.... In some meetings I have observed that there is good attendance, but many turn up because they are curious, and then drift away.<br></div><div><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">In the end does it matter? Am I being to pedantic in my thinking? Given "Whatever happens" and the law of two feet, should I be concerned?</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">What do others think?</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br></div><div class="gmail_extra">Keith.<br clear="all"><div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><p>--</p><p><b style="font-size:12.8000001907349px"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-size:10pt" lang="EN-US">Keith Blundell</span></b><br></p>
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<br><div class="gmail_quote">On 30 November 2015 at 14:24, Rosa Zubizarreta via OSList <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.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><div>Hi Daniel, congratulations on an amazing piece!<br><br></div>As you mention, "authority" is a very loaded subject...<br><br></div><div>My understanding is that the group relations perspective, holds (along with Koos!) that as adults, the ultimate authority for anything ultimately comes from ourselves. WE are the ones who "authorize" formal authorities -- without our own willingness to continue to authorize them, their authority would disappear. Is that your understanding, as well?<br><br></div><div>AND... as you point out, things are a bit more complex than that!<br><br></div><div>For one thing... as children... we were all helpless to one degree or another, and so I would hesitate to say that we were 'authorizing' our parents or whatever crazyness was happening in our families of origin... <br><br></div><div>then, as adults... our feelings of helplessness often get triggered by our dysfunctional economic systems... for example, in a situation where jobs are few and far between, someone might well feel quite insulted at being told that they are "authorizing" their boss who happens to be a bully. The person who is being bullied, may not be in a position where they have an easy option of changing jobs... <br><br></div><div>(A side note... one fascinating piece of work in this regard, is Michael Lerner's book "Surplus Powerlessness"... in it, he lays out the perspective that by promoting the "American dream" ideology of "everyone can achieve anything they want", and concurrently systematically ignoring all of the many real constraints to our freedom, we contribute to creating a culture where people end up blaming themselves for not achieving their dreams -- and thus, end up feeling MORE powerless, than if we were to acknowledge the real constraints and focused on the small-yet-ever-present "windows of possibility"...)<br><br></div><div>Anyway, I would say that yes, as adults, we are the ones who authorize any authorities, including both the informal authorities as well as the formal authorities. To whatever degree that we are uncomfortable with our own authority, we are participating in the creation of a leaderless world, to our own and others' detriment -- since too many people in positions of formal authority are not, in fact, leaders; and to whatever degree they <i>are</i> leading, they are NOT leading us toward a world that works for all.<br><br>Conversely, to the degree that we become more comfortable with our own authority, we are contributing to a more leaderful world....<br></div><div>and of course, OST is a wonderful way to bring out the leader in each person, as it encourages each of us, to be the author of our own experience.<br><br></div><div>with all best wishes,<br><br></div><div>Rosa<br></div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><span><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">
<p style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><b><i>Rosa Zubizarreta</i></b></span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><i>meet me at my <a href="http://diapraxis.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">DiaPraxis website</span></a> <br>
and on my <a href="https://rosaz.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">Listening
Arts blog</span></a></i></span></p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
</span><p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></p>
</div></div></div></div></span><span><span><i><b><a href="http://www.DiaPraxis.com" target="_blank"></a></b></i></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 7:05 AM, Daniel Mezick via OSList <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
Hi Michael,<br>
<br>
Thank you for your reply. Regarding "unauthorized" or not
formally-authorized OST in organizations, remember, I am framing the
discussion inside the wider context of a typical business
corporation, one trying to improve by considering some changes. I am
not talking about any other context. OST is often used for Agile
retrospectives for example. I am not talking about that.<br>
<br>
So the context for discussion I am suggesting is the context of a
typical business corporation, one trying to improve by considering
some enterprise-wide (or division-wide) changes. A wide-scope
change.<br>
<br>
Typically, these changes are a "push from authority" without respect
to what the people who do the work want, think or feel. Many Agile
frameworks (most notably "SAFe") are implemented in this way. As
push. <br>
<br>
Open Space offers a refreshing alternative to mandates, "push", and
formally authorized coercion. Or so it seems. Since most formally
authorized leaders cannot commit to the so-called "risk of Open
Space," the wide-scope OST usually (almost) never happens.
Meanwhile, everybody knows the issues and that they might never see
the light of day in any kind of formally authorized way. <br>
<br>
Now, getting back your comment, yes: anyone can hold an Open Space
event at any time, about any thing, for any reason. At issue is what
happens next. Perhaps a group can meet to discuss HOW to get some
attention to key issues from formally authorized leaders. Etc. As
you yourself say, "folks knew full well that formal authorization
was needed and had figured out ways addressing that need."<br>
<br>
What I'm really, really interested in is deconstructing OST in
authority terms, and advancing that know-how, so that it can be
reduced to explicit knowledge that others can access quickly in
service to...progress. That essay is my naive attempt to actually
begin the process.<span><font color="#888888"><br>
<br>
<br>
Daniel <br></font></span><div><div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div>On 11/30/15 6:26 AM, Michael M Pannwitz
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">Dear
Daniel,
<br>
<br>
somehow, I dont see what has happened in almost all os gatherings
I have facilitated: people deciding to act and actually going
ahead with it after the gathering not being formally authorized.
<br>
As this happened regularly I wondered how those self-authorized
activities fared or got along with formal authorization.
Eventually, I found out that folks knew full well that formal
authorization was needed and had figured out ways addressing that
need.
<br>
<br>
I wondered about Beth. Did she and her group simply suggested
something formal authority should do or was she and others
involved in implementing the stuff they were interested in?
<br>
<br>
Invariably, I as facilitator would intervene with some off-handed
remark about "suggestions" or "recommendations" or what xyz should
do pointing out that there is nothing wrong with that but ....
<br>
<br>
cheers
<br>
mmp
<br>
<br>
On 30.11.2015 12:15, Daniel Mezick via OSList wrote:
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Hi Koos,
<br>
<br>
Thanks for your comment on personal passion. There's this very
<br>
interesting paper on the various authority types (informal,
formal,
<br>
personal) which is pretty good, I am including it here if you
want to
<br>
check it out.
<br>
<br>
I hear you when you say "I can initiate that process of
authorizing
<br>
myself by taking responsibility for my passion." This is exactly
what we
<br>
hope will happen inside company-sponsored OST events.
<br>
<br>
Within the context of Open Space held in an organization that
wants to
<br>
explore an enterprise-wide change, we can expect the following
to be
<br>
true, if the event is to work well:
<br>
<br>
1. Formally Authorized Leader. A person formally and highly
authorized
<br>
by the organization sends an invite with a theme. This "formally
<br>
authorizes" the time and space for the gathering.
<br>
<br>
2. Proceedings and Intent to Act- with Inclusion. That same
person
<br>
welcomes everyone on event-day, and at the opening, encourages
the
<br>
generation of proceedings, and signals that those proceedings
will be
<br>
inspected and acted upon, not just by the formally authorized
leaders
<br>
(the so-called "higher ups") but also with the new and emerging
leaders
<br>
who have identified themselves during the event ("be prepared to
be
<br>
surprised.") In other words, the people present are being
invited to
<br>
have their say, document it, and expect that these issues are
going be
<br>
input into a formally authorized and inclusive process of
deciding,
<br>
acting, and improving things.
<br>
<br>
<br>
Now, absent these two facts, how "important" is the OST event?
How much
<br>
"action" can ensue?
<br>
<br>
1. Formally Authorized Leader. No formally authorized leader
issuing the
<br>
invite? Or someone /without enough authorization to matter?/ The
signal
<br>
is clear: this theme (and this event) is /not important/ to the
people
<br>
who make the decisions.
<br>
<br>
2. Proceedings and Intent to Act- with Inclusion. Since no one
in the
<br>
room has enough formal authority to implement plans suggested in
the
<br>
proceedings, we can reasonably expect nothing whatsoever to
ensue in
<br>
formal terms after the meeting. This, because people who /could/
do
<br>
something about it (those formally authorized by the
organization) "do
<br>
not care."
<br>
<br>
So- the highly authorized Sponsor (or Host) is essential.
Otherwise, in
<br>
authority terms, the OST event and what happens there just
doesn't
<br>
matter from an organizational point of view. It cannot have much
of an
<br>
impact.
<br>
<br>
Much ado about nothing?
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Here's that paper I mentioned earlier:
<br>
<a href="https://www.it.uu.se/edu/course/homepage/projektDV/ht09/BART_Green_Molenkamp.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.it.uu.se/edu/course/homepage/projektDV/ht09/BART_Green_Molenkamp.pdf</a>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I notice that most people prefer to avoid discussing authority.
Since
<br>
our families are the first place where we encounter this concept
and
<br>
develop our relationship with it, perhaps it is true that
discussing
<br>
authority can be very triggering. Thanks for sticking your neck
out and
<br>
I certainly hope to hear back from you and others on this
thread.
<br>
<br>
Daniel
<br>
<br>
On 11/30/15 12:57 AM, Koos de Heer wrote:
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<br>
Hi Daniel,
<br>
<br>
<br>
Thank you for an interesting line of thought. What I am
thinking is
<br>
that there is also the aspect of a person standing up and
speaking for
<br>
a passion that they have (be it in the form of raising a topic
or just
<br>
speaking in a break out session) and in that way claiming
authority.
<br>
In your essay, authority seems to always come from someone
else. And
<br>
of course authority only is there when others believe it to be
there.
<br>
But the initiative to bestow authority on me does not always
come from
<br>
others. I can also initiate that process of authorizing myself
by
<br>
taking responsibility for my passion.
<br>
<br>
Koos
<br>
<br>
*Van:*OSList [<a href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org</a>]
*Namens
<br>
*Daniel Mezick via OSList
<br>
*V**erzonden:*maandag 30 november 2015 0:13
<br>
*Aan:* <a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a>
<br>
*Onderwerp:* [OSList] What's authority got to do with Open
Space ?
<br>
<br>
What's authority got to do with Open Space ? Apparently
nothing at
<br>
all, at least on the surface...
<br>
<br>
Wait. Once we peek under the surface, what do we actually
find?
<br>
<br>
This completely heretical essay attempts to answer at least
part of
<br>
that question.
<br>
<br>
The context is the use of Open Space in a large business
enterprise,
<br>
convened with intent to explore the potential for making a
very big,
<br>
very complex enterprise-wide change.
<br>
<br>
{Please note, the word "authority" might trigger feelings of:
<br>
/soul-sucking bureaucracy/, unfair and /_illegitimate
leadership
<br>
hierarchy_/, and the like. Some "triggered" readers may want
to
<br>
opt-out of continuing at this time...)
<br>
<br>
Authority Distribution in Open Space:
<br>
<a href="http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/" target="_blank">http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/</a>
<br>
Open Space is a most interesting format for "gathering,", also
known
<br>
as "meeting."
<br>
<br>
What exactly is going on in Open Space?
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
--
<br>
Daniel Mezick
<br>
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.
<br>
<a href="tel:%28203%29%20915%207248" value="+12039157248" target="_blank">(203) 915 7248</a>. Bio. <a href="http://www.DanielMezick.com/" target="_blank"><http://www.DanielMezick.com/></a>
Blog.
<br>
<a href="http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/" target="_blank"><http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/></a> Twitter.
<br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DanielMezick" target="_blank"><https://twitter.com/DanielMezick></a>
<br>
Book: The Culture Game. <a href="http://theculturegame.com/" target="_blank"><http://theculturegame.com/></a>
<br>
Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook.
<br>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336" target="_blank"><http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336></a>
<br>
<br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
--
<br>
Daniel Mezick
<br>
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.
<br>
<a href="tel:%28203%29%20915%207248" value="+12039157248" target="_blank">(203) 915 7248</a>. Bio. <a href="http://www.DanielMezick.com/" target="_blank"><http://www.DanielMezick.com/></a> Blog.
<br>
<a href="http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/" target="_blank"><http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/></a> Twitter.
<br>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DanielMezick" target="_blank"><https://twitter.com/DanielMezick></a>
<br>
Book: The Culture Game. <a href="http://theculturegame.com/" target="_blank"><http://theculturegame.com/></a>
<br>
Book: The OpenSpace Agility Handbook.
<br>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336" target="_blank"><http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336></a>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
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</blockquote>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
</div></div><div><div><div>-- <br>
Daniel Mezick<br>
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.<br>
</div></div><span><a href="tel:%28203%29%20915%207248" value="+12039157248" target="_blank">(203) 915 7248</a>.
<a href="http://www.DanielMezick.com/" target="_blank"> Bio.</a>
<a href="http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/" target="_blank">Blog.</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DanielMezick" target="_blank">Twitter.</a>
<br>
Book: <a href="http://theculturegame.com/" target="_blank">The Culture Game.</a>
<br></span><span>
Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336" target="_blank">The
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<br>
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