A strange open space...

[Lisa Heft]

Hello, dear Glory --

I agree with Michael about 'outsider' participation in an Open Space.
It is exactly the 'outsider' input that is like the bumblebee - it
brings fresh perspective and it better represents the fuller system.

As far as the slide show, it depends to me whether or not the whole room
had to become dark and focused on the slide show.  If there was another
room to do it in, people could choose (it as a session or go to another
session during that time).  If it was in the only/main room, then it is
just like having a speech or presentation in plenary, which is something
that puts people in passive/listening/receiving mode rather than
interacting/participating mode.  Without an option to go to another
session, though people can go for a walk, for example, during that time.
I try to work with sponsors to put all one-way communication of data,
etcetera way before the Open Space (days before if possible) and if
there is no other way, before I open the space (I don't personally like
it when this happens the same day as the Open Space but sometimes I have
to just embrace that situation because it's going to happen anyway --
personally I feel that one-way presentations suck up space, in OS or in
any other setting).

Again, because I wasn't there, this may all have happened that way in
your Open Space, too and still what you mentioned in your story
happened.  I'd be interested to find out.

And hey, maybe what happened should have happened exactly that way as a
catalyst for some participants to either move to that person's point of
view or finally get tired enough of him/her to be moved to another kind
of action you have yet to see...

Take care, dear Glory, and thanks for sharing so generously,

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

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