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Happy birthday Harrison !<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 12/1/15 9:48 AM, Harrison Owen
wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Dan
– Given the way you define authority (formal and informal)
it does seems to give a view point from which to observe the
function of folks in Open Space. It also has the advantage
of “sounding like” normal corporate usage. “Authority:” who
has it, who doesn’t, who is pretending... That is the
corporate story as lot of people might see it. And if you
are trying to trick a Greeks, you probably need to speak
Greek.<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">But
there is a danger. “Triggering,” as you say. When you use a
loaded, heavy word in a new and different way, particularly
a way that is essentially the opposite of general usage,
there is the danger of being misunderstood. Sometimes you
just have to run the risk if no other word really quite does
it. Such was the case with “myth” in my work. In popular
discourse, “myth” basically means “lie,” “untruth,”
“fabrication,” etc. In my work, and I believe classically,
myth is deeper than truth. It underlies truth. It creates
the environment in which truth can be perceived as true. At
least that is what I’ve always said, along with multiple
others, Joseph Campbell, for example.<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
I guess my question is, Why do you feel you have to use
“authority?” I would judge that your answer might be
somewhere here....</span> “<span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">The
context is the use of Open Space in a large business
enterprise, convened with intent to explore the potential
for making a very big, very complex enterprise-wide change.”<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">If
this is right, there is implicit in your quest an assumption
(I think) that you/we are somehow bringing Open Space to the
corporate world and “scaling it up.” I have no question that
the very idea of Open Space represents the worst nightmare
of the majority of corporate execs. I equally have no
question that if these same execs hope to maintain their
current self image and job description (he/she who is in
control), the use of Open Space is about as likely as an
immediate, unassisted flight to the moon. Can’t happen.<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">It
might seem, therefore that if we are in the Open Space
Business, we are pushing a product that has all the
popularity of a putrefying skunk. Small market! <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">Then
again the situation changes rather radically if it actually
turns out that the executives in question really don’t have
any choice. Even worse, were it to turn out that the
corporate world (indeed the world itself) is massively
different from what they presume. In the world I experience,
all systems, including all human systems are self
organizing. Should that actually be the case, the notion of
“bringing Open Space (self organization)” anywhere is a
little ridiculous. One might say fraudulent – right on a par
with selling the air we breathe. The idea of becoming self
organizing just does not make any sense – we are, by nature
and definition, self organizing. The fact that many people
don’t know this, refuse to recognize it, or are just doing
it badly – doesn’t change a thing. But it does change the
nature of our job. Rather than selling, bringing,
providing... anything, we are simply inviting people to be
fully what they already are. And at least from where I sit,
Authority, as we used to understand it (formal and
informal), doesn’t really have a lot to do with things. It
represents a problem up with which I shall not put (thank
you Winnie). Rather have a nap.<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>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Winter
Address<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 Drive<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">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"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Summer
Address<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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Camden,
ME 04843<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">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">Websites<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="%20www.openspaceworld.com">
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a></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"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">OSLIST
</span><span
style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D">To
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<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 [<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 via OSList<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, November 29, 2015 6:13 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] What's authority got to do with
Open Space ?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">What's
authority got to do with Open Space ? Apparently nothing at
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 that question. <br>
<br>
The context is the use of Open Space in a large business
enterprise, convened with intent to explore the potential for
making a very big, very complex enterprise-wide change. <br>
<br>
{Please note, the word "authority" might trigger feelings of:
<i>soul-sucking bureaucracy</i>, unfair and <i><u>illegitimate
leadership hierarchy</u></i>, and the like. Some
"triggered" readers may want to opt-out of continuing at this
time...)<br>
<br>
Authority Distribution in Open Space:<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/">http://newtechusa.net/agile/authority-distribution-in-open-space/</a><br>
Open Space is a most interesting format for "gathering,", also
known as "meeting." <br>
<br>
What exactly is going on in Open Space?<br>
<br>
<img id="_x0000_i1029"
src="cid:part5.08020900.03050702@newtechusa.net"
height="145" border="0" width="144"><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- <br>
Daniel Mezick<br>
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.<br>
(203) 915 7248. <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.DanielMezick.com/">Bio.</a> <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/">Blog.</a> <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="https://twitter.com/DanielMezick">Twitter.</a> <br>
Book: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://theculturegame.com/">The Culture Game.</a> <br>
Book: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336">The
OpenSpace Agility Handbook.</a> <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Daniel Mezick<br>
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.<br>
(203) 915 7248.
<a href="http://www.DanielMezick.com/"> Bio.</a>
<a href="http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/">Blog.</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DanielMezick">Twitter.</a>
<br>
Book: <a href="http://theculturegame.com/">The Culture Game.</a>
<br>
Book: <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336">The
OpenSpace Agility Handbook.</a>
<br>
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