Can we be space invaders ?? - similar experiences

[Marei Kiele]

Ups, red ink, big letters - what does this mean?


"Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net> wrote:
> ... Such an action (and I have only seen it happen once or twice)...

Dear Harrison,

I am very relieved hearing that you, with all your experiences, have only seen this happen once or twice. I heard about space invaders again and again as if they occured in every third open space but haven't witnessed one yet. I asked myself "How do we decide when to name somebody a space invader" and I always felt uncomfortable with the idea of tagging a person this way. Kind of too easy: "Shut up, you are invading the space" (exaggerating, of course).

And the way you describe your dealing with the situations sounds good to me. Not easy, for sure, but real open space. Making perceptible what is there, what is possible inside an organisation and what is not - sometimes the best thing to do.

Thank you,
Marei



"Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net> schrieb:
>
> Marei wrote: So if I believed in the idea of space invaders (which for me is
> a theoratical construction I don't like very much - who decides when space
> is invaded and when not?)

>
> The simple answer to your question is that the participants decide. And they
> do and they will. The function of the facilitator (or at least my function
> when facilitating) is to keep the space open so that a decision can be made.
> This can be interesting, if only because the Space Invaders in my experience
> are mostly interested in closing the space down. Things become particularly
> interesting if the Space Invader, by whatever name, happens to be the
> President of the Company. Suddenly it occurs to him or her that things are
> getting out of control – and in words of some sort he/she says, “Folks, It’s
> my way or the highway.” Space closed.
>
>
>
> Such an action (and I have only seen it happen once or twice) eliminates all
> possibility of discussion, decision – and of course Open Space. As the
> facilitator, this puts me in a very curious spot. I have come (and committed
> to) open space. Unless the Space Invader shows up in the first moments
> (which I have never seen), certain promises have been made implicitly and
> explicitly. You (the participants) are important. What you think is
> important. Your issues are important – all of that has been communicated to
> the participants. And I have been very central in that communication. If
> nothing else it now becomes a matter of my integrity, to say nothing of the
> integrity of the Open Space. So what to do?
>
>
>
> It really is not my meeting. And so if everybody just wants to sit there and
> be miserable – that is obviously their choice, and they will make it. I see
> it as my responsibility to open the space up sufficiently so that a choice
> can be made, and simultaneously, everybody can recognize that they are
> making a choice – even if they sit there and do nothing. How to do that will
> vary with the situation.
>
>
>
> Harrison
>

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