facilitating participant

Michael Herman michael at michaelherman.com
Fri Dec 30 09:51:29 PST 2005


kevin,

when i *really* want to participate in something, i do it in the
middle breakout sessions, and sometimes just in side conversations...
not the first session, which gives me a chance to establish my
facilitator role, and not the last session, which keeps me from being
tangled in somehting when i'm supposed to be bringing people back into
the big circle for closing...

notice, too, that when we're playing both roles, we're having a
surprisingly different and bigger (i think) experience that the
participants... the first time i did this i found that when i spoke in
a group, i did so from that experience, and that almost nobody
understood what i was talking about.  it didn't do any harm, only
reinforced that i wasn't 'with' everybody else in the same way that
they were 'with' each other.  so it goes both ways... the holding role
can be lost, or the participant role not quite found.

resolution, i think, might be to understand that you are already
participating, in a rarefied way, as the convener of this session, as
you make and hold a space for the anything to happen. presumably
you've written the invitation and have already given some shape to
what and who will show up... so then you can sit back and facilitate,
knowing that at the end of the day you can convene another one, can
call people to have followup discussions, can butterfly around and
sample what's happening, have side conversations about what might
happen next.  there's always time to get hands dirty, sign up for next
steps (if there would be any) when the event is over.  in the end,
nobody will forget that you were there just because you didn't post
any topics or sit in a bunch of sessions.

also, no need, and no good way really, to decide now if you will or
won't jump into a discussion.  you'll get some of the
landscape/options from friends here and then i'm sure you'll find your
own best course when it actually is happening.

good luck!  michael






On 12/30/05, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
> Sure it is OK -- but it can be a little difficult, particularly if it is
> your first (or early) time as facilitator. The problem is that when you are
> passionate about a subject there is a natural tendency to jump right in with
> both feet. This is great, but if you are also the facilitator you may just
> forget your primary task -- to Hold Space for all the others. I think if it
> were me, I would find somebody else to facilitate it -- but what the heck,
> just go for it!!
>
> Harrison
>
> NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!!!!
> hhowen at verizon.net
> Harrison Owen
> 7808 River Falls Drive
> Potomac, Maryland   20854
> Phone 301-365-2093
> Skype hhowen
> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
> Personal website www.ho-image.com
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>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Kevin
> Cameron
> Sent: Friday, December 30, 2005 9:14 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: facilitating participant
>
> Hey all.
>
> I'm planning an open space mainly to get myself some experience (it will
> be my first as a leader) but also because it is a topic I am passionate
> about, one I really want to have the opportunity to participate in an
> open space about.
>
> My simple questions:
>
> What about being a participant and a facilitator at the same time?
> What should I watch out for?
> What should  I avoid?
> What should I make sure to do?
> Is it a "no-no"?
>
> If it was a traditional meeting, and I was acting as a traditional
> facilitator, I would not want to compromise my "neutrality" by
> participating in the discussion, thus risking alienating some
> participants, making them feel that it is "biased". But since OST is so
> different, and the facilitator doesn't really have any say over what
> happens and what gets said, is it OK to participate?
>
>
> Just looking for thoughts,
>
> Kevin
> http://www.bastish.net
>
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--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
300 West North Ave #1105
Chicago IL 60610 USA
Phone: 312-280-7838
mherman at globalchicago.net
skype: globalchicago

http://www.michaelherman.com
http://www.globalchicago.net/wiki
http://www.openspaceworld.org

Executive Facilitation ...getting
the most important things done in
the easiest possible ways.

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