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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body 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'>Great to see you. And I do like your take on “authority.” But I think you would concur that your version is hardly the standard/colloquial one </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'>ho<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'>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 href="%20www.openspaceworld.com"> www.openspaceworld.com</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">www.ho-image.com</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 subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a></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><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"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Rosa Zubizarreta via OSList<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 02, 2015 8:44 AM<br><b>To:</b> Harrison Owen; World wide Open Space Technology email list<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSList] What's authority got to do with Open Space ?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>dear Harrison,<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Happy Birthday!!! <br>and thank you for so much...<br><br>including, your ever-invigorating invitations to think further!<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>I have a very different read of Daniel's choice of words than you do...<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>If we realize that the key root of "authority" is "author",<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>then each of us, by nature and definition,<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>is the "author" of our own experience.<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>And so reconnecting with our own authority,<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>is what OST is all about...<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>as you put it,<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>"we are simply inviting people to be fully who they already are".<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>So in the Group Relations work,<br>we are <b><i>not </i></b>choosing to explore "authority" in order to appeal to business people..<o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>we are exploring it, we are reclaiming it,<br>because at heart, <o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>just like "myth" being deeper than truth,<br><i>our own authority <br></i>is where it's at...<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>with much love,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Rosa<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><br clear=all><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Rosa Zubizarreta</span></i></b><o:p></o:p></p><p><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>meet me at my <a href="http://diapraxis.com" target="_blank">DiaPraxis website</a> <br>and on my <a href="https://rosaz.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Listening Arts blog</a></span></i><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Tue, Dec 1, 2015 at 9:48 AM, Harrison Owen via OSList <<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><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.”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><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! </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><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.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Harrison </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Winter Address</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>7808 River Falls Drive</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Potomac, MD 20854</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="tel:301-365-2093" target="_blank">301-365-2093</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Summer Address</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>189 Beaucaire Ave.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Camden, ME 04843</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="tel:207-763-3261" target="_blank">207-763-3261</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Websites</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://%20www.openspaceworld.com" target="_blank">www.openspaceworld.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.ho-image.com" target="_blank">www.ho-image.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><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 subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org" target="_blank">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> OSList [mailto:<a href="mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">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 href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [OSList] What's authority got to do with Open Space ?</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;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 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 as "meeting." <br><br>What exactly is going on in Open Space?<br><br><img border=0 width=144 height=145 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D12CF3.F63E5410"><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'>-- <br>Daniel Mezick<br>Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.<br><a href="tel:%28203%29%20915%207248" 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>Book: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336" target="_blank">The OpenSpace Agility Handbook.</a> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><br>_______________________________________________<br>OSList mailing list<br>To post send emails to <a href="mailto:OSList@lists.openspacetech.org">OSList@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br>To unsubscribe send an email to <a href="mailto:OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org">OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br>To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:<br><a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org" target="_blank">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a><br>Past archives can be viewed here: <a href="http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>