participant organized Open Space-training, second installment

Sat Apr 3 08:42:28 PST 2004

Dear Peggy,
at the outset of the 5 day training (or shorter ones) the design for
the entire training is posted and introduced.
(During the training we draw up more detailed plans for each "phase"
and have 3 minute "breaks" between the phases where we point out
where we are at now which, I think, supports our role as providing
frame and givens for the "remembering" of the participants and
reduces the focus on us as experts)
At that time the story about "leaning - teaching - remembering" is
told. Its a dialogue (who knows how or whether at all it took place)
between Marvin and Harrison that ends with Harrison saying " Well, I
dont think you can learn open space, you can certainly not teach it
but perhaps it can be remembered".
It is also pointed out that in the invitation we asked people to
study "Open Space Technology- A User's Guide" and in case there are
details that are covered in the Guide that we will respond with "Its
in the Book" (which I think is another of those phrases the man with
the hat coined).
As the design is introduced the various levels of working through the
experience in the training are pointed out:
1. Experiencing an os as participant (with two tasks on the evening
before this open space: finding the theme and the sponsor for the os
and actually setting it up)
2. Reflecting on the experience in an osonos that follows
3. Designing and facilitating an os on one's own in the training
(including all the roles: sponsor, facilitator(s), assistants,
helpers)
4. A Question and Answers newswall to record (deposit, so that you
can deal with them later and dont get stuck on the meta-level while
being in the participant mode) all that concerns the technology
5. Permanent small groups of 5 participants meeting each day between
evening news and dinner (max one hour) to work through the day's
events including the day's questions and answers that the entire
group collected, writing an email to the german listserve about
whatever needs to be communicated and drawing up a "report" (takes
the form of a poem, song, sketch, drawing or just simple text)
6. Learning spaces (library, cinema, museum, audiothek) being open
parallel to the training
7. Detailed feedback for the teams that actually get to facilitate
the open space (the 3rd one) from both the trainers and every other
team that also designed the facilitation
8. Ditto for the action planning team

And a little later on in the training I also offer the story of the
fellow visiting a foreign culture where he notices that people always
bow when he asks a question. After a while he asks about this strange
habit being told that questions are always honored that way, good
questions with a deep and very good questions with a very deep bow.
When he asks what people in this foreign culture do, when someone
offers an answer he is informed that answers are not honored with a
bow.

Well, with all those stories and hints and all that information and
all those various possibilities to reflect, learn and remember the
desire to hear more from the experienced practitioners is still
there.
In the last training with the 58 new colleagues near Berlin in March,
Jo and I were bribed with the promise of free beer by about one third
of the participants to sit for an hour with them on the last evening
(while others were planning the farewell party) to answer questions.
It did not take an hour. It was fun.

Participant resistance to this process is pretty strong....at the end
of the training participants have become a community that developes
all kinds of cooperation beyond the training, dont give much
attention to the training team any longer and report on having had
one of the most important learning journeys in their life.
For me as trainer its tough because I hate not being adored and loved
and accepted by all and everyone at all times.

Now, did I get near to answering your question?
(No bows!)
greetings from Berlin
mmp

On Fri, 2 Apr 2004 09:13:20 -0800, Peggy Holman wrote:

>Michael,
>
>A question comes to me whenever I think about doing OS training in this
>fashion.  In fact, I remember discussing this with you on a subway train in
>Berlin before you actually put the design into practice.
>
>I get that learning to open space is a remembered skill and therefore
>everyone has plenty of material to draw from once they see OS from this
>perspective.  Even so, when there is little practical experience with open
>space events, how do participants feel about getting the support they need?
>In other words, I would imagine them wanting expert guidance, stories,
>examples.  Does this need arise and if so, how is it met?  What, if any,
>role do you find for "faculty" involvement as people who have practical
>experience with Open Space events?  From what you have said, it isn't an
>issue, but I'd like to understand how it unfolds.
>
>With curiosity,
>Peggy
>
>_______________________________
>Peggy Holman
>The Open Circle Company
>15347 SE 49th Place
>Bellevue, WA  98006
>425.746.6274
>www.opencirclecompany.com
>
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Michael M Pannwitz
boscop
Draisweg 1
12209 Berlin, Germany
FON +49 - 30-772 8000     FAX +49 - 30-773 92 464
www.michaelmpannwitz.de
www.openspace-landschaft.de

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