space within a space within a space within a space

Birgitt Williams birgitt at mindspring.com
Tue Nov 6 04:24:29 PST 2001


Spaces within Spaces
On September 21st of 2001, we experimented with an Open Space Technology
meeting  within an Open Space Technology meeting within an intentionally
created open space within the great open space created by our creator. The
following is a story of what unfolded. The story begins with my comments and
observations and is added to by a few observations and comments from other
participants. Others who participated are invited to add further comments to
our record by sending them along to me should you choose (if you don’t see
your input below, it is due to a technology failure and I apologize and
would love to have your comments again for the record).




A bit of background linking this to my vision of what is possible

I have come  to understand that all organizations are Open Space
Organizations. My work has been to assist those that choose to do so, to
become conscious of themselves as Open Space Organizations, opening as much
space as possible within clear and defined constraints. The paradox seems to
be that the clearer the constraints or givens are, the clearer the
definition of where the space is open for real degrees of freedom for action
and creativity. For me, the conscious Open Space Organization, as I
understand it is not a self organizing system. Rather, a matrix or nutrient
field is provided that is clearly bounded and ready to nurture whatever is
created. The matrix then gets filled in by choices that are life nurturing
or life depleting. The conscious Open Space Organizations is life nurturing
rather than life depleting. The conscious Open Space Organization is aware
that within it, there is always the blueprint for its own health. My vision
is for more and more of us to learn about the conscious Open Space
Organization, developing within us the skills and capacity to assist
organizations as mentors in this way.

On September 21st, we had the opportunity to experiment with how it felt to
be in an Open Space Technology meeting, that was within another one, that
was within an intentionally created Open Space that was within the greater
Open Space of the universe and beyond. For reasons that have to do with the
way that I listen to guidance from Spirit, I initiated an intentional Open
Space for the morning of September 21st (separately noted for this list).
And then I was guided to hold an Open Space Technology meeting for most of
the “train the trainer” program of the Genuine Contact program, that also
was to begin on the 21st. This Open Space Technology meeting was to last 2
days. And then I was guided to host the inaugural meeting of the
International Alliance for Mentoring also on the 21st and in this case as a
short meeting in the evening. I looked at that whole configuration and was
simultaneously overwhelmed by the sheer ambition of it all, and then I
laughed out loud when I understood that this is what is faced by
organizations daily, getting more heightened as they become aware of
themselves as conscious Open Space Organizations. I felt as though I was
being challenged to walk my talk yet again.

So we did it. Seeing what there was before me, the design included the
following to give those who participated maximum learning experiences. The
intentional opening of space at 7am eastern standard time for harmony in the
world included people who were not physically present with us but who had
responded to an invitation. All of us, the 20 physically present and the
many who were present energetically, co-facilitated the opening of the space
and the holding of the space, with a lifetime commitment made to hold the
space. More and more people can join us in the cofacilitation over time.
There is no limit. All are cofacilitators. The participants in the world do
not know or need to know that we are holding space for them for harmony.

The 2 day Open Space Technology meeting for working with the Genuine Contact
program was facilitated by me. I made a choice of a design that did not
include report forms. Instead, recommendations that were made in the
different groups were noted on one big chart for us to vote on later. The
meeting design included voting and action planning based on these
recommendations. There were a number of givens about the Genuine Contact
program that were stated as data prior to the Open Space Technology meeting,
defining where the degrees of freedom for creativity are.  In my
observation, voting and action planning based on only the recommendations
was an excellent way to move items to action. However, people missed not
having the reports and desired them as well. In the future, based on my
learning, I will use the pulling out of recommendations for the action
planning AND I will have reports so that everyone has a book of proceedings.
The evening long Open Space Technology meeting for the inaugural meeting of
the International Alliance for mentoring was facilitated by Judi Richardson.
The design included reports but no convergence and action planning. There
was only one “given” which was the definition we would use for “mentoring”.
Beyond that, everything was open for creation. For Judi there was the
challenge of opening a space that had a short time frame and a broad theme.
As might be expected from the design, items did not move to action.
Interestingly, participants who were incomplete with that, wove their
passions/responsibilities and action planning into the Open Space Technology
meeting for the Genuine Contact program in the work of the following day. I
listened to participants discuss that this was a way to do this, because
under the givens, no one had said this was not allowed, this carry over
between meetings. I found that interesting.

For me, I was elated throughout the whole process, always aware of the
energy of each Open Space –the universe, the open space for harmony in the
world, the Open Space Technology meeting for the Genuine Contact program,
and the Open Space Technology meeting for the IAM. To me it felt like we
were in an accelerated pace of working WITH nature, rather than against
nature. Productivity and commitments were high. Follow up has taken place
over the 6 weeks since the event, including a list serve for the Genuine
Contact program, planning for an annual Open Space Technology meeting on
Genuine Contact, planning for a second annual meeting for the International
Alliance for Mentoring and much more.
Birgitt
Observations about the dynamics of opening a Space within a Space within a
Space
On Friday morning the large space was opened. Then the space for the Open
Space Technology meeting was opened. Then the space for the second Open
Space Technology meeting was opened. Then the space for the second meeting
was closed again. Interesting question: did the closing of the space for the
second meeting affect the space for the first meeting? It was my feeling
that it did a little bit, but not much. I had to remind myself that not The
Space was closed, just one little space, and there were a few larger Spaces
still open. But when I reminded myself, I could feel the Open Space and I
did not have to remind myself again.
During the posting of topics in the second OST meeting, there was one
participant who lost track of which meeting it was - she had some trouble
placing her session in the time schedule. On the last day of the larger OST
meeting, I myself was confused about the time for a brief moment.
There was one participant in the second OST meeting who was not a
participant in the first OST meeting. But (presumably since that person had
been part of all the earlier meetings) there was no noticable difference. I
do find it interesting how it would be if a number of new people would show
up in the second meeting - what that would do to both spaces.
When the first OST meeting continued the next morning, it continued as if it
had not been interrupted. The quality of the exchanges on the second day,
both in morning/evening news and in the sessions, was very high.
Is it possible to speak of different Spaces? Or is every Open Space
Technology Meeting a manifestation of the Great Universal Open Space? I like
to think that all we do when we open the space is remind each other of the
Great Universal Open Space, home of Spirit.
The experience of an Open Space Technology Meeting within another Open Space
Technology Meeting within again another Open Space Technology Meeting has
increased my sense of the universal Open Space that is ever present, whether
we are conscious of it or not. So I could also say: it has incresed my
conscience of it.
Koos

In this medium I was very aware if the layers of cultural differences
between English speakers, saying the same words with different meaning.  I
became confident of the form of Open Space. Essence is a given for me.
Catherine

Boundaries collapse
open space -- invitation
expand without retreat
is there really any personal experience?
gathering -- some arrive,
more arrive, more arrive
tickled by space
I sit -- me and the space
until there is nothing left
but the space....
Judi

Space within space--Givens bounding the space within space--Givens keeping
things out of the space within space.  These are the things that came into
my being when I thouhgt about dealing with space within space.
Edward C.

I discovered it is important to me to close the one space before entering
another unless they are part of the same context.
I am begining to think of the challenge of imagining infinity and the fact
that there are no boundaries....In fact, I cannot fathom what that is...In
Genuine contact..Open Space the givens are the boundaries and so
important..To me the value in creating open space is pushing the boundaries
until there is a safe place to explore what is determined to be significant
to the participant/s.  For me the space within a space is the smaller safe
space created within the larger safe space.  I had difficulty connecting
with the larger IAM space...having arrived late.

Bev

It was like being in a system within a system within a system and that is
how life is. The difference was that this space within the space within the
space had no borders and was so warm and welcoming. That is how life should
be.

Eiwor

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