Answer to Carla: OST "presentation"

[Pannwitz, Michael M]

Dear Lisa,
my practice just developed the other way round. The pictures of open
space I facilitated in 1996 and 1997 had this exact matrix right on
the agenda wall (with scotchtape delineating neatly every time slot).
I also had a fancy printed up A3 paper with boxes for the issue,
convener, participants etc. for conveners to fill in.
Somehow it did not fit any longer (I sort of connected it with my
increasing interest in letting go and trust in chaos, but perhaps I
just got lazier with growing age).
So now I have pretty much of a blank wall. In fact, I no longer have
a sign up "agenda wall" and the only thing on the wall are
time-post-its for the different times at which groups could start (I
do take care in having these time-post-its color coordinated with the
postits people stick on their issue papers).
In fact, I no longer call it "agenda" wall but "issue" wall (in
German "Anliegen" Wand, which might translate something like
"something that I care about/am interested in/am passionate
about...something that is at the top of the list of issues that I
carry around with me"...right, that is a pretty long translation for
"Anliegen"). Not calling it "agenda" wall sort of reduces the
emphasis on time and structure which in some way seems to be
suggested by "agenda".
Another thing I do is to have a couple of "helpers" stand at each end
of the issue wall. I tell them to just be there and to do absolutely
nothing unless real catastrophy should happen (like someone fainting
or the wall falling down). This fulfills several functions: its a
real experience for people beginning in open space in the practice of
letting go (I had not intended it to be for that purpose but people
in that position reported on it). What I had intended is for everyone
to just get the feeling of safe space.
Something interesting happened, however, having a couple of people up
there doing nothing opened the space for participants to do things,
like picking up an issue paper someone else had stuck up and sticking
it up again, or someone pointing out to another participant that they
had not put a time/room post it on their issue paper or a couple of
people rearranging issue papers  to make a little more space.
These details first escaped me but later I noticed that when this
kind of activity started that the group was demonstrating its
selforganizing mode. When I see that happen these days I breathe out
and relax, knowing that things are going very well, indeed.
Wish you all a happy non-wicki merry xmas
michael


>(By the way, and thanks to inspiration from the most amazing BJ Peters,
>I no longer use a time/space matrix on a big piece of paper with
>Post-Its on it, but instead I make the whole agenda wall a grid so
>people can place their topic signs directly onto the wall in the
>time/space zone, eliminating a step to go pick something up on the
>left-hand side and bring it over to post on the wall).





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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