Now that we know the chairs will fit, is the space suitable for the people

[Robert.Chaffe at nre.vic.gov.au]

Doug
I am glad I have no control at all over the weather.   The terse answer is "well
there is always plan B".

In fact these days with simple things like food in public places I am obliged to
have some under cover space.  Some might even say if the weather is not good it
might cut the content down to the "must do" and not all the chit chat.

There is the other issue "I've paid good money..............."   In this case we
need to be seen to deliver value to the participants.

When we work in the natural world we "should" consider how best to work with the
environment,  when I ask the locals they will tell me when to hold big meetings
that will avoid all but the most unusual inclement conditions.   When I have run
meetings to plan the future of a ski trail network we have done so on skis and
have deliberately met in areas of very difficult conditions if for no other
reason to TEST our assumptions about how the plans might FEEL when put into
place.

My purpose in my original suggestion was for us to consider other places than a
room.  Often we move from ideal but "open spaces" into a room for no other
reason that that is what you do when you go to meetings.

 But I do wonder how important the weather is when people will stay out in
conditions that many of us would say are "inclement" e.g. football matches,
political meetings etc.  Farmers will stand out in inclement weather to discuss
all sorts of IMPORTANT issues, often in a circle, often with no one in charge
and often about issues they are passionate about.  So the question for me is how
I can use this NATURAL process to move beyond passion into a commitment?
I have been privileged to be part of rolling conversations that farmers take up
when they meet, sometimes with months in between meetings.  They don't record
their conversations but the thread, and decisions made seem to be carried
forward very effectively.  We rely so heavily on things that are written down on
paper and we think that this is what the conversation or the decision was about.
Of course if we follow the current western pattern we spend millions in legal
fees proving what was written is not what was.

In the sense of opening a space does it mean that our environment must be
suitable for "normal meetings"? or ......   I wonder as we explore our deeper
being and our relationships that we might just rediscover the idea "that my word
is my bond" and commitments are commitments even if they are not written down!
If we develop the RELATIONSHIP as our primary goal will the TASK(S) follow?  My
natural self says YES, my STREET WISE self says "get it in writing".

What do others think?

Rob
   .

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