Opening the Space to Close it

[BrendanMcKeague]

Hi folks - Happy New Year - I circulated this story to those who attended
the OSonOSinOZ and it was suggested that I put it on the wider List - so
here you are....

Its about a 'wee' Open Space that I was doing as part of an Enspirited
Workplace Retreat organised by the Senior Management Centre in association
with the Australian Institute of Managment here in Perth, WA a few weekends
ago...here's the story

A first of its kind here in WA - a two day conference (Thurs-Friday)
followed by a two day live-in retreat (Sat-Sunday)  The conference was
reported to be very successful - although numbers were disappointing for
organisers - attracting 60 participants - needing 70 to break even.
I wasn't able to be at the conference part - all of the twenty four
participants in the retreat had been to the conference as well and  were
absolutely floating on air at the Saturday morning - they had been fed by
lots of inspirational stories delivered by key leaders from local business
areas - mostly about successful 'spirit in the workplace'....

The planners had then organised for the retreat to follow much of the same
pattern  - I was not on the planning group - and had been asked to
facilitate the second half of the second day of the retreat in OS - ie
Sunday afternoon 1 - 5pm. I had expressed concern that there would be too
much input and not much time to 'retreat' and process the responses -
still, "participants needed value for money and would not expect to
pay  considerable dollars just to sit around and talk or walk or sleep or
meditate..."

Saturday went well for folks with presentations on: Personal Mastery in the
Workplace, Ethical Case Studies Using Practical Philosophy, Mindfulness in
the Workplace (meditation skills), Implementing Organisational
Transformation Using the Integral Framework (Ken Wilbur's model), Yoga....

Saturday evening was wonderful with a 'ceilidh' - Irish style - and very
Open Space-ish - everyone was invited to share their talents in whatever
way they wished- so we had songs, jokes, stories, poetry, dances, musical
instruments and even a 'communal choral presentation' reflecting the main
elements of the day (this had been composed by a certain Irishman and three
other participants to the tune of a local well known Australian folk tune -
Click Go the Shears)

Sunday morning was pretty full-on again with interactive workshops on
Leadership - the Art of Seeing, Who Are You Really?, The Emerging Big
Story: Its Impact on Individual and Corporate Spirituality, Creating Spirit
in a Local Health Care System....

So - by the time post-lunch Open Space came along, I'm wondering if you can
guess how the group was feeling.... absolutely so...!!!!

Many of their minds (those that could still function) had begun to wander
to the two-hour journey home, kids, school and work tomorrow, missing
partners etc....

Anyway, they all wanted to stay long enough to see how Open Space worked -
I opened the space (on the theme: "opportunities for creating an enspirited
workplace") with two x one-hour time slots available and time for
convergence - three 'tired' conversations went up - a quarter of the group
left after the opening and the others went to the first session of
conversations, one of which was a continuation of one of the morning
sessions - at the end of this a further quarter left and the remainder
9taking up the Two Feet) suggested we have the closing circle and go home -
so be it and that is what happened!

The closing circle was good and allowed people to articulate their
responses to the whole four days - finishing on a good feeling with one of
the organisers actually saying that we should have put the Open Space in on
the first morning of the retreat and that is what we will do next year!

So - there you have it folks - I must admit to feeling that I had 'opened
the space to close it' - anyway - that in itself is valid - there certainly
was little energy for further creative spirit to emerge - their minds were
wandering so their bodies went too. I'm optimistic that those who
experienced it got a feel for what OS is about - and there will always be
next year...

Peace to all
Brendan


Brendan  McKeague
Facilitator
25 Halley Street
Innaloo , WA 6018
AUSTRALIA
Home   (08) 9244 3885
Work   (08) 9244 8090
Mobile  042 944 8090
Email   mckeague at iprimus.com.au

We must become the change we want to see in the world
                         Mahatma Gandhi
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