<div dir="ltr">I am thinking about 'walking the mystical path with practical feet'. <div>If leadership wants to call it 'strategic planning', flow with it.</div><div>If they are willing for an OST meeting to do the whole planning, flow with it.</div><div>If they are willing for an OST meeting as part of the planning, even a very small part, flow with it.</div><div><br></div><div>Keep my sights on my goal which is to open space where and as I can. And as the late beloved Leonard Cohen sang, if there is a crack, this light gets in. And there is always a crack. We close the crack when we push our ideals onto people. We close the crack when we energetically send the signal that we think they are attempting to control.</div><div><br></div><div>On to opening space for myself this weekend with a great walk at the coast...sand, surf, sun, joy.</div><div>Wishing you all a wonderful weekend,</div><div>Birgitt</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Thu, Feb 16, 2017 at 10:42 PM Chris Kloth via OSList <<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Harrison, your rumination resonates with me.<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
As you say, the proof is in the pudding. On one level, if the plan is<br class="gmail_msg">
implemented and hopes/expectations are achieved or exceeded, and did<br class="gmail_msg">
so in the spirit inspired by the event/process, then it worked. On<br class="gmail_msg">
another level, if, over time, the spirit of open space begins to<br class="gmail_msg">
permeate the culture of the organization it worked even better.<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
In terms of the question of control, during the pre-work related to<br class="gmail_msg">
Planning in Open Space I find myself testing the client's ability and<br class="gmail_msg">
willingness to accept and lean into the inherent productive tension.<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
As for oil and water, my experience suggests oil and vinegar may be a<br class="gmail_msg">
more apt pairing.<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
--<br class="gmail_msg">
Shalom,<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
Chris Kloth<br class="gmail_msg">
ChangeWorks of the Heartland<br class="gmail_msg">
254 South Merkle Road<br class="gmail_msg">
Bexley, OH 43209-1801<br class="gmail_msg">
ph <a href="tel:(614)%20239-1336" value="+16142391336" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">614-239-1336</a><br class="gmail_msg">
fax <a href="tel:(614)%20237-2347" value="+16142372347" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">614-237-2347</a><br class="gmail_msg">
<a href="http://www.got2change.com" rel="noreferrer" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">www.got2change.com</a><br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
Think globally. Act locally.<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
Quoting Harrison Owen via OSList <<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a>>:<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
> Occasionally somebody ponders the possibility of Open Space and Planning -<br class="gmail_msg">
> as in, could you do Planning, Strategic and otherwise, in Open Space? My<br class="gmail_msg">
> immediate response has always been, Yes. As a matter of fact I have done<br class="gmail_msg">
> just that on a number of occasions.<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> There is no question that when we "opened space for our future" (which<br class="gmail_msg">
> always seemed to be the essence of the theme), a marvelous time was had by<br class="gmail_msg">
> all. Something that looked very much like a "plan" emerged with attendant<br class="gmail_msg">
> work groups - all committed and in place, and of course the time taken for<br class="gmail_msg">
> the exercise was minuscule compared to standard practice. End of story. Or<br class="gmail_msg">
> is it?<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Planning, at least in common usage, has some association with controlling,<br class="gmail_msg">
> or even creating, the future. Indeed, many would argue that control of the<br class="gmail_msg">
> future is the whole point of planning. Open Space, on the other hand, is all<br class="gmail_msg">
> about self organization - which implies that control as we usually<br class="gmail_msg">
> understand it is impossible. So Planning in Open Space would seem to be an<br class="gmail_msg">
> oxymoron. You simply can't get there from here.<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Upon reflection it does seem that Planning and Open Space go together rather<br class="gmail_msg">
> like oil and water. It is also true that on those occasions where I was<br class="gmail_msg">
> privileged to be with a group Planning in Open Space - it was marvelous.<br class="gmail_msg">
> Good stuff seriously happened, and best of all people really had fun - even<br class="gmail_msg">
> if there were times when it seemed like we were all hanging on by our finger<br class="gmail_msg">
> nails because things were moving so fast!<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Of course the "proof of the pudding" in this business is not, "Did you make<br class="gmail_msg">
> a plan?" but most importantly - Did it work? And it is precisely here that<br class="gmail_msg">
> things really get confusing. The plans not only "worked" as (self) reported<br class="gmail_msg">
> by the participants - But they worked faster and better than ever. Almost to<br class="gmail_msg">
> the point that it seemed the distinction between "planning" and "doing" had<br class="gmail_msg">
> dissolved. Wow!<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> I can see another heresy just coming into view. Everybody "knows" that<br class="gmail_msg">
> Planning comes first. Neat, orderly, rational, deliberate - considered over<br class="gmail_msg">
> and over again. THEN... Action. But what would it mean if it happened all at<br class="gmail_msg">
> once? ... That there really was no meaningful distinction between planning<br class="gmail_msg">
> and doing? Not as an ideal, but as an experienced reality?<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Some might say that this is a clear indication of mental aberration - Mad in<br class="gmail_msg">
> a word. On the other hand... were the experience real (as in repeatable,<br class="gmail_msg">
> non-drug induced, whatever) we might just have to take another look at what<br class="gmail_msg">
> we mean by "Planning."<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Harrison<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Winter Address<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> 7808 River Falls Dr.<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Potomac, MD 20854<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> <a href="tel:(301)%20365-2093" value="+13013652093" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">301-365-2093</a><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Summer Address<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> 189 Beaucauire Ave<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Camden, ME 04843<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> <a href="tel:(207)%20763-3261" value="+12077633261" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">207 763-3261</a><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> Websites<br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com" rel="noreferrer" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">www.openspaceworld.com</a><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
> <a href="http://www.ho-image.com" rel="noreferrer" class="gmail_msg" target="_blank">www.ho-image.com</a><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
><br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
<br class="gmail_msg">
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</blockquote></div></div></div><div dir="ltr">-- <br></div><div data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Birgitt Williams</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">President & Senior
Consultant of Dalar International Consultancy, Inc. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.dalarinternational.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">http://www.dalarinternational.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Co-founder of the
Extraordinary Leadership Network </span><a href="http://www.extraordinaryleadershipnetwork.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">http://www.extraordinaryleadershipnetwork.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Co-founder of the
Genuine Contact™program and author of The Genuine Contact Way: Nourishing a
Culture of Leadership </span><a href="http://www.genuinecontactway.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">http://www.genuinecontactway.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Co-owner of the Genuine
Contact Co-owners Group Ltd. </span><a href="http://www.genuinecontact.net/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">http://www.genuinecontact.net</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt">Supporting leadership
development for leading in a culture requiring agility and flexibility in a
performance environment of constant change.</span></i></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt">phone: 1-919-522-7750</span></p></div></div>