Human to Human

Hope this finds you well. In learning. In some layer of community. In, as my friend Cory Thorell says, wonder, wander, ponder.

Here’s the March edition of my one-page newsletter. It curates a tiny bit. Things to read. Things to listen to. Invitations to get guidance and create.

Good morning. From coffee. Spring temps have arrived in Utah. Daffodils. Tulips. Returning rhubarb. And a bit more ease in ambling walks. And a smile.

1. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened.
2. Whoever comes are the right people.
3. When it starts is the right time.
4. When it is over, it’s over.

And of course, the law (invitation) of mobility. “If you are not learning or contributing, go somewhere where you can.”

These are well-known principles of Open Space Technology. And now widely practiced.

The founder of OST, Harrison Owen died this week. An elder in our field of group process facilitation. An elder that pointed to the ever present reality and vitality of self-organization. An elder that pointed to the aliveness that exists in people to be in good learning together.

Open Space Technology is now a part of most every group facilitation I do. Because people want to learn. Harrison, curmudgeon and sage (I liked this a lot about him), insisted on such simplicity.

My early days of Open Space go back to the late 1990s and early 2000s. My first memory is with Toke Moeller and Bob Stilger. We were together in a leadership initiative, From the Four Directions. We were gathered for an opening retreat at a place called Naledi, near Johannesburg, South Africa. Toke was very excited about “something new that he was learning.” That was OST. And it was Toke and Bob in such huge commitments and passion in learning that had us meeting about the possibility of OST in our program.

Not long after that, I began hosting Art of Hosting gatherings. First with Toke, Christina Baldwin, Teresa Posakony. Not long after that with Chris Corrigan. OST became a must-include part of those gatherings that continue to happen globally.

And now, 20+ years later, OST is still so often a must-include. Next week in a leadership development program, OST will be much of our 2nd day together. Later in the summer, OST will be a key part of a two day learning summit with medical professionals. Renamed to fit their context — “Self-Organized Learning Groups”).

Open Space — thanks Harrison, and thanks Anne Stadler (if there was a mother of OST, that’s Anne, who died October 2023 ). On it goes. It takes the heart and practice and voice of good people to move a field. And a few decades of time too.

Harrison did that. His love and structure of such simple things (whoever comes, whatever happens, when it starts / ends) lives in my heart and in my practice.

A bow.

Listen to the episode here.

Sam and I and others co-hosted a Practicing Peace Dojo last year. We talk about it a bit.

And we talk the big self, the impact of the peace narrative, staying with curiosity, and the significance of what any of us do 3 feet in front of us.

Some good banter. Some laughter. Some delicious wonder. Some needed reflection. Some learning, out loud, with invitation to others too.

Enjoy the listen.

Working on a design for a client system that brings context and practice of connection.

Some of my setup goes like this:

Humans everywhere wish connection.

For learning. 
For belonging. 
Sometimes for collaboration and imagination.
Sometimes for safety and security.

The range is wide. Yet connection is a common desire and need.

Then I describe these simultaneous realms of desired connection. To invite fullness and wholeness, as individuals and as a group.

It’s more common to pay attention to connection with others and with circumstance. Most of us also need to lift up connection with ourselves and with the bigger picture of life flowing.

Then I offer questions that people can engage together so as to add more connection.

Who are you?
What’s it like to be you?
What are you learning?
What has your attention?
How is this growing you into the person you wish to be? The group you wish to be?

A work in progress.