How did you start? (was New member introduction)

Mon Dec 12 12:35:06 PST 2005

Hi, Kevin -

Welcome !

(I adjusted the title on this email thread as I am responding to your
questions - and in case anybody else decides to look up this sort of
question in our OSLIST archives, perhaps the title specificity will help
them)

You asked
1) Aside from just "doing it" What is the best way to go about getting a
crash course in this?  I have only participated in the one two day
meeting, but would love to experience more, bigger open spaces,
hopefully learning more about it. My web searches have turned up one
Open Space practitioner here in Japan, and I will certainly be
contacting them, but I am also wondering about some  "training courses"
or rather, places where I can sit in on a real meeting, but also have a
chance to chat open space talk with other facilitators.

Right here on OSLIST is a great place to chat with other facilitators,
so you have already started that!

Have you read Harrison Owen's book, "Open Space Technology: A User's
Guide"? That is a great place to begin.  And we all can answer any
questions you may have.  

I also have some resources at my website: http://openingspace.net
<http://openingspace.net/>  

If you look on the blue navigation bar and go to Open Space Technology /
The Method 
(or click on
http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method.shtml )

You will see papers to continue your reading.  You will also see further
resources there, and if you click on "Gallery" in the upper right-hand
corner of the page you will see photos there.  If you want to explain
the process to others you might wish to use the first article in the
Method section (also the article on the home page).

If you have the funds to travel for taking a workshop with others, you
could ask the folks in Taiwan if they are giving a learning workshop
soon.  If you or a funding organization are interested, I can also come
give a learning workshop in Tokyo (and have relatives there I would love
to visit).  If you need coaching and preparation for doing your own Open
Space event, there are planning materials and resources at my site.

And mine is not the only informational website - you may also wish to
check out http://www.openspaceworld.org <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
to see the materials and offerings there.  And check out the world map
at http://www.openspaceworldmap.org/ 

And if you end up translating any of the key phrases (principles and
law) for signs, do contact me and I shall add them to the international
glossary I am building for everyone to share.

My other OSLIST colleagues will have lots of other great ideas, I know.

2) I have been reading many of the blogs and websites of people I assume

are on this list, so I am getting a vague idea, but what did you all do 
before you got into Open Space? What was your specialty? What is your 
background? What do you do now? How often do you facilitate meetings? 
What kind of clients? What other types of things do you do "on the job"?

Before I walked into a workshop on Open Space where Harrison was
teaching this marvelous method, I was a facilitator - I've been one for
over 30 years.  I have also been an interactive learning specialist
(helping people who teach redesign their curriculum or learn how to
teach using more participant-centered activities rather than lecturing).
My background is in this sort of full-body education (learning through
doing, moving, hearing, saying, interacting, graphics and so on rather
than through sitting and listening to lectures).  So my background was
always in group learning, group dynamics, group communication and
individual ways of relating-knowing-learning-exchanging information and
ideas.

Now I specialize in both those things. I tend to be called on to
facilitate Open Space events, conferences, meetings; though I also
facilitate using methods with similar value systems as appropriate.  And
I design learning for workshops, classes, clients and train trainers and
facilitators in these interactive methods.  

I am an independent consultant, facilitator and educator.  And that's
all I do.  I facilitate meetings several times a month, and I design
curriculum and train interactive learning facilitators when I'm not
facilitating and working with clients to plan and design their
facilitated events.

My clients range from prison inmates to business leaders to community
activists to universities to conflict resolution specialists to
scientists - a full cross-section - as I am not a content expert but a
process expert.

Other types of things I do "on the job" - if I was Harrison, I'd say
nap. ;o)

Being Lisa, I'll say laugh, appreciate, learn, serve, support,
co-create, believe, work hard, hold space, witness, wonder, flex,
provide nutrition, invite, play.

I'm looking forward to hearing from my colleagues as they answer your
questions.

Cheers from Berkeley, California,

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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