The Practice of Peace - Last month's OS in San Francisco (long)

[Lisa Heft]

Hello, Doug --

You wrote:
I am talking with a senior independent living community about doing
something on health and healthcare for seniors. The person I am talking
with is suggesting we have a 4-part evening meeting, each one a month
apart. Part 1 would be doctors, nurses, staff at the community and
perhaps
some residents. At part 1 the agenda/topics would be set for the later 3
meetings. Those meetings would be with the residents, primarily.

At first I was balking at the idea of someone setting the agenda for
others, but your listing of sessions has me wondering....


- - -

...And you asked how I chose the themes for each day:
I chose the theme for Day 1 before the workshop, selecting/crafting
something that I felt would offer stimulating and diverse thought all
around the topic of peace.  The themes for Day 2 and 3 I left open until
I experienced Day 1.

Turns out some issues arose on Day 1 where it seemed as if there was
some underlying stuff within the group that came from Los Angeles
(burnout, frustration about their work in the community, puzzles they
needed help on, replenishment) that I learned from the few of them who
arrived Day 1.  So with the help of fabulous BJ Peters we reflected on
Day 1 and created the Day 2 theme to make it more direct and personal.

When I did a strategic planning session for an organization with two
weekends two months apart, I left the theme open until I experienced the
first session.  Again, big things came up and I was able to open the
theme up a bit to include those things.

The thing I feel about your folks' setting the agenda/topics for the
later three meetings that are not really attended by them (but mostly by
residents) -- there's the question for me.  I'd love to know more
information about the reason they're doing an Open Space.  And the
reason they're setting themes for something they won't be in -- are they
in essence the sponsors?  How does that work?

Heck, if the themes are carefully crafted and the passion is there, the
participants come willingly and the sponsors have worked like crazy to
bring a diverse community / whole picture of the community/issue into
the room, I see great success following...

I look forward to hearing more,

Lisa

L i s a   H e f t
Consultant, facilitator, educator
O p e n i n g  S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106   USA
(+01) 510 548-8449
lisaheft at pacbell.net
www.openspaceworld.com

*
*
==========================================================
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