Help! Client's Three Week Worries
Lisa Heft
lisaheft at pacbell.net
Wed Feb 5 15:40:10 PST 2003
Doug - I agree with everybody here.
Don't put any articles in front of them - just gently ask them why what
they're imagining would be a problem.
I've been in this situation before - you can turn their anxiety points
into positives (if you think more people might come you might want to
order more refreshments!) and just keep them breathing...
Thorough planning and design, which you've done / which OST is, will
provide the framework for flexibility. If "too many" people show up
that will signal a great success in getting the word out an knowing that
the time is perfect for working on these opportunities and issues.
Everything will work out, and you know it.
I agree that this is an opportunity to further clarify with the client:
' in the event that any of this happens I will be there facilitating, so
no worries. The process I'm using will take care of all that. And I
want to set our agreement that from the moment I open to the moment I
close -- I am in control of the room - if you see anything you're
worried about bring it to me, and I might tell you that I will not
intervene at that point - can you live with this? Because if you
cannot, then it's time to take a few steps back and see if there's a fit
here' (or something like that)
(Whoa - she's such a toughie!)
You're amazing, Doug,
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
(coming soon: www.openingspace.net)
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>From Wed Feb 5 18:23:01 2003
Message-Id: <WED.5.FEB.2003.182301.0800.>
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 18:23:01 -0800
Reply-To: bjp1 at cox.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: BJ Peters <bjp1 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: Help! Client's Three Week Worries
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Doug-- I totally agree with Michael on this. The core value of OST is that
it is self-organizing and self-managing. People will know how to handle whoever
and however many whos show up. Be confident, your wisdom is intact! --BJ
Peters<br>
<br>
Michael Herman wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:3E4182BF.73D67D0A at globalchicago.net">
<pre wrap="">think this might be beyond the documents and proof stage, doug.<br><br>you know this is an important issue. they know this is an importnat issue.<br>there are many in the community who know this is important. the ones who take<br>the time to show up will be the most passionate of all of those. if there are<br>50 people or more... what seems like too many, this will indeed be seen as<br>good news by all... because they want to see something happen on this issue,<br>and the numbers will be saying 'something is possible!' so lots of people is<br>good news! they will be glad to combine or delay sessions as needed... and<br>they will see those needs and address them. indeed, the little workarounds<br>that they develop will be excellent practice for then sitting down and working<br>out bigger issues. if there are many people, then a bigger space might be<br>found for future meetings... and announced to the list of first round<br>participants so that they know
that there is room to bring others. somehow<br>things always work out. and whatever wrinkles like that just make for a<br>better story later on.... so enough rambling here...<br><br>maybe just point out that if many many people come, any disappointment will be<br>easily balanced by those saying 'my god i knew this was an important issue to<br>me, but i didn't know i had so much company! ...thank you thank you for<br>announcing these sessions and giving us all a chance to come together to meet<br>and learn and act.'<br><br>that's my two cents... am sure others will have other, probably better<br>responses... the key in all of this is that YOU know that it will work. the<br>longer you wait to tell them so, the more they wonder if you KNOW it. not<br>what you say, but how you ARE that counts.... as ever.<br><br>m<br><br><br><br><br>"Douglas D. Germann, Sr." wrote:<br><br></pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Hi--<br><br>Help, please!<br><br>My client is getting jittery over how their OST will work. This is the one<br>about "Influencing Senior Healthcare and Well-Being," which starts 2 weeks<br>from today. 3 Wednesdays, 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm each day.<br><br>Their main worry seems to be, What if 50 people show up and post 30 topics?<br>We only have space for 9-10 breakout sessions, and they fear people will be<br>disappointed if their session got "bumped" to the next week's time slot.<br><br>Their solution? Have the opening be "You 8 people go to this space, you 8<br>go to that space. Everybody gets 5 minutes to say what their issue is,<br>around the circle. Then the group leader reports back to the main group."<br>Sounds like a sure way to get *everybody* frustrated, to me.<br><br>So what would you tell them? What documents would you download and e-mail<br>to them to show that they really don't have anything to fear, that the good<br>people they have invited will ha
ndle it very well?<br><br>Please help me reason with these people, so we have a good event.<br><br> :-Doug. Germann<br><br>*<br>*<br>==========================================================<br><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>------------------------------<br>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>view the archives of <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu</a>,<br>Visit:<br><br><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br></pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!----><br>--<br><br>Michael Herman<br>Michael Herman Associates<br>300 West North Avenue #1105<br>Chicago IL 60610 USA<br>phone: 312-280-7838<br><br><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.michaelherman.com">http://www.michaelherman.com</a><br><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.globalchicago.net">http://www.globalchicago.net</a><br><br>...inviting organization into movement<br><br>*<br>*<br>==========================================================<br><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>------------------------------<br>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>view the archives of <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu</a>,<br>Visit:<br><br><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/
oslist.html</a><br><br></pre>
</blockquote>
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