About being prepared to be surprised

[Michelle Cooper]

My most memorable surprise was arriving at a half day session that was part
of a regular conference.  A group asked a colleague and myself to facilitate
a 3 hour open space session that would give participants a different
experience for about 70 participants.

We arrived (more than one hour before) to find the room set up with 300
chairs theatre style, projectors set up, microphones taped in place. My
colleague had arrived before me and was trying to negotiate with the hotel
staff to reset the room. They had received the instructions about a circle,
but had decided on their own that since the session in the afternoon
following our session needed rows, they would only set up once in rows. They
were refusing to change the set-up when I arrived. Half an hour before the
session, the boss agreed that chairs could be moved, but not without much
disgruntlement from the employees. So, as people were coming in there was
many workers with chairs on dolleys moving around. The event recovered from
the negative energy in the room and all was as it should be....but it was
certainly hard to stay centred in the midst of all of this. My temple bells
were used to clear the room later and nice background music helped.

The best part was when the next speaker arrived about half way through the
event to check out the room. There was  no semblance of order to the chairs.
People were gathered in small groups about and outside the room in intense
discussion. He asked what was happening and he actually ended up joining one
of the groups. However, as we finished cleaning up the room he stood at the
podium 1/2 hour before his presentation, slides in hand looking a bit
befuddled at the large circle in the middle of the room where he expected
his rows to be. We suggested that he might want to try the circle as a
change.......I do wonder how it all turned out for him. I am sure that the
buzz left in the room would have had an impact!!

Michelle

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