stories of results from opening space in divided communities.....

[Chris Corrigan]

Christine asked:

>
>  Chris, I missed your PS but greatly appreciate the story.  So, from
>  today's
>  vantage point do you think your perception was real or was it "just
you?"
>  In my case, the split I was observing/suffering with was real (within
me
>  and
>  also within the group) but there was more to it than that because, of
>  course, it is never one dimensional.  Beyond the split there was
another
>  level of self-organization taking place that has led to multiple
>  collaborations in our community that were not a part of the explicit
>  convergence at the event.  Evidentally, the convergences were
happening
>  within individuals and small groups that did not come together until
a
>  couple of months later.
>

Truthfully Christine I still don't know.  It was a weird time for me and
I was highly unable to sensibly relate to what was happening.  It was as
if my spirit was kicked into another way of being that left my brain
back at the station.  Whatever it was affected me very deeply and at the
level of spirit and soul, and I think the same could be said for the
folks who have been struggling for these issues for the past 20 years.
Like your experience, the OST we held triggered a number of actions
which is what we intended to do in the first place, and in fact, with
this 18 months under our belts, there is a desire to finally sit down
and action plan around the (still valid) priorities that were surfaced
in that meeting.

I suspect that part of this is what my dear father-in-law, Peter Frost
is calling the experience of the Toxin Handler in his new book soon out
from Harvard Business Press
(http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/common/item_detail
.jhtml?id=2573).  Without understanding how the toxins inherent in the
relationships were swirling around in me, a certain pathology took over,
an unhealthy kind of sacrifice.  At one point in the meeting I was
nearly martyred as the space invader looked to me to be the guy to kill
at the alter of irreconcilable difference.  That's kind of a heavy place
to be, and the residual effect rested with me and not everyone else.
Everyone else heard his idea and then mine, and went with mine.
Thankfully.  They soon forgot all about me, leaving me to wonder for
months afterwards how to deal with all this stuff.

Anyway, I'm all better now :-)

Hope you are too.

Chris

---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
chris at chriscorrigan.com

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