reporting from our workshops here in Raleigh North Carolina on the eve of a hurricane

[Birgitt Williams]

Dear friends and colleagues on the OS list,
First, I thank those of you who are through prayer and energy work "holding
space" for us here in Raleigh as we participate in a very intense, deep and
yet gentle learning experience together. I am writing to let you know, from
my perspective, how it is going. The story of how it is going begins with
letting you know that tomorrow, Hurricane Isabel is expected to be arriving
here in Raleigh, North Carolina about suppertime. She presents Ward, I and
our guests with an experience that was not planned as part of the month long
program. Fortunately I had learned long ago that things don't tend to go
according to plan.

The way I look at it, we are proving our guests with a unique experience and
when they return to India, Israel, Austria, Germany, Sweden, and other parts
of the USA they are going to have quite a story to tell. It will be a story
of how we stirred up so much energy that we drew in a hurricane. It will be
a story of the days ahead of knowing that Isabel will come, anticipation and
some fear of the unknown, and truly knowing that we are not in control.

We have talked in our workshops that 'change management is an oxymoron', in
other words that change cannot be managed. However, our response to change
can be managed so that it is a mindful response and not a reaction. Isabel
is giving us good lessons as we wait, and will probably give us more lessons
tomorrow as we participate with her, and yet more lessons in her aftermath.
And I think we will have many stories to weave into our teaching in
organizations.

Interestingly, the workshop that begins tomorrow is about conflict
resolution. (and unfortunately, the man who had registered to attend from
the US coastguard has had to cancel --we had kind of felt relieved that we
might have his assistance :-)) but he is clearly on-duty at the coast
tomorrow. Avner from Israel asked if we thought the hurricane would for sure
hit Raleigh. I started to give him reassurances that it would probably not
be so strong by the time it reaches us. He immediately said 'but I want it
to be strong. Imagine that I can actually have this experience!' And so, he
expressed what we are all feeling. A little anxious and yet we look forward
to the experience, to bringing the learnings from the experience fully into
our other learning.

This is the third year of hosting the Genuine Contact workshop series here
in our home with back to back workshops throughout the month of September.
And this year is no less magical and full of miracles than the others have
been. The workshops are intended for those who want to go deeply into their
learning and discovery about working with organizations to become healthy
and balanced, working with the Conscious Open Space Organization. Most of
the workshops can be taken on their own without participating for the whole
month. Some people come who stay for the whole time to take it all in. Many
come for one or two workshops with the intention of returning again at
another time to take the remainder. Whenever Spirit moves them to do so. For
us all, it is fascinating as those who stay for the whole month go so so so
deeply and yet always recognize the new persons on the first day of a new
workshop, and as a group, ensuring that all are holding the space for the
maximum learning by all. It is a visible breathing in and breathing out as
people come in, join for a few days, go out, others come, others go out, and
some hold the circle for all of it.

Another part of the experience that participants talk about is what it is
like to be here in our home. It provides an opportunity for real genuine
contact, person to person, and also with Ward and I as their hosts. And this
becomes an important part of our learning. Ward and I walk our talk to the
best that we know how to do so, being our genuine selves with all of our
human qualities. And the participants note that this also enables them to be
in better genuine contact with their own selves, knowing that in our time
together, being real is so very welcome----and a real relief to most (maybe
all). For Ward and I, this workshop series in September is the time when we
have the privilege of being of service to others in their learning in a way
that we can only do at this level here, allowing the window into our
personal lives to be open as we teach the importance of inviting the whole
person in to the meetings that all of us faciliate.

And so, in my reporting to you about how it is going from my perspective, I
can tell you about my joy, my sense of great privilege, my gratitude that
the right people always appear, that exactly the right things happen for
each of us, my personal learning and consciousness and mindfulness
heightened as a gift that I receive from the participants, and my excitement
that there will be additional teachers of the Genuine Contact program out in
the world AND additional facilitators not only of Open Space Technology but
also of the Conscious Open Space Organization.
Blessings to you and to all with whom you make Genuine Contact,

Birgitt

Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
www.dalarinternational.com

We provide inspirational and practical “how to” guidance for leaders who
want to achieve healthy and balanced organizations to produce exciting,
tangible results for the organization and for its people.

View the calendar for upcoming training in the Organizational Health and
Balance series of workshops featuring the Genuine ContactÔ program at
http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html

We invite you to join the Genuine Contact list serve at
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact

Contact information for Dalar International Consultancy: Po Box 19373,
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619 Raleigh, North Carolina USA
Phone: 919-522-7750     Fax: 919-870-6599

Founders of the Wellness Revolution for Organizations

Founders of the International Alliance for Mentoring

Creators of the Organizational Health and Balance series of workshops
featuring the Genuine ContactÔ program


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