Electronically linked open spaces

Fri Apr 9 03:55:52 PDT 1999

Dear Koos,
the idea of linking open spaces occuring at different locations to
the same theme intrigues me, also. I have not had a client who would
like to do that. There is a client however, who might consider doing
several open spaces in sequence at his different locations of
operation (about a dozen plus headquarters). This could be an
approach I could suggest to him to move on the particular topic
simultaneously throughout his organisation. This would be a
marvellous experiment involving a bunch of facilitators.
Not being into the internet etc. world deeper than email I would need
some expert advice on how to set up a scheme.
Anyone out there in the listservworld with experience?
hugs,
michael

Michael M Pannwitz
Draisweg 1
12209 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: 49 30 772 8000
Fax: 49 30 773 92 464
www.michaelMpannwitz.de

>From  Fri Apr  9 11:23:41 1999
Message-Id: <FRI.9.APR.1999.112341.0500.>
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 1999 11:23:41 -0500
Reply-To: mherman at globalchicago.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Michael Herman <mherman at globalchicago.net>
Organization: Michael Herman Associates
Subject: Re: evening opening?
X-To: Esther Ewing <eewing at inforamp.net>
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thanks, esther.  the negation is a possibility, and probably a reality.
but it's got to be dealt with sometime.  you remind me, however,that
this question of who should be there on thursday night is probably best
answered by the participants themselves, after they see where they are
on saturday evening's close.  not really a need to decide now, i guess.

your response raises a larger question for me, however.  do open space
events take place outside of an organizatin or is the organization
ground for open space?  and, since i'm more interested in the practice
than the theory of this, how and when are the results of this group's
work best presented to the larger org, some of whom may not welcome
these results?

in this situation, having the following monday through thursday for the
news to percolate through the two schools seemed to holdthe possbility
for coming together on thursday night to (1) do some basic convergence
via the voting and (2) then ask a somewhat larger, expanding group about
next steps.  Seems to me that this process has to happen anyway inthe
org, so why not in a space held for just these purposes?  perhaps,
though this is too much for one evening.

what do you think?  anybody else done something fancy to take the news
of an event back to the rest of an org?

michael

Esther Ewing wrote:

>  Michael:
>
> I personally don't like the idea of others coming later. They have the
> potential of coming out to negate all the work that's been done before
> and they can really torpido the energy and enthusiasm and passion that
> the first set of folks put into the first session.
>
> It is really tough when that happens and you get increased anger on
> the part of the first group not to mention the second.
>
> Remember whoever comes is the right person and whatever happens is the
> only thing that could. I think that if there are those who after the
> invitation has been offered, choose not to come, then they've made
> their choice and should live with the consequences.
>
> The invitation has to be offered in an accepting open way however,
> making it clear that the open space is truly open to everyone and that
> decisions will be made.
>
> Regards
> Esther
> At 10:27 AM 4/8/99 -0500, you wrote:
> >hello barbara,
> >
> >yes, i think what you say is true.  "real work" is their term for the
> work in
> >the sessions, rather than any time spent in something like
> storytelling circle
> >the night before.  my concern was that teachers and students can jump
> right
> >into the topic, but other community members and/or parents may be
> still be
> >figuring out who's who on friday night.
> >
> >we've talked about this being just the beginning of a long
> conversation.  they
> >had originally planned to spend a day and come out with a shiny new
> PLAN.
> >this thinking has shifted, though.
> >
> >the boycott, as described to me, is those folks who've made it a
> habit to
> >oppose the moves of the formal leaders.  we've talked about the
> process of
> >invitation a lot and they are doing what they can to welcome everyone
> to the
> >event.  we've also discussed the possibility for welcoming folks who
> choose
> >not to attend the open space session to attend the followup session
> to be held
> >later that week.  we thought that might give folks a few days to sift
> through
> >the stories and an easy opportunity to sign on a little late.
> >
> >any other thoughts?
> >
> >many thanks,
> >
> >michael
> >
> >
> >
> >Barbara E. Sliter wrote:
> >
> >> MIchael,
> >>
> >> Sounds like a complex situation.  I am wondering what "(real) work
> you are
> >> expecting to get down to" and when?  I think it may be unrealistic
> to think
> >> that after an evening and one day they will have gotten for enough
> to plan.
> >> My guess is they will have just started to see themes at that
> point.
> >>
> >> Also, what is the boycott all about?
> >>
> >> Barbara
> >> ----------
> >> >From: Michael Herman <mherman at GLOBALCHICAGO.NET>
> >> >To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> >> >Subject: evening opening?
> >> >Date: Wed, Apr 7, 1999, 5:36 PM
> >>
> >> >
> >> > i'm already expecting to welcome new topics at morning news on
> >> > saturday.  there are many people within the system who are
> threatening
> >> > to boycott the whole thing, which is why they want to get "down
> to
> >> > (real) work" as quickly as possible.  so i'm hoping that the
> pressures
> >> > already present will overcome the drag of friday evening.
> >> >
> >> > any thoughts?
> >> >
> >> >
> >
> >
> >
> >--
> >
> >Michael Herman
> >Manager, Mediator, Educator, Writer
> >
> >Michael Herman Associates
> >300 West North Avenue #1105
> >Chicago IL 60610
> >312-280-7838 voice
> >312-280-7837 fax
> >
> >PLEASE NOTE THESE NEW EMAIL
> >AND WEBSITE ADDRESSES:
> >
> >mherman at globalchicago.net
> >
> >The Global Chicago Network
> >http://www.globalchicago.net
> >
> >Michael Herman Associates
> >http://www.globalchicago.net/mha
> >
> >

--

Michael Herman
Manager, Mediator, Educator, Writer

Michael Herman Associates
300 West North Avenue #1105
Chicago IL 60610
312-280-7838 voice
312-280-7837 fax

PLEASE NOTE THESE NEW EMAIL
AND WEBSITE ADDRESSES:

mherman at globalchicago.net

The Global Chicago Network
http://www.globalchicago.net

Michael Herman Associates
http://www.globalchicago.net/mha

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<HTML>
thanks, esther.  the negation is a possibility, and probably a reality. 
but it's got to be dealt with sometime.  you remind me, however,that
this question of who should be there on thursday night is probably best
answered by the participants themselves, after they see where they are
on saturday evening's close.  not really a need to decide now, i guess.

your response raises a larger question for me, however.  do open
space events take place outside of an organizatin or is the organization
ground for open space?  and, since i'm more interested in the practice
than the theory of this, how and when are the results of this group's work
best presented to the larger org, some of whom may not welcome these results?

in this situation, having the following monday through thursday for
the news to percolate through the two schools seemed to holdthe possbility
for coming together on thursday night to (1) do some basic convergence
via the voting and (2) then ask a somewhat larger, expanding group about
next steps.  Seems to me that this process has to happen anyway inthe
org, so why not in a space held for just these purposes?  perhaps,
though this is too much for one evening.

what do you think?  anybody else done something fancy to take the
news of an event back to the rest of an org?

<P>michael
<BR> 
<BR> 

<P>Esther Ewing wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE> <FONT SIZE=+0>Michael:</FONT>

I personally don't like the idea of others coming later.
They have the potential of coming out to negate all the work that's been
done before and they can really torpido the energy and enthusiasm and passion
that the first set of folks put into the first session.

<P><FONT SIZE=+0>It is really tough when that happens and you get increased
anger on the part of the first group not to mention the second.</FONT>

Remember whoever comes is the right person and whatever
happens is the only thing that could. I think that if there are those who
after the invitation has been offered, choose not to come, then they've
made their choice and should live with the consequences.

<P><FONT SIZE=+0>The invitation has to be offered in an accepting open
way however, making it clear that the open space is truly open to everyone
and that decisions will be made.</FONT>

Regards
 Esther
 At 10:27 AM 4/8/99 -0500, you wrote:
 >hello barbara,
 >
 >yes, i think what you say is true.  "real work"
is their term for the work in
 >the sessions, rather than any time spent in something
like storytelling circle
 >the night before.  my concern was that teachers
and students can jump right
 >into the topic, but other community members and/or parents
may be still be
 >figuring out who's who on friday night.
 >
 >we've talked about this being just the beginning of
a long conversation.  they
 >had originally planned to spend a day and come out with
a shiny new PLAN.
 >this thinking has shifted, though.
 >
 >the boycott, as described to me, is those folks who've
made it a habit to
 >oppose the moves of the formal leaders.  we've
talked about the process of
 >invitation a lot and they are doing what they can to
welcome everyone to the
 >event.  we've also discussed the possibility for
welcoming folks who choose
 >not to attend the open space session to attend the followup
session to be held
 >later that week.  we thought that might give folks
a few days to sift through
 >the stories and an easy opportunity to sign on a little
late.
 >
 >any other thoughts?
 >
 >many thanks,
 >
 >michael
 >
 >
 >
 >Barbara E. Sliter wrote:
 >
 >> MIchael,
 >>
 >> Sounds like a complex situation.  I am wondering
what "(real) work you are
 >> expecting to get down to" and when?  I think
it may be unrealistic to think
 >> that after an evening and one day they will have gotten
for enough to plan.
 >> My guess is they will have just started to see themes
at that point.
 >>
 >> Also, what is the boycott all about?
 >>
 >> Barbara
 >> ----------
 >> >From: Michael Herman <mherman at GLOBALCHICAGO.NET>
 >> >To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
 >> >Subject: evening opening?
 >> >Date: Wed, Apr 7, 1999, 5:36 PM
 >>
 >> >
 >> > i'm already expecting to welcome new topics at morning
news on
 >> > saturday.  there are many people within the
system who are threatening
 >> > to boycott the whole thing, which is why they want
to get "down to
 >> > (real) work" as quickly as possible.  so i'm
hoping that the pressures
 >> > already present will overcome the drag of friday
evening.
 >> >
 >> > any thoughts?
 >> >
 >> >
 >
 >
 >
 >--
 >
 >Michael Herman
 >Manager, Mediator, Educator, Writer
 >
 >Michael Herman Associates
 >300 West North Avenue #1105
 >Chicago IL 60610
 >312-280-7838 voice
 >312-280-7837 fax
 >
 >PLEASE NOTE THESE NEW EMAIL
 >AND WEBSITE ADDRESSES:
 >
 >mherman at globalchicago.net
 >
 >The Global Chicago Network
 ><A HREF="http://www.globalchicago.net/" eudora="autourl">http://www.globalchicago.net</A>
 >
 >Michael Herman Associates
 ><A HREF="http://www.globalchicago.net/mha" eudora="autourl">http://www.globalchicago.net/mha</A>
 >
 ></BLOCKQUOTE>

<P>--

<P>Michael Herman
<BR>Manager, Mediator, Educator, Writer

<P>Michael Herman Associates
<BR>300 West North Avenue #1105
<BR>Chicago IL 60610
<BR>312-280-7838 voice
<BR>312-280-7837 fax

<P>PLEASE NOTE THESE NEW EMAIL
<BR>AND WEBSITE ADDRESSES:

<P>mherman at globalchicago.net

<P>The Global Chicago Network
<BR><A HREF="http://www.globalchicago.net">http://www.globalchicago.net</A>

<P>Michael Herman Associates
<BR><A HREF="http://www.globalchicago.net/mha">http://www.globalchicago.net/mha</A>
<BR> </HTML>

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