<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<p>Harrison, et al. <br>
</p>
<p>It's been a while since I checked in, but this thread brought
back many fond memories of several OST events over the years, and
one in particular.</p>
<p>It's been many years since I was contacted by a group that
included multiple coalitions of mental health professionals,
administrators, and policy makers from throughout Ohio. At the
time, local urban and local rural leaders of county mental health
boards were battling with each other and state mental health
officials over what was described as inequitable, differential
funding of urban and rural systems by the state. One of the local
coalitions had an active lawsuit pending against the state over
inequitable funding. At that point the lawsuit had been pending
for several years.<br>
</p>
<p>However, the reason they contacted me was that the state
legislature had initiated legislation on a particular policy that
each of the three groups found problematic for different reasons.
Several of them had experienced OST in other settings and thought
it might be a way sort things out on the legislative issue.</p>
<p>During the planning process we spent quite a bit of time
considering/testing potential questions to frame an inclusive
invitation to a wide variety of people concerned about the issue.
Several times during the planning process members of the planning
group made it clear that they did not want to take on the other
issues and that they expected me to "manage" that "problem." I
kept saying that, whatever question we arrived at, I couldn't
promise the other topics wouldn't come up if it was important to
people at the event. I did say that I thought the organizing
question they landed on seemed inclusive and that they would quite
likely end up someplace that would help them advance their cause.</p>
<p>The day we were opening space, with about 100 people attending,
the bulletin board filled up with all kinds of good stuff. As you
might predict, most of the topics were on the legislation, but
some of the topics were related to inequitable funding. A few of
their planners continued to be frustrated and approached me. I
advised that they each think about what they felt passionate about
and were willing to accept responsibility for working on... and
then vote with their feet. The first day people worked on what
they cared about, with most focusing on the legislation. Some
people stayed irritated, but those few working on inequitable
funding seemed to be really listening to one another in their
sessions. The next day work continued on the legislation, building
on work from the day before. However, as the morning evolved I
noticed and increasing amount of bee and butterfly activity, much
more than I was used to seeing. I listened in on some of the
conversations and the talk was about equitable funding (not
inequitable funding). At the time I said the air was electric -
but sizzles works. After lunch most of the participants attended
one huge session that had been posted as funding related. In the
next 90 minutes they came to common ground on an approach to
addressing funding issues!</p>
<p>My take on the closing circle was that 4 themes emerged. One was
that working together on the legislation reminded all of them what
they all felt passion about - providing community based options
for individuals and families experiencing the effects of mental
illness. Another theme was how good they felt about working
together again after so many years... they remembered the "good
old days" that had brought them together so many years ago. Third,
they realized that, for quite a while, there had been some people
who had been ready to engage in dialogue about funding, but hadn't
found a nontoxic space to do so in... until then. Finally, they
noticed the paradox I suspect all of us have experienced in one
form or another... when they stopped thinking about the "problem"
or "the conflict" or the toxicity they had all come to accept as
"normal," something else showed up! <br>
</p>
<p>The results? During the next several weeks they each did their
part in preparing to address the legislature. After the
legislative hearings, about 6 weeks after the OST, the legislature
shifted its approach. That's lightening speed when addressing a
complicated, statewide public policy and fiscal issue in a
volatile political and economic environment. Within about 6 months
of the OST the lawsuit (the one they wanted me to make sure didn't
get discussed) was resolved and a collaborative group had
developed options that all could all invest in.</p>
<p>Harrison described organizations without conflict as dead. I
agree. One way I think of conflict is: the opportunity for diverse
groups of passionate people who really care about what they are
doing, are invested in taking responsibility for what they are
doing, and (not but), have very different perspectives about what
is going on, what to make of it and what, if anything, to do about
it. From my perspective, in a world characterized by diversity,
complexity, chaos, implicate order, emergent order, the capacity
for self-organization (and more), the good news is that healthy
conflict can enrich our understanding of what, in the moment, we
are experiencing, what we will make of that experience, and what,
if anything, we will do about it. <br>
</p>
<p> OST leads to avoiding conflict? Not in my approximately 25 years
of opening space... quite the opposite.<br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Shalom,
Chris Kloth
Principal/Lead Consultant
ChangeWorks of the Heartland
254 South Merkle Road
Columbus, OH 43209-1801
P - 1+ 614-239-1336
F - 1+ 614-237-2347
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.got2change.com">www.got2change.com</a>
Think globally, act locally.</pre>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/1/2018 2:58 PM, Harrison Owen via
OSList wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:004301d39b96$f73e95f0$e5bbc1d0$@net">
<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:"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
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
color:black;}
pre
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"HTML Preformatted Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
color:black;}
span.HTMLPreformattedChar
{mso-style-name:"HTML Preformatted Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"HTML Preformatted";
font-family:Consolas;
color:black;}
span.EmailStyle20
{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">There
is conflict, and then there is destructive conflict. I think
they are two entirely different things. Conflict is an
essential part of living, life, the total evolutionary
process. Show me any organization that has no conflict and
I’ll show you a dead one. Conflict occurs when two or more
critical concerns (cares) but heads. Given sufficient room,
they will find a way. Close that space and they will kill
each other. My experience in Open Space has always been one
of intense conflict combined with serious way finding.
Parties who would ordinarily kill each other find common
ground. And the air sizzles. Believe me, I’ve been there.<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 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">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
Beaucauire 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 class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.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 class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</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">
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>Harold Shinsato via OSList<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 30, 2018 5:25 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org">oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Harold Shinsato<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSList] OST encourages avoidance of
conflict<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt">Daniel,<br>
<br>
Interesting concern. I think I remember hearing this from a
well respected management guru as a critique of Open Space. I
can't help but wonder the following:<br>
<br>
- How well do individual adults resolve conflicts when an
authority figure forces them?<br>
- How well do conflicting peoples or tribal communities
resolve conflicts when they are forcibly held together by an
imperial force (think Rome, USSR, pre-partition India, etc etc
etc)<br>
<br>
If you are dealing with children or developmentally challenged
individuals - especially those who have violated others rights
are are in prison - I can imagine there being some value to
some level of compulsion or coercion here. But even there, it
may temporarily resolve the fighting and damage, but not the
children's growth.<br>
<br>
If you are dealing with severe human rights being violated in
tribal scenarios, I can see how that might justify gunboat
diplomacy. But I can't imagine the tribal system will evolve
to respect human rights without a huge additional investment
from the gunboat diplomats. And it is all too likely that such
interference may not only cause even bigger problems later on,
but can also encourage exploitation of the less developed
tribe/community.<br>
<br>
Thanks for asking this question!<br>
<br>
Harold<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">On 1/30/18 2:07 PM, Daniel Mezick via
OSList wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<p>I am hearing this pointed criticism from some quarters:
That OST actually encourages conflict-avoidance via the Law
of 2 Feet. In other words, people who need to be resolving
conflict (or at least discussing it) can just avoid the
touchy topic... and each other. <br>
<br>
Could this actually be true? If not why not? <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- <br>
Daniel Mezick<br>
Culture Strategist. Author. Keynoter.<br>
(203) 915 7248. <a href="http://www.DanielMezick.com/"
moz-do-not-send="true">Bio.</a> <a
href="http://www.NewTechUSA.net/blog/"
moz-do-not-send="true">Blog.</a> <a
href="https://twitter.com/DanielMezick"
moz-do-not-send="true">Twitter.</a> <br>
Book: <a href="http://theculturegame.com/"
moz-do-not-send="true">The Culture Game.</a> <br>
Book: <a
href="http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336"
moz-do-not-send="true">The OpenSpace Agility Handbook.</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>OSList mailing list<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>To post send emails to <a href="mailto:OSList@lists.openspacetech.org" moz-do-not-send="true">OSList@lists.openspacetech.org</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>To unsubscribe send an email to <a href="mailto:OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org" moz-do-not-send="true">OSList-leave@lists.openspacetech.org</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre><a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org" moz-do-not-send="true">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Past archives can be viewed here: <a href="http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" moz-do-not-send="true">http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a><o:p></o:p></pre>
</blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">-- <br>
Harold Shinsato<br>
<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com" moz-do-not-send="true">harold@shinsato.com</a><br>
<a href="http://shinsato.com" moz-do-not-send="true">http://shinsato.com</a><br>
twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/hajush"
moz-do-not-send="true">@hajush</a><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>
Past archives can be viewed here: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org">http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org</a></pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">
</pre>
</body>
</html>