facilitator role in OST

[Harrison Owen]

Funda -- I think you are working too hard. For myself I find that once the space is opened and the people are at work there is neither the need nor (often) the opportunity to ask a lot of questions, listen to answers or to face the reactions. If you take all that on yourself, for sure you will be exhausted. I guess it is possible when you have a realatively small group to do what you are suggesting, but once the group size goes beyond about 25 I can't imagine that you would have enough ears or eyes just to keep track, and if you tried to run all over the place --- wheew! Tired!!! But I think what we find is that if you will hold the space open (hold space) the people will do everything that is required -- and you don't have to do a thing. Actually I find that facilitting an Open Space can be a very restful occupation. There is very little to be done.

What I find most remarkable is that the people do support the facilitator. I can't tell you how it works, but when I find myself just surfing on all that energy and passion it is very exhilerating, but by no means exhausting. 

So try it. I think you will like it. Just BE a lot, but do very little. And in a funny way the less you do, the beter it is for everybody.

Have fun!

Harrison
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Funda Oral 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Sunday, July 18, 2004 4:04 AM
  Subject: facilitator role in OST



  Referring to some discussions that are going on here, I really think that what we can do in OST depends very much on the group dynamics..for exemple in Turkey I am already very happy when people share and discuss openely...so I don't feel like I have to teach anything.

  But when I think facilitator's role in OST..I can think of one common role for every facilitator...willing to ask questions and invite people for discussions but be ready to listen all the answers and face all the reactions.

  So a lot of curiosity and courage is required.

  But this is a hard job so one should accept and declair when he/she gets tired.

  I mean facilitator also is in the cycle has the right to ask others to listen and take care of him/her.

  Does it make sense?

  Funda Oral 


  --- Orjinal mesaj ---
  From: 
  To: 
  Cc: 
  Sent: Sun Jul 18 09:08:30 EEST 2004
  Subject: Re: a first time



  In a message dated 7/17/04 4:38:24 AM, hhowen at comcast.net writes:


  > Talk about win/win, to say nothing of
  > teaching people to fish rather than just giving them some well prepared
  > fillet of sole.
  >

  Harrison, et. al.

  I think the fish metaphor has moved to a third level. e.g.:

  Give a person a fish, they eat for that day.

  Teach a person to fish, they eat for the all their lives.

  Turn a person on about fishing, they invent new ways to fish.

  I think the third level is where we should be aiming our efforts in all that
  we do because a turned on person is both unpredictable and powerful.
  Becoming unpredictable is a good thing. Becoming powerful means one has the chance
  to influence events through unexpected change.

  jmho.

  Paul Everett

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