on the subject of walking out

[Birgitt Williams]

My contribution to the idea of someone coming forward to close the space and
how to avoid walking out follows as a story. Comments in brackets are my
editorial comments:

Once upon a time (don't you just love a story that starts 'once upon a
time') Anyway--
Once upon a time there was a mother mouse (those of you who have taken
training with Harrison or who have read the books know the mouse is the
symbol for community and an important element of open space). One day she
said to her children "today we must go out because we have to find some food
(nourish ourselves :-)). But we must be very careful because there is a CAT,
a big CAT who would like to eat us. So stay close to me and don't make any
noise." So they ventured outside. They saw a nice morsel of cheese right by
the garbage can (passion and responsibility show up here). Just as they
approached the cheese, a big CAT jumped in front of them (seems like a space
invader to me). He had big yellow eyes and big fangy teeth, with one ear up
and one ear down. Just as he pulled out his claws and was about to pounce on
them, the mother mouse pulled herself up to her full height and said to the
cat: "Bark, bark, bark, woof, woof, woof!" At which point the cat was so
freaked out it ran away. The mother mouse then turned to her children and
said, "now my children, you know the importance of learning another
language".


For me, I can't imagine walking out in my job as facilitator. Mostly, as an
external facilitator, if I walk out the risks I take for me are loss of
income and possibly reputation in some quarters. And we could say that the
people of the organization could also use their two feet, and they can. I
recognize that they have much to risk if they stay in a really controlling
place. I also realize they have much much to risk---their livlihood by
likely loss of job, problems in families, default on mortgage payments etc.
if they use their law of two feet by walking out of the Open Space.
Different ones of them might over time (or quickly) decide to seek other
employment. But in the minute of the drama of the CEO or whomever shutting
down the space, it is too "life threatening" for some people to use the law
of two feet. I would however, formally and with ceremony "officially" close
the space to make the transition from one to the other clear, I would be so
controlling in that moment in time that even a fierce CEO could not stop me.
My job as  I see it would be to make sure all know that the space is closing
and that I who opened it am the closer of it, to signify the end of my
commitment with them as the space holder. I would then either leave or stay,
depending on a number of factors. I would not walk out without doing a
closing.

And if I was an internal facilitator, I would take a great risk in doing
this. I would likely lose my job, not just my contract.


Birgitt
Birgitt Williams
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