FWD: Message from Birgitt Bolton

Murli Nagasundaram rismurli at cobfac.idbsu.edu
Tue Mar 31 10:22:29 PST 1998


Greetings friends and colleagues,
Just wanted to share a few stories/thoughts briefly.

I facilitated an Open Space on Friday for a group that I have been working
with for nine months that have emerged most beautifully into an ongoing
Open Space organization. Along the way there were several joyous moments
but in more recent months (I go there one day every three weeks) there have
been many complaints about Open Space and more than one impassioned speech
by a staff member about change and not wanting to change. They themselves
saw the irony in their anger at me and at the process, admitting that I was
far more gentle with them than they are with their clients. Their clients
are people with serious addictions and the staff expect them to change and
become "dry" within an 18 day process or else they labelled them as
failures or non-compliant. Yet, when it came to their own change, they
fought the change every step of the way. And suddenly, without warning came
the moment of their birthing to the new. And they now celebrate change, and
Open Space. A huge breakthrough in the way that they are as organization,
the way that they are with each other, and the way they work together with
their "clients". When I finally get time to write this up, it has all the
ingredients of what happens as an organization is making the shift to
ongoing Open Space and is a wonderful learning for others who may be so
inclined.

Anyhow, on Friday, I positioned myself to start the closing circle and went
to chime my temple bells. I thought I had missed because the sound didn't
really work, so I tried again being most intent on "getting it right". Same
result. And as a child, I looked at the bells and then broke into gales of
laughter. There on the underside was cotton batton, well taped in to dull
the sound. And the whole group was laughing with and at me. A most healing
moment and expression of their acceptance of me and all we had done
together, despite the pain.

The second story focuses on a large Church structure with an unhappy
relationship with Open Space. Again, this is one of those stories I wish to
take the time to write up in its fullness, but haven't yet. Anyhow, about
1994 Harrison came and led the group of many hundred through a three day
Open Space. Went beautifully, except they hated the results because the
truth came out so they tried to blame the process and certainly were unkind
to Harrison's reputation. Nine months later, having vowed NEVER to use Open
Space again, they ended up with me as their facilitator for a day in Open
Space, which in turn led to me with them in Open Space a year after that.
They grumbled along the way, the leadership hated and continues to hate (or
FEAR) Open Space, yet are having to do these Open Spaces as a result of the
insistence of THE PEOPLE. Okay, I'm trying to make a long, multi-year story
short (I intend to put the full epic version up on the GOSI site soon). The
other evening at a party, the senior staff responsible to all these
NETWORKS that have resulted from these Open Spaces continued with his
commentary about Open Space and the hell it had brought to his own life. I
listened quietly (for those of you who know me, yes this is possible) and
then he looked me in the eye and said " I do have to share with you one of
the success stories. There are some, you know." One of our parishoners who
never speaks up and has never participated in the formal structure of the
church realized that he was welcome at the networks, understood that they
were inclusive. He has a pet project involving the clearing of landmines in
Southern Sudan and has wished for a while for the Church to be involved. He
brought the idea to one of the networks and although this hadn't been on
their agenda, they got passionate about his passion and one thing has led
to another and through this particular group, we are now active in Southern
Sudan in partnership with another organation, removing landmines.
So....maybe, this Open Space stuff works some of the time.If we had our old
committee structure, he never would have spoken up, much less made it onto
the agenda.

I just smiled.

And with that, I bid you a good night.

Birgitt Bolton



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