Can we be space invaders ??

[Harrison Owen]

I guess I see your action less as "invading the space" than as "opening the
space." The significant thing to me is that you posed a question ("What is
the most important topic we have forgotten?"). In my experience, questions
open space. Statements close it. We see this happening every time we open
space with something like -- "What are the issues and opportunities (fill in
the blank)?" I think the atmosphere would be radically different were we to
begin with a statement. And then when you "let go the arms of the chair" You
offered a choice -- again another question.

I see my major role as facilitator in terms of keeping the space open, even
when that becomes quite uncomfortable. Ordinarily this can be done without
saying a word -- just be present and open yourself. I don't have a clue how
this works, but I have seen it happen again and again. The folks get stuck,
and I just sit there. I suppose they are expecting that I will "fix it" --
but I just hang in there as a witness to the unasked question(s). Most times
I don't even know what the question is -- most particularly when the
operative language is one I don't understand. But there do come times when
some more overt word or action seems to be called for -- but only after
being a silent witness for longer than you can bare. It is a dangerous call,
for it is quite likely that things are going on beneath the surface in ways
that you (I) will never understand. God forbid that you jump in with an
answer (statement) just as the folks are figuring it all out for themselves.
But with a question, there are choices, and if you have misperceived the
situation I find that the folks just smile at your lack of cultural
awareness. Humbling for sure, but not fatal.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Gerard
Muller
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 5:47 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Can we be space invaders ??

In one of the Open Spaces I facilitated seven years ago I featured as a
space invader.
It took me a long time to begin to look at it that way, so here it is.

The client was a national association, the issue an internal conflict -
basically concerning the interface between the national Board of the
organization and the regional ones.

The chairman opened and clearly stated the issue, ending with something
like:
"I am convinced that if we do not solve this issue together, our
organization could die.
  Help us resolve it "

And everyone involved was there.

Plenty of topics on the agenda.
Not a single one directly related to the central issue - as far as I
could see.

After half an hour, the first participant came and complained "The most
important topic is not on
the agenda !". So I suggested he might put it there. "No, I am not the
right person to do this".

Number 2, 3 and 4 came. Same story.
To number five I said "you are the fifth who tells me you need this
topic but that you are not the right person to put it there, I wonder
why ?".
More followed.

By lunch time, the situation was unchanged.

Instead of continuing to do what I was doing, I made a sign posted where
all would pass by when returning from lunch saying "What is the most
important topic we have forgotten ?".

Right after lunch, someone posted the missing topic (at the time I
thought I had "helped", little did I know).

Everybody had soon left all other discussions and 70 participants were
talking in a room I never had though could contain so many people.
Something important was clearly going on there.

But it was the closing circle that really got me.
The first person said "I am quite willing to say what I have to say, but
only if the National Board promises to take me seriously"
The second one said "I will speak, but only if everyone else promises to
speak"

I could not help myself. I felt all that had been achieved was at risk
of going down the drain again.
So I forgot to hold on to the armrests of my chair and invaded the
space.

"This morning your chairman asked your help to solve a problem. If you
choose to continue this way, you might be back where you started from.
Or you could choose to do something else".

I sat down again. It seemed like 140 angry eyes looked at me. There was
a silence.
Then, there was a constructive closing.


I really like the principle "Whatever happens......" .
I have come to develop a habit that if something happens which really
should not have (given my expectations, statistics, what have you) to
ask myself "If there would be a good reason for this to happen, what
would that reason be ??

So what is your guestimate as to why invading the space was the only
thing this facilitator could do ?

Similar experiences ?


Greetings from Svenmark,




Gerard Muller
Open Space Institute Denmark
Phone (+45) 21269621
gm at openspace.dk

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