anonyme posting

Thu Apr 7 00:55:16 PDT 2005

dear Agneta, dear Lisa,

thank you for this great question and response! 

This reminds me on an 1day OST conference with about 70 people from last year. "Something unexpected" and really wonderful happend at the afternoon. Here briefly the situation: During the agenda setting phase within a few minutes 27 topics were raised. The session groups were working very intensive since approx. 4 hours as I saw one person walking (like an almost invisble butterfly). Then I felt, that he was "looking for me" ... but in a very shy way. I decided not to go to him and not to ask him. Maybe 30 minutes later he came to me and said, that he prefere to be a butterfly ... and he said, that he would have an urgent topic. I said, if you want, you can raise it now ... in 15 minutes our last time slot will beginn and we can arrange for you within a few seconds a further session room. 

He said, "NO ... because in a special kind my issue has also to do with these people here and my desire would be, that interested people could discuss without me some possible solutions." I said, that this is a wonderful idea, and I recommended that he could raise his issue AND let the people at the same time know how he would like to have the workshop setting. I saw how happy he was, and then he said ... "OK, I will invite them to my issue - then I will only describe my problem and my desire - and then I will leave them alone." I said, "great ... are you ready?" He said yes and I felt his amazing courage. 

It was exactly the time before the last time slot should start and therefore (with a little help from the temble bells) many people listened him ... by standing around him in a circle. It was a very special - quite - emotional moment. He was very authentic and everybody could see and feel his grief. Within a few seconds our wonderful co-facilitators arranged a new session space - and immediately 10 or 12 participants went to this area and sat down. I was surprised to see, that he went also to this session space. From the distance I could see, that he introduced into his topic and about 10 minutes later he came to me. He wanted to share with me, that the group and he made the following arrangement: first the group works alone and 10 minutes before the session end the group wants to inform him about their solution ideas. 

Then he went to the bufett. The group worked very intensive - they used big papers, and they had one person, who was responsible for the proceeding. Later, the man went back to the group in order to hear the results. Then they worked together until the closing circle ... "only the talking stick" could stop their conversations :). I was deeply impressed to see his happy eyes. A few days after the OST somebody told me, that this man (BTW, he is almost 70 years old) had a deep healing experience during and after the event. This was a gift for me.

Cheers from Berlin,
Gabriela

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----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lisa Heft 
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU 
  Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 7:05 AM
  Subject: Re: anonyme posting

  Hello, dear Agnetta --

  You wrote:
  < One of the students asked me a question I really couldn't answer -
  yes, I answered, but I am not satisfied. She asked: what if one made an
  OS on a workplace where they had sexual harassments, and somebody wanted
  to post the issue but didn't dare. Could that person post it
  anonymously? If not, why? I tried to answer her, I talked about passion
  and responsibility and possible problems.and I told her that it was a
  very tricky question. What would you answer?>

  I have had people not be able to stand in front of the group to post,
  but they have had the courage to write a topic and to appear at the
  designated discussion area when it is time. So they had the passion and
  took the responsibility but just couldn't feel comfortable standing in
  front of the crowd and naming it.  So in these instances I have
  announced the issue for them and then given the paper back to them to
  post wherever on the agenda wall.

  This is a bit similar but of course the person had to show up ultimately
  for the session to begin it.

  We all know how people have to find a way to name things and be there
  for the conversation, otherwise people would just name sessions and
  never take responsibility to engage - they would just say 'people should
  talk about x' and not be there to help it happen.

  And/but here you have a delicate situation IF the person feels
  vulnerable saying the topic or being in the group or anything, perhaps.

  The next best thing I can think of is to recommend the person find
  someone they know who is not uncomfortable with hosting the subject, and
  to ask that person if they'd like to post/host it.

  The other part of my thinking is that I would try to do the same
  thorough pre-work as for every OS event to see what is the best theme,
  sense what the elephant / moose / skeleton (hidden) issues are, and to
  be informed as much as possible in that way when choosing words to open
  the space.

  Other than that, I would tell the person how proud I am that they think
  of bringing this issue into conversation and I support them in doing so
  wherever and in whatever way they can where they might feel safe or
  courageous - even if that safety and courage means they do not post it.
  Oftentimes something really important gets talked about all the way
  through an Open Space even if it is not posted - it just comes up in
  many sessions throughout the day...because the intention is there to
  talk about it.

  Great question.

  What do others think?

  Lisa

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