How much can the space holder participate?
Ralph Copleman
ralph at earthdreams.net
Mon Jun 24 07:36:03 PDT 2002
Doug and all,
I always assume I am not a participant. Occasionally, in ten years or so of
doing this stuff, I have chosen to sit in as a participant, and I find I
usually have little to add, so I don't voluntarily do it anymore. Once, a
long time ago, I convened a session (after checking with the sponsor to make
sure it was okay) on a topic I knew to be of interest to those present. It
went pretty well, I don't really think I damaged or "invaded" the space in
any significant way, but again, I'm not sure if it really added anything. I
don't do that anymore. I never hang out near or just in a session. I think
I'm very distracting to participants when I do that. (I will collect cups,
but as unobtrusively as possible.)
Here's a notable exception: Last week I had a one-day os event for a group
of eight people. I stayed away all morning, according to my habitual
practice, as they spent the entire time as one group. At lunch they pretty
much insisted I join them in the afternoon. They again convened as one
group. I did, and contributed thoughts from time to time. This group is
different for me. I have been working intensively with this organization
for over five years, and they treat me as one of them. I feel no
consultant-client role boundaries. They make it clear they want my person,
not my professional self, so I wasn't surprised when they asked me to
participate.
So I don't go quite as far as to draw the line absolutely, but if I had to
give advice in a word, I'd say "don't".
Ralph Copleman
*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
More information about the OSList
mailing list