FW: "professional" signs question from Ed Ball

Chris Corrigan chris at chriscorrigan.com
Tue Aug 20 17:54:01 PDT 2002


 
 
---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Corrigan [mailto:chris at chriscorrigan.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2002 5:51 PM
To: 'mark_r_jones at worldnet.att.net'
Subject: RE: "professional" signs question from Ed Ball
 
I am wading in late on this, but I have two cents to add.
 
>From time to time I print up the Principles and the Law, add a couple of
graphics and leave them on the chairs for the participants to pick up
when the sit down.  This means that they are professional looking and,
most importantly, people can take them home with them.  And it also
allows you to bless each seat as you go around leaving the paper on each
chair.
 
It can mean a lot of paper left over at the end of the day (I print them
two to a page, email me and I’ll send you the Word file), but if they
are dated then I can gather up the leftovers and use them again.
 
Cheers,
 
Chris
 
---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Quest
(AT&T) -- Mark R. Jones
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2002 9:17 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: "professional" signs question from Ed Ball
 
Hi.
 
My determination on signage is based on my read of the "culture" of
the group / organization that is sponsoring the OS event.
 
Much of my work occurs in corporate and government settings.
Sometimes, there is enough fear / anxiety in the culture regarding the 
event, that skillful means would suggest not exacerbating the situation
with communications (means) that are outside of the cultural capacity
to easily absorb.
 
In such cases, I use a pre-printed set of signage  -- very formal and
"professional" looking.  This tends to communicate "safety" in those
cultures, and helps to ground the event and the approach of OS.
 
In other cases, the culture has, is, or can easily absorb OS  -- without
anxiety.  In those circumstances, I draw the signs up by hand during 
my "grounding" process at the event site.
 
So, I try to stay open to what the "calling" requires of me.
I look for Ease in the space-holding relationships.

May this be of some value to you.
(For what it is worth . . . )

 
 
 
Mark R. Jones
President  --  Quest Technology Inc.
A Science & Engineering Associates (SEA) Company
----------------------------------------------------------------------
PO Box 1457;   Lynnwood,   WA    98046
Las Vegas:       702-341-7700
Seattle:            425-413-6000
Mobile:             206-696-7000
e-Mail:              <mailto:mark.r.jones at seabase.com>
mark.r.jones at seabase.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
  _____  

  _____  




-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Michael M Pannwitz
Sent: Sunday, August 18, 2002 3:52 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: "professional" signs question from Ed Ball


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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