Open Space and World Cafe

Romy Shovelton romys at compuserve.com
Sun Sep 7 15:20:03 PDT 2003


hi all

a mini-conversation between Alan and me....

-------------Forwarded Message-----------------


Hi Romy (and Ruth)

Yes, it is indeed a remarkable story and opportunity for influence.

You can see more about the program in South Aussie and the kind of people
with
whom I will be interacting at:

Governor's Leadership Foundation
http://www.sabv2010.com.au/sabv/site/index.html


And I have been invited to facilitate the first ever gathering of people who
are likely to be the key
players in a major reform of health services in South Australia. This will
be a one day
OST on 20 Oct. It is estimated that the implementation of the
recommendations of
a report on this - which makes the point and so does the state government
that there is no
option but to DO IT - will take about 20 years!

http://www.health.sa.gov.au/sahealthreform/


Romy, I wonder if you would be happy to send your note to me again through
the listserv so that I can respond
in a similar manner to all?


Enjoy the rest of your time with Qimmiq in your green valley.

With love

Alan




----- Original Message -----
From: "Romy Shovelton" <romys at compuserve.com>
To: "Alan Stewart" <alan.stewart at senet.com.au>; "Ruth Campbell-Hicks"
<minprocon at bigpond.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2003 7:45 PM
Subject: Re: Open Space and World Cafe


Alan

brilliant story.....

shall look at the World Cafe stories you've pointed to

is there a website for the Aussie program?  It sounds interesting in
itself.....
and of course will be even more effective now it has your help!!
 (I'm copying this to my wonderful sister in WA)

xxx to you

Romy (& Qimmiq the husky).... writing from wonderful Wales


xxxxxxxxxxxx
Message text written by OSLIST
>
G'day Open Space and World Café Friends

This is being posted to World Café, OST and genuinecontact listservs with
the thought that you may find it of interest and potentially useful. It
comes to you from a lovely spring morning in Australia.

There are periodic indications that some of us are using both OST and Café
processes, sometimes independently and sometimes in combination. In my
experience this can be very effective in contexts in which each is
appropriate.

A story of how they were used together in a series of community
consultations can be seen at:

In Conversing Cafes people come out on top downunder.
http://www.theworldcafe.com/storyconversing.html

Many people have commented on how useful they found the observed
correspondence between purpose and process and outcome in this now well
known 'Marion Story'.  Reportedly it played a role in bringing about a
cultural shift to 'all voices being heard' in the Financial Planning
Association in the US. http://www.theworldcafe.com/storyfpa.html

I wonder if you see that we could all benefit if the power and potential of
these two processes was widely recognised by leaders through their having
personal experience of them?

A remarkable opportunity to do this with both has come my way recently. In
each state in Australia there are leadership programs offered annually in
which young 'high fliers' (people who have proven work experience and
capability, vision and commitment) are given a comprehensive set of
experiences to prepare them to assume leadership positions beyond their
workplace. Participants are recruited from a wide range of backgrounds,
industries and sectors - including business, government, social, community
and the arts.

The (new) director of this program in South Australia contacted me mid year
to express her concern that the current group were not communicating at
anything beyond superficial levels and that she had heard on the wind that
I might be able to assist.

One emerging is that, in the two day final retreat in November, the whole
of the first day is to be allocated to:

Conversation Cafe (morning) 'Reflection on the year'

Open Space Technology (afternoon)  'Where to from here ..'

in order to address the theme:

               How may we make the most of the experience of being
participants in this program?

My intuition is that the intimacy and inclusivity of sitting at small
tables in the Café while reflecting on their shared experience will promote
the listening and questioning through which participants may reach deeper
levels of awareness, understanding and of relating.

And then in the Open Space session the conditions will be right for all to
announce what they feel 'bold and wild' about, and for like passioned
people to link with each other.

Whether it happens like this remains to be seen!
(In next year's course, these processes will be introduced at the outset).

I would add that, whichever process I use when facilitating/hosting, I
invariably invoke the principles of OST. And I do not name an event Open
Space unless it is the whole 'box and dice.'  Also I use capitalized 'Café'
when alluding to the process and when using diverse descriptors such as
'Conversation', 'Passion', 'Collective Wisdom', 'Knowledge' Café.

With love
Alan
Adelaide





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From: "Alan Stewart" <alan.stewart at senet.com.au>
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