Unintend Consequences, Collateral Damage and Truth Telling

Sun Aug 22 15:37:37 PDT 2004

Lisa -- On the subject of leaving the circle (in Rome we were not in a room) . . . Please note that I said I was leaving AND that I was coming back in an hour. Further - that anybody who cared to continue might join me, and those who felt otherwise should make their own plans. Obviously I didn't say it as bluntly as that, but that was the meaning, which i think they got. I am also very clear that doing what I did is not something to be done  either lightly or routinely. But when the space closes down I felt that I should take extraordinary measures to open it up. This is absolutely the opposite of disengagement. At least I think so, and that is the way it felt. I was totally engaged, though obviously absent. I guess this might be the extreme example of being "totally present and absolutely invisable" (quote me) -- which for me is the epitome of great facilitation. In Open Space or elsewhere. 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lisa Heft 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2004 1:31 PM
  Subject: Re: Unintend Consequences, Collateral Damage and Truth Telling

  Hmmm.

  I have reopened the circle the next morning with a bit of a challenge to participants ('you can spend today telling the story as it has been, or you can tell the new story beginning today' or 'if you want to spend today describing the problem, as you did yesterday, feel free - if you want to move towards solution thinking, realize this is our last day together') once or twice, in times of very high conflict and the feeling that the air was being sucked out of the space.  I do not know if it was helpful to do this or not - though the energy shifted each time to re-invigorated engagement and spirit.  It could have just been me needing to feel better; me needing to feel I could fix something.  And not necessary at all.  Hard to say.  But again, it worked.

  Once I also did a consensus process before priority setting rather than just go from Open Space to read the proceedings to priority setting - because there was so much tension in the room and people spoke out about mistrust of what would happen with the results and so on.

  I have also 'spoken truths' before I reopen space (Funda and others - a way of instead of prioritizing/converging ideas, opening it up again for people to champion actions and next steps they wish to identify) and also before convergence (the group's prioritizing / highlighting top issues that came of the Open Space) - as a way to get things out into the open and name them back to the group (if I feel there is tension that must be acknowledged).

  I could not I don't think walk out of the circle, or the room, at a time of high conflict.  As the facilitator (and usually as the person from outside the organization or community I am facilitating for) it would feel too much to me like a message that I was 'not going to play' and withdrawing my energy until people figured it out without me.  Even though of course I would know I was not in any way withdrawing my energy.  I still feel participants see the facilitator as a larger-than-life figure when s/he makes a major statement.  So that there is a power dynamic there.

  (This is different than I feel people see a facilitator when s/he is holding space in the more 'traditional' OS way)

  However I do see when you (whomever 'you' is reading this, my colleagues) as a facilitator might feel your presence IS a big thing and that they cannot figure things out WITH you in the room.  

  I don't know if this is what you felt, Harrison, I am just guessing at what would make me leave the room.

  The asking people if they want to re-engage or simply leave is something I understand - the leaving the room, as you can see by reading this - is what I question if I might do in your place.  Although there always is a next time where we do and learn something new about ourselves...

  Lisa

  ________________________________

  L i s a   H e f t

  Consultant, Facilitator, Educator

  O p e n i n g  S p a c e

  2325 Oregon

  Berkeley, California

  94705-1106   USA

  +01 510 548-8449

  lisaheft at openingspace.net

  www.openingspace.net 

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