Michael Herman's Blog (2003-2016)
Inviting Agility in Challenging Environments
Over the course of several years, I wrote and taught and wrote some more about Open Space Technology as the skillful practice of Inviting Leadership. Along the way, I wrestled mightily with what we called “The Four Practices,” trying to articulate what it was that we are really doing when we Open Space. Eventually, I …
Try on this updated version of the four “anti-practices” suggested in the last post… Analyzing, the opposite of Appreciating; Facilitating, the opposite of Inviting; Problem-Solving, the opposite of Supporting; and Making a Good Case, the opposite of Making Good. Yes, I think that Inviting might just be the opposite of the sort of facilitation that …
Chris Corrigan and I have been refining our thinking and language for open space leadership. We have it down to four inter-informing and inter-supporting practices: Appreciating, Inviting, Supporting and Making Good. While the practices themselves are each quite whole and robust, tolerant of description but not of disecting, that’s not actually how it is when …
I’m getting ready for the leadership practice retreat I’ll lead with Chris Corrigan, on Bowen Island, April 18-20th. I’m thinking some more about the four practices of Open Space. Here is the updated view: Opening Heart Inviting Connection Supporting Collaboration Making a Difference On a personal level, these practices begin with passion, perhaps even some …
Still, yes still, rolling around with this notion of the Four Practicesof OpenSpaceTech. Finally occured to me today that these map perfectly to the four D’s of Appreciative Inquiry. This came as no surprise to my partner in crime here, Chris Corrigan, but it did make me wonder if teaching these practices still constitutes teaching …
Still noodling on these four practices of Open Space that Chris got me thinking about again. Thinking that we can refine the naming, notice tools and conditions and effects, as well. For instance, the first practice is Opening or Expanding. The primary tool for this is our Passion, those things we really care about, are …
chris corrigan sent me his notes from his latest incarnation of ouropen space technology training and practice workshop. i’ve been noodling on it as i cook lunches and scrub pots at the center these last couple of days. i’ve pushed his four around a bit and we’ve yet to duke it out over the details. …
wendy farmer-oneil mentioned InvitingOrganization and the Four Practices, yesterday on the phone, and wondered if we shouldn’t name a fifth practice and dimension, a center space that is some sort of stillness. my answer… yes. and, but, not like that. i’ve suggested four seasons, quadrants, practices. and yes, there is stillness, reflection, settling in the …
I woke up New Year’s Day with new language for what I’ve posted previously as “Open Space Practices”. That is, what is it that I think I’m really doing when I’m facilitating Open Space — or working or just living in it? opening heart – might be a physical embrace or simply a time of …
Opening Space in San Diego this week. I did a large-ish department’s annual meeting last year and that is being repeated in OS this year, finished this morning. Wonderful to sit in the circle and talk “practice” with 30 or 40 people who’ve now done this twice and are keen to soak it into the …
Raffi Aftandelian and friends are translating on of my recent articles into Russian, for a collection. Not surprisingly, translating what we’ve called the “four practices of open space” and “inviting leadership” has been rather challenging. This from a proposed translator’s note seemed to have some merit on its own… …there is a certain poetry in …
…or maybe less. Still tinkering with language for expressing the essence of what Chris and I have been calling the Four Practices of Open Space, or Four Practices of Inviting Leadership. Here’s where I’m settling out today: 1. Embracing Heart… is about opening to the heart of issues, the passion in people, and the depth …
Back in Chicago now, after staying on Bowen Island a few extra days after the Practice Retreat to walk in the forest, eat some good soups at the Snug, and work with Chris Corrigan on the story of Inviting Leadership, the latter of which we’ve now distilled to… Appreciating… the Positive Core in people, organizations …
The market analyses I’m reading these days all recommend value investing, focusing on fundamentals and not getting carried away with the glitz and glitter of high-priced buzz stocks, or trying to ride the tide of the broad market which seems more likely to trend down before it trends up. In my own consulting practice, I’ve …
I want to come back and say more about these four practices for embodying Open Space as leaders and organizations… opening/willingness, inviting/goodness, hosting/support, and grounding/sustaining. In the meantime, my sister the yogi sent this picture of herself today. She’s about 7.5 months pregnant. Could there be any better picture of these four practices?
Thanks to Deb Preuss and Steve Holyer to the first Agile Cocktails virtual (and international) lean coffee meetup today, where a small group of us just had a great conversation with Josh Kerievsky, CEO of Industrial Logic and one of the leading voices in the Modern Agile refactoring of the Agile Manifesto. I’ve already made a bunch of connections between …
The most remarkable thing about the four-day, online Open Space conference I ran with Lucas Cioffi at QiqoChat.com last week is how strongly it replicated what so many of us have experienced in face-to-face open space meetings and events. See the complete proceedings document here. From my Summary…
The intention was to extend and expand the best of the Organization Transformation symposium (where OST started), Open Space on Open Space, and OSLIST and support the sharing of all manner of practices, innovations and learnings. The invitation was to bring forth what’s been working – and learn together how to make more of it…
The plan was simple: Invite the world. Do three Openings, with start times
I’ve written previously about the four essential practices of Open Space Technology: Opening Heart Inviting Attention Supporting Connection Grounding the Energy When I first applied this view to my work, after 10 years of opening space, I found they made everything easier. I could do opening heart, during set-up. Then I could invite attention to …
When people ask me if I’m a Buddhist, I usually shrug my shoulders and say I don’t know. I do some Buddhist sorts of practices and I’m currently working in a Tibetan Buddhist Centre, but most Buddhists wouldn’t recognize me as one of their own. Still, I don’t fit in very well anymore back in …
The ripping and stripping continues here. Somethings definitely coming down and new things wanting to step to the fore. Some of those have nothing to do with computers, writing, even words. Now what? I notice that the four Main Ingredients listed in the side bar and last posting are not the only main ingredients. They’re …