sharing my first OS experience

[Mayke Wagner, essence]

I completely agree with you, Bernd, in that I would also chose a 2,5 day OS
instead of 1 traditional day and 1,5 day of OS, if I had the choice. In this
case I was asked to only come in for the 1,5 days of OS after the
traditional and I did not have any influence on the whole set-up. So the
confrontation of both concepts was not part of a conscious design or
strategy. Basically, I just dealt with what was there, when I addressed it.
But learning from this experience, I would try to go for a 2,5 day OS next
time.

Mayke

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essence - Beratung, Training, Coaching
Mayke Wagner
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mayke.wagner at t-e-a-m.org
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> Von: Bernd Weber <weberb at gmx.at>
> Antworten an: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> Datum: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 18:32:49 +0200
> An: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Betreff: Re: [OSLIST] sharing my first OS experience
>
> Dear Sambiase, dear Mayke
>
> I have been working in the development cooperation field in Africa
> for several years now and I agree fully with Maykes impression, that
> there is usually a collusion between northern "development experts"
> and southern participants, that the northerners should and do know
> the answers, whereas those from the south are happy to get them,
> without activating their own expertise.
>
> But I disagree with Sambiase, that it is a good strategy, to start
> this way and then change to OS. Doing so shows you as the northerner
> as supporting both concepts and therefore producing confusion.
>
> My experience is, that african people without os experience start
> with such an expectation, of course. But northerners without os
> experience also: they expect the expert to bring answers and
> solutions.
>
> But after the introduction to OST, the collection of the themes and
> the market these expectations have dissipated, and I very rarely met
> the type of confusion you are relating.
>
> So I prefer doing OS right away from the beginning
>
> Bernd
>
>
>
> On Thu, 1 Jul 2004 08:45:01 -0300, Luiz Sambiase wrote:
> Hi Mayke
> Excellent. This strategy may be applicable to communities in my
> country as well. ( Brasil)
> Luiz
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Mayke Wagner, essence
> To:
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE..EDU
> Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 5:47 AM
> Subject: sharing my first OS experience
> The first day of the conference was "traditional"
> with one expert in front and everyone else listening. So the people
> really experienced a change when the Open Space started and you could
> tell they were struggling with those 2 concepts. My impression was
> that in the field of developmental aid - certainly in the area I was
> working in - the people felt comfortable with the idea of an expert
> from the North (Europe) having the answer (and consequently the
> responsibility - ability to respond) for the problems in East Africa.
> Open Space questioned this assumption and invited them to acknowledge
> their own expertise and ability to find their own answers for their
> problems. After the first 4 sessions we had the evening news and in
> the discussion it became clear that the participants were torn
> between the "traditional" way and the Open Space way. I addressed
> this struggle on a meta-level with the participants the next day
> which was helpful to create some more discussion and insight...
>> From a systemic point of view it was quite startling to see how this
> "imperialism" of the European expert having the answers for the
> problems of East Africa was supported by the behavior of the European
> participants as well as of the African participants. Both sides
> contribute their share to keep this pattern stable which in the long
> run does not support sustainable independence...
>
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