open space technology as an event or as an intervention--learn more with us in our Advanced workshops

Fri Feb 22 08:35:22 PST 2002

Hi Mick,
it is good to hear from you.

You are absolutely right that I am acknowledging the DOING as well as the
BEING. A framework that I view life from is working with the Medicine Wheel.
There are many teachings and many interpretations but here is part of one
that assists in my view of the DOING and BEING. In the north is the place of
Spirit, which for me is the place of BEING, BEING one with all of creation,
with all that is. It is a beautiful place to float in, to stay in. In fact,
it would be my preferred place. I now look to the south, the place of making
things physical/practical. It is also the place of healing and of community
for those of us in this 3D realm. I dare not grant myself the luxury of
simply BEING. I require of myself to dance between the north (Spirit) and
the south (Physical), walking the mystical path with practical feet. I
understand that change, growth, and movement occur in that dance.

In my best interpretation of doing when I work with Open Space Technology, I
work with it as an intervention to the organism that I am working with. My
"showing up" even to "open and hold space" intervenes in their natural order
of things. I pray that  I intervene in life nurturing rather than life
depleting ways.

You are absolutely right that "open space exists and we create space through
spirit". And then there is that distinction that I make between Open Space
and Open Space Technology.

We have been given a powerful "tool" by Harrison Owen for intervening called
Open Space Technology. We each need to choose how to use this wisely and
well, from the best of whom we each are. Facilitating an Open Space
Technology event is easy and can be done by a facilitator after having
simply read Open Space Technology: a user's guide.

My passion does not run high with a singular Open Space Technology meeting.
I have very little interest in the comments in the closing circle as
wonderful as they may be. I am aware that by Monday morning "back at the
office" a lot of grief work starts as reality sinks in and the view of the
meeting becomes different.  I am deeply interested in what the results are
into the ongoing life of the organization. I continue to journey with this,
to evolve both personally and professionally as I learn as I go.

My best effort to date has been to capture all of this in the Genuine
Contact program that is not founded in Open Space Technology so much as it
is founded in my perception and experience of achieving organizational
health and balance. I have been on a twenty five year  quest to find my way
with this and to author a program that is duplicable. This requires "givens"
AND co-creation into the future. As the author, I choose to author-ize. Not
certify. Not make statements of competency. Simply to invest in those who
have invested in this program the right to use our materials and to
co-create with us where we go from here. And all the while, we honor Open
Space Technology as a key ingredient in working with the open space to
achieve optimum life.

I make no apologies. I offer leadership in a particular direction. I am
following my dream and what I believe to be my work here on this earth--to
promote health and balance. The vehicle is relatively unimportant. This
happens to be the one I choose for now.

Blessings,
Birgitt
www.genuinecontact.com
Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness.
"I believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. I know that
organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results."
Birgitt Williams

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Mick
Walsh
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 4:47 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: open space technology as an event or as an
intervention--learn more with us in our Advanced workshops

Dear Birgitt,

I may have missed something in your intention but I have some reservations
regarding your comments below.

Are you endorsing OST as an intervention?  Intervention implies 'doing'
rather than 'being'.  From my perspective open space 'exists' and we create
space through spirit.  If my perspective is correct, and it is for me, then
how could I possibly be 'authorized' to 'train' people in a commercial
program with its foundation in OST?

Are you promoting and supporting OST, or simply selling a product?

Regards,

Mick

----- Original Message -----
From: "Birgitt Williams" <birgitt at mindspring.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Friday, 22 February 2002 8:57 AM
Subject: open space technology as an event or as an intervention--learn more
with us in our Advanced workshops

> Hello to each of you interested in Open Space Technology,
> In our recent workshop in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, a participant said
> that he learned so much about Working With Open Space Technology that he
> didn't know before. He identified this by saying "before this course, I
> worked with Open Space Technology as an event. You have assisted us to
learn
> how to work with it as an intervention". This man was so pleased with his
> discovery and filled with many intentions of what he would do in his
federal
> government department to faciliate their development as a conscious Open
> Space Organization. He said that they were already part way there, but the
> insights and frameworks he now had to work from were critical pieces for
him
> to achieve his vision of what was possible for optimum ways of working
> together.
>
> My vision was to develop a workshop series that taught a "vehicle" for
> development as a conscious Open Space Organization. My vision included
> having others achieve authorization to offer training programs in this
> series (the Genuine Contact program). To support the work of the growing
> number of trainers (to whom I offer great gratitude), I am pulling back on
> the number of public workshops I am leading in the world to make room for
> the other trainers to teach. This also honors the organic nature of any
such
> work to ensure it does not stagnate. I will now lead the Advanced Workshop
> only 4 times a year. The remaining dates and locations for 2002 are March
> 25-28 and Sept 11-14 right here in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA and
November
> 26-29 near Frankfurt, Germany. Information is available at
> www.genuinecontact.com
>
> Judi Richardson in Halifax will offer this program in June. Thomas Herrman
> and Eiwor Backelund will offer this program in Sweden in August. Others
will
> be scheduled soon.
>
> For me, I am not surprised at the success of this workshop and the results
> from it. Participants gain deep insights about a different way of BEING
and
> a different way of WORKING. I also know that they simply remember what
they
> truly already know. I simply have found a way to facilitate them in
> accessing their inner wisdom. When something resonates so well with deep
> inner truth, it usually does well in the world.
>
> And whenever there is a vacuum, such as is left be a decreased workshop
> series for the public, something fills it. This situation is no exception.
> My schedule is becoming full with requests for workshops inside of
> organizations for teams who in turn will facilate extensively using Whole
> Person Process Faciliation or Open Space Technology, leading to daily work
> as conscious Open Space Organizations if they pursue this.  My hopes are
> high that those of us who are working in this way will mentor an ever
> increasing number of organizations to achieve health and balance.My
> gratitude to Spirit and to all who participate is high.
>
> If you are interested in becoming an authorized trainer in the Genuine
> Contact program, please contact me soon to ensure that you have taken the
> prerequisite workshops in preparation for attending the "train the
trainer"
> in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Sept 21st to 27th, 2002. We offer the
"train
> the trainer" at our home location, annually.
>
> I offer gratitude to each of you for the work you do in this world,
> Birgitt Williams
> www.genuinecontact.com
> Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness.
> "I believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. I know that
> organizations incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results."
> Birgitt Williams
>
> *
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