"professional" signs question from Ed Ball

[Michael M Pannwitz]

Dear Ed,
there are different reasons for me to produce the 4 Principles, the
one Law, the Admonition, a sign saying "Welcome" and a huge poster
with the Theme right on site (the Theme sometimes is produced by the
sponsoring organization, especially if they want a really huge one
that might also need to be hung outside and be storm- and waterproof)
plus a simple overview of the schedule:
1. It is part of my arriving and becoming detached (as others have
reported)
2. It transports the message: anyone can do it in a jiffy
3. Another message: Its not important enough to make permanent signs,
its low key, there could be other ways of expressing the principles
4. I like to have control over them to be very big and have only one
thing on each poster and spread around the room as a guide for me to
help me remember stuff and, very sparingly, maybe to point to one or
another during circle time
5. I like to give them away
6. My handwriting is quite distinctive so that if anyone in the world
sees a picture of an open space with a sign produced by me they will
say, darn, its Michael again
7. The wording is now standard but it evolved quite a bit over time
(this might be important in non-English settings, in English settings
its clear that its all been settled and thoroughly discussed) but, I
dont know why, there are still folks in Germany that use other
wordings than I do

The bumble bee and butterfly posters I get done by my kids or
neighborhood kids (this really intrigues them, what do you need them
for, they will ask, well, this is how I get them hooked on open
space) and sometimes by someone with a gift for this kind of stuff in
the team of helpers.
My Law posters dont show a pair of feet as done by the Grand Master
but footsteps (4 or 5) of someone walking across the poster
diagonally reinforcing the notion of mobility. The footsteps I
usually get from one of the helpers.

Your second question intrigued me: what might be the difference in
the results?
I would have to do it both ways for a while to get data to answer
that question.
My hunch is, that doing it my way does in fact transform the room (in
addition to having the chairs be in a circle - which in many cases is
the first time that the room has had this experience, sometimes its
the first time it has an experience with chairs at all, as in the
case of a gym, in other cases chairs have been used in rows or around
tables, but not in a circle - and having a center with a little bit
of a decoration)....at least I get feedback from folks
(co-facilitators, helpers and participants that are familiar with the
room) saying that they feel very comfortable, that the room has a
light aura, is more beautiful, or that they would never have imagined
that the room could look this way. And in that way it influences ....
no matter how you do it, it will have an influence. If it is set up
with the participants in mind and arranged in a way that things are
self-explanatory supporting the selforganizing mode, than it will
have an influence on results, as does every detail.

In general, I think your second question is great because it puts the
importance, or the energy or time I put into a detail, into
perspective.

By the way, what do you mean with "Givens" in your first question?
What would be a "given" that would go on a sign? Directional signs?
Times?

Greetings from Berlin where I just accompanied "my" 83rd open space,
this one with 140 teachers and students, partners and friends of the
school and from the department of education on improving the quality
of education at their school
michael



On Fri, 16 Aug 2002 11:10:54 -0400, Edward Ball wrote:

>Good morning, from SoCal
>
>A potential client has asked if OST facilitators from around the world use hand-drawn signs rather than ones from professional sign-makers.  So, my two questions to you are:
>
>1. Do you draw your own signs (Laws, Givens, etc.) or do you use signs produced by professional sign-makers?
>
>2. Based on your own experiences what might be the difference in the results?
>
>The potential client is planning a series of open forums with the personalized invitations going to key regional players from the business and educational commumities.
>
>Thank you for your feedback,
>Edward C. Ball, Associate
>Hanna & Associates
>"Serving Boards That Lead"
>
>4678 West Hoffer Street
>Banning, California 92220-1283 USA
>
>E-mail: EdBall at Hanna-OpenSpace.com
>
>Voice: 909.922.0856
>Fax:   909.922.0956
>
>Websites:
>   www.Hanna-PolicyGovernance.com
>   www.Hanna-OpenSpace.com
>
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Michael M Pannwitz
boscop
Draisweg 1
12209 Berlin, Germany
FON +49 - 30-772 8000     FAX +49 - 30-773 92 464
www.michaelmpannwitz.de

An der E-Gruppe "openspacedeutsch" für deutschsprechende open space-PraktikerInnen interessiert? Enfach eine mail an mich.

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