Obstinacy and patience (some personal/professional sharing - long)

Joelle Lyons Everett JLEShelton at aol.com
Sat Mar 15 10:22:38 PST 2003


Thanks, Bernd, for the personal and professional sharing.  Although you are
working in a totally different context, the patterns and feelings seem very
familiar.

The farmers in your area are certainly struggling against some extreme
obstacles!  It is not hard to understand how they might be fearful and
wanting to step back to some safe space with known outcomes.

We have been working with the management team of a city department.  They
have learned a lot, and have been determined to keep alive the spirit
generated by the Open Space their organization held last summer.  Last week,
their director, who had been there 18 years and was much loved, retired.  The
announcement of her retirement brought a lot of shock and fear, worry about
who will replace her and what that will mean.

The leadersship team's first response was very proactive.  They went to the
city manager (a man that they did not have a good relationship with) and
initiated a conversation about what the process would be for finding a new
director, and let him know that they wanted to be involved in that process.

Then, for the last three months, they have retreated, in a state of shock and
fear, and have only paid attention to the everyday details of their own jobs.
 I met with one of the managers last week, and they want three meetings right
away, to move forward on the ideas they were working on.

So, I can really relate to your program of obstinance and patience!  And I
like your metaphor of acupuncture, opening the small meridians where you can,
to increase the flow of energy.

Keep us posted on the fruits of your obstinance and patience!

Joelle

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