Some thoughts about trust/ distrust in open space

[Birgitt Bolton]

Thank you for your comments. I appreciated them and liked the phrase of
"fright-biting".

 For sure, in Open Space, truth comes out and if people are not feeling
good about each other, this will come out too---which in my opinion is
very,very good. Assuming that we have given enough time for the Open Space.
I have watched over and over again as people who have disliked one another
for many years, come together and really try talking in Open Space. Really
try to get through their conflicts. I believe that people have the capacity
to do this---given the time and space. I have been in many situations of
Open Space where mis-trust starts to become trust ---or at least respect (a
willingness to look again). Isn't it great that we have the privilege to do
this work??? and be witness to people struggling and learning and growing?

I think as facilitators we should keep things as simple as possible and
stay out of the way--and let people do their process work in that space. If
I give any guidance at all in the beginning it is just to remind people of
the four laws of spirit (as per Angeles Arrien):
1. Show up and tell the truth
2. Tell the truth without blame or judgement
3. Follow what has heart and meaning
4. Let it go

Kindest regards,
Birgitt

Birgitt Bolton
Dalar Associates/Change Team Canada
55 Ravina Cres., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada L9G 2E8
phone: 905-648-5775    fax: 905-648-2262


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> From: Grewe, Detlev <tgw at techem.de>
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.IDBSU.EDU
> Subject: Some thoughts about trust/ distrust in open space
> Date: June 19, 1998 5:24 AM
>
> First: Please excuse my bad english, I have little opportunity to
> practice.
> Second: Whereas I have never experienced an open space, I have some
> ideas about rising trust in open space environment, derived from the
> many descriptions,that  I could read here.
>
> I think, in a high level, trust depends on self-trust and
> self-confidence. If you have a strong position on your own, and you know
> it, you can risk to trust others as they can not do bad things to you.
> And as you can make the experience, that you can risk some public
> statement and people listen to you, thinking seriously about your
> opinion, straighten your self confidence and your trust in the
> environment.
>
> The intro-design of the open space generates the good chance of making
> those trust-rising experiences.
>
> On the opposit the climate in companies in some critical situation, in
> concurrent relationships etc sets good (bad) chances for the alternate
> experience: That you are personally taken down after telling your
> opinion. Being ignored is one of the experiences that hurt most and
> which happens rather often in our fast running business-world. Having
> time and having the awareness of the others is a healing experience
> (during open space and other methods) in contrast to the usual
> experience of being ignored.
>
> in german we have a word "fright-biting", what means, that people with
> low self confidence and the expectation of being hurt (with well
> educated and polite looking words) tend to avoid the expected hurting by
> biting at first. In that trend we find a down leading spiral of
> relationship.
> Open space in such a situation can only be the first but very important
> step to reverse that spiral by buildt up self confidence and trust in
> enabling the experience of own importance, own competence getting the
> interest of others. There in the opening starts that upward leading
> spiral, and when the follow-up is done correctly, it gives the
> opportunity of a self-growing upwards spiral of trust and self
> confidence.