Attachment and Detachment

[Larry Peterson]

Good discussion folks!

Julie said: "I'm not convinced it always honors the group to stay out of
the way. I'm willing to take that concept as a worthy and valuable
starting assumption, but I think we also need to be open to the
possibility that sometimes more active involvement is better than
staying out of the way."

To me it is a "when" question.  I have some things to offer groups by
actively asking questions, getting them to examine their goals and
assumptions.  Becoming clear what the strategy is for doing an event or
project.  Engaging the follow-up strategy from an Open Space or other
event.  This is about enabling them to be clearer about what they want
how they will pursue it.  It is in the planning of an Open Space or
other event.  I help them get clear about the outcomes they seek -- that
is different than my being attached to any particular outcome.  There
are some outcomes that I "like" better than others and if a client is
headed in a direction I see as unethical, I choose not to be the guide.

When I Open the Space, it is in relation to a theme, givens and set of
commitments that have been determined by the sponsors.  In my
preparation and when I Open and Hold Space, I maximize my ability to
"let go" of outcomes.  (Practice helps.)

For example, at a recent event sponsored by a Deputy Provincial Minister
and a cross Government initiative with 3 levels of government present --
I was filling in.  So I was not involved in the pre-work or the theme
but it was well communicated to me.  The turnout of both federal and
municipal participants was much better than expected.  So, that
"audience" was not fully anticipated in the planning.   (Although, that
did not become clear until after it was over).

So, the theme did not engage as many topics as had been hoped as it was
aimed at a different group. The last session of the day had only one
topic (for a group of 130).  The sponsors came to me and said, "We are
loosing momentum, people are leaving what can we do?"  I did respond in
the context of Open Space.  I suggested that the sponsors talk the
initiator of the last group, the person who put up the topice, about
what she wanted and develop a strategy from there.  It was their space
and I encouraged them to self-organize a response to their concerns

The leader of the group was a Federal Government staff who wanted to
explore the broader next steps for this conversation.  The sponsors
encouraged all participants to join the discussion which became the
"Next Steps" discussion for the whole event, led by an "outsider".  The
sponsors loved it as the commitment to the ongoing conversation came
from the invitees.  I then closed the space after that discussion.  Even
with the small number of groups the participants found the event useful,
profound, relationship building in ways they would not have expected.


I still had that niggle pass my brain and heart that the sponsors were
going to be unhappy when they came to talk to me.  I let it go and my
attachment to particular outcomes -- be that the momentum or the content
issues they were hoping to surface.  And, it worked again. At the
follow-up dinner, the sponsors were really proud of how they helped the
self-organizing work beyond their expectations toward
multi-jurisdictional commitment to their efforts.  I certainly shared my
perspectives on what had happened in the reflection and yes I did feel
good that they were so excited by what had happened.

Larry

Larry Peterson
Associates in Transformation
Toronto, ON, Canada
416.653.4829

larry at spiritedorg.com
www.spiritedorg.com

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