Leadership Challenging Open Space in the Open Space

[Birgitt Williams]

Hi Andrew and Viv,
and thank you both for sharing your recent stories of facilitating with Open
Space Technology. I too have my "feet up" and am doing some self care,
having facilitated three Open Spaces within the last three weeks.  All in
Canada-one on the Atlantic Coast (on fetal alcohol syndrome), one on the
Pacific Coast (with colleagues on organizaitonal excellence), and one in the
Rocky Mountains (for the Farming Industry). Each one a totally different
experience, each one requiring different things of me and requiring my full
presence in the moment.

As I go through time, I integrate more and more of my whole and genuine self
into all I do. A lifelong journey. I have a high awareness of energy fields,
energy work within a person and between people, including between a
facilitator and a group of people. I think it is important in facilitating
Open Space to go beyond recognizing what our body and our mind are going
through (inclusive of the good advice to do little and to be fully present
which require good personal daily practice so that an Open Space draws not
from new skills but from well integrated ways of being). It is important to
be aware of, acknowledge,and then sort out how to work with what is going on
for us at a deep emotional level and at a psychic/spirit level. Despite
holding steady, I have a full range of human emotions including fear and
joy, anger and pleasure. They each require and give energy. I also recognize
the energy flow at that cosmic connect and have learned to work with my
personal energy field (aura, chakras, etc.) in such a way that I am not
giving of my own spirit/psychic energy but being an open channel to have the
energy of Spirit flowing through me. I see this as "opening space" inside of
me for Spirit to flow, much as I see the facilitation as "opening space"
inside of the group for Spirit to flow. When I am aware of and acknowledge
and befriend all of my emotions as part of me and don't struggle against
them, I don't get so tired when I do Open Space, despite trying
circumstances sometimes. And when I "open" to Spirit flowing through me,
rather than using my own psychic/sprit energy, I generally come out of an
Open Space energized rather than depleted.

For me, the work is identical to when I do a Reiki healing. The intention I
work with is the person's intention for their own healing (not my hope for
them---I have to get my issues out of the way). For example, if a person has
cancer, and I believe that is what they want their healing on, and it is
what I would like to be doing, and their intention for their healing is
about an issue of opening to love and seems to have nothing to do with their
cancer, I work with their intention. And then I "open" myself to Spirit
(with a request for love and healing energy flowing through me). I recognize
that I have a small role to play in the healing. I am a channel. Likewise
when I facilitate Open Space, I prepare in the same way and recognize that I
have a small role to play and am a channel. And as in Reiki, the person
doing the Reiki gets as much benefit at an energy/spririt/psychic level as
does the person for whom the healing is. Somehow it works that way and I
believe it is so in Open Space Technology as well.

This is hard to explain in an e-mail. And it may be only my experience and
my perspective. And I have had incredible teachers in my life who have
assisted me to work with energy so that I didn't destroy myself, to whom I
am grateful.

A good belly laugh helps. Chuckling at the drama that the leaders attempted
to engage you in, Andrew. I find that I smile/chuckle/laugh because the
moves like they are making are such wonderful signifyers that TRUTH was
being worked with. And TRUTH is a scary one for many people.
My smile/chuckle/belly laugh is from my glee because I know that the moment
after the struggle, something fabulous always happens. At least, that is my
experience. I love the privilege of working with Open Space. And I recognize
that it is about my personal transformation (ongoing) as it is about any
transformation in those I work with.

Blessings to both of you with gratitude for your good work in the world,

Birgitt

Birgitt Williams
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Dalar Associates: organizational
effectiveness consultants

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Andrew
Donovan
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 6:41 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Leadership Challenging Open Space in the Open Space


Dear Friends

I have just finished what was for me a gruelling 2 day Open Space. From the
majority of the particapnt's (76 people) point of view it was a spectacular
success and they came away energised and optimistic, vowing to use OS back
home.

It was the hardest facilitation I've done in 8 years. Here's what happened.
Your thoughts welcome.

The leadership in the form of the Chairman of the Board (supported by one
or two other Board members) started, in the middle of day one, to be
concerned that the event was'nt going to 'work'. The Chairman has really
got into open space - this is the fourth time he has been at an event I've
done. I had led the board through Harrison's priciples (leadership don't
have the aswers, willing to engage leadership in the organisation etc.) and
they had agreed, including to implementing/allowing the outcomes whatever
they may be.

The OS was on vision for the future - the whole national organisation was
there. The topics on the wall - which went up very thick and fast the
moment I stopped talking, were largely operational, not the vision stuff of
the theme. The Chairman was concerned. Someone else in the group had his
ear and was critical of OS and themselves promoting the De-Bono techniques
of lateral thinking, saying they would work to get the group as a whole to
start visioning. The Chair was canvassing stopping the process and doing a
whole group DE-Bono process.

I was a bit shaken internally but responded with calm and focus saying OS
shows you your 'system' as it is - the topics that appear and the
discussions people are having are what they are interested in. Either this
is not the right group to get the visioning happening, the organisation
itself is stuck in operations or else the topics aren't up that would bring
those people togther. He wanted to suggest closing the space at evening
news. I suggested that as a trial he put a topic up that reprsented his
concern and passion around vision for the final session of day one and see
who came. I also encouraged him to express his thoughts that he was
expressing to me at evening news.

He put the topic up - many came. The discussion was good I'm told. The next
day (after the Chair had a long talk in morning news about his concerns)
the de-bono minded particpant convened a group through all the mornign
sessions that used the lateral thinking techniques on the vision and came
up with a complete framework and a group passionate about working on it in
the future. The larger group was blown awy by it when presented with that
groups outcomes - and were very positive.

To me that is open space. The chair brought his concerns/passion more fully
into the process and the particapnt with a skill in 'lateral thinking'
techniques was able to offer a process that others could choose to or not
be part of. What happened was the only thing that could have happened.

The exhaustion I felt after the two days was in part holding the space open
in the face of this and also feeling the tremors that were running through
the organisation as this momentus shift in where the organisation was and
where it was going took place.

This is a long rave, but is thearaputic (spl?) for me. My issues/questions
are as follows:

1. What do you think about the way another process was used inside OS (the
law and princples of OS continued to exist - law of mobility etc)?

2. Has anyone else had the leadership team try/think about shutting down
the OS while its happening? How did you respond?

3. Do other people feel like they become the projection screen on which the
organisations internal workings are being played out - like you are
'chanelling' (for want of a better expression) the energy of the group as
it plays out?

4. How do people maintain their strength during the event and how do they
nuture themselves afterwards?

5. Can I pack up and leave now or once open space grabs you can you ever
get free? (This is a joke for those who miss Australian humor!)

Ultimately I am strengthened in my fundamental belief in OS. A rough ride
shows me this this better than the smooth ones. I appreciate the space we
have to just share these sorts of thoughts.

All the best

Andrew



Andrew Donovan
Business Facilitator
tel +61 3 9416 3021
fax +61 3 9416 2935
PO Box 1705
Collingwood  VIC  3066
Australia