Storytelling - what happened?

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

Thomas--

Sometimes an event which seemed like a good idea in the planning stage goes
"Klunk," the sound of something falling heavily.  I've had an event or two
which came out much worse than yours.

One element can be the logistical things you mention--tiredness at the end of
a work day, food which is not too appealing.  One Open Space I facilitated,
also at the end of the work day, had the food right at the door where you
came in, and they had an attractive and interesting assortment of foods, good
colors and tastes.  So it was easy for people to satisfy their hunger and
make a break from their busy day, and a chance to talk informally with others.

Another thing that can happen, as you referred to, is that the organization
has quite a few problems or dissatisfactions, and they are not willing to
admit to having problems, or speak them out loud.  This is one area where OST
might be a better start than storytelling, because people are in smaller
groups and maybe more willing to speak their truth.

But experiences like this are what tune me up to listen more carefully to my
intuition next time.  And when I arrived home from the worst consulting
experience I ever had (I was fired!), there was a phone message for me that
led me into one of the best projects I was ever a part of.  I think that is
called Accelerated Learning.

You did very good work by staying calm, letting the evening end on time, and
keeping yourself in a good state to convene the Open Space the next day--the
sign of a professional.  No need to take up donkey-tending.

Good luck!

Joelle Everett

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