Fwd: [OSLIST]: World Cafe meets Open Space

[Peggy Holman]

Welcome Juanita!!   Thanks for your clear and lovely voice.

from an unusually cold, overcast Seattle,
Peggy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Juanita Brown" <juanita at theworldcafe.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2005 9:40 PM
Subject: [OSLIST] Fwd: [OSLIST]: World Cafe meets Open Space


> Sorry...I forgot to put a subject line and it came back to me...here it is
> again.
>>
>> Hi everyone...
>>
>> I've been "listening" to the conversation intently as it has unfolded,
>> both the earlier conversation on the Open Space Listserv which several
>> European folks referred us to, as well as to the most recent sequence
>> following the wonderful Evolutionary Salon that Peggy and I (and others)
>> helped to host.  I'm hopeful, Harrison, that you have by now received the
>> gift copy of our recent book (also published by Berrett Koehler!)  which
>> helps to frame the living systems underpinnings of the World Cafe and
>> honors the incredible contribution that Open Space has made over the last
>> two decades. I offer these reflections in the spirit of learning with and
>> from others on this listserv about the unique individual and combined
>> contributions of the World Cafe and Open Space.
>>
>> I think, as do many of our other colleagues who use a variety of
>> conversational and collaborative learning approaches, that the World Cafe
>> and Open Space are extremely compatible.  I completely understand
>> Harrison's concerns with "structure" and "control"--wanting to offer
>> participants the full freedom to self-organize from the get go.  At the
>> same time, even self-organization requires "initiatiing conditions" to be
>> successful, which, as I have seen with Open Space over the years, are
>> extremely carefully set and followed throughout an Open Space gathering.
>> Peggy Holman beautifully exercised these during the Evolutionary Salon,
>> creating both the physical spaces, the expectations, the sign-ups, the
>> clarity of the "laws/principles," and the discipline of the reporting
>> processes (both written in terms of the report back sheets and oral in
>> the reflection circles).
>>
>> Each of these processes, as well as others which have been discussed on
>> the list, have their strengths and limitations, depending on their
>> purpose.  The World Cafe is especially useful when:
>>
>> 1) you have a limited amount of time (ie as little as 1 1/2 to 2 hours)
>> 2) a lot of people (we've worked with 1200)
>> 3) questions that matter to the people gathered, that they either they
>> frame themselves or that a representative sub-group has helped to shape
>> (at least initially)
>> 4)  the intention to build community, strengthen relationships and engage
>> everyone's unique contribution and voice using both verbal and visual
>> modalities (even the timid or less verbal ones).
>> 5) you want to access collective intelligence based on discovering
>> patterns of meaning in emergent, unexpected ways that come from the
>> intentional rapid cross-pollination of diverse perspectives and ideas.
>>
>> While World Cafe and Open Space share many, although not all, of these
>> intentions in common, the design of the World Cafe creates what we'd call
>> a "conversational greenhouse" focused on the  extremely rapid propagation
>> of actionable knowledge (we consider inquiry as integral to actionable
>> knowledge ).  The World Cafe design intentionally fosters people's rapid
>> capacity to see patterns and  "sense the whole" rather than be focused
>> primarily on the part of the whole that their personal passion initially
>> leads them to.    Once people have this awareness, they begin so see how
>> their own passion (taking responsibility for what you love) might connect
>> to the larger whole in a very embodied way. We find that the World Cafe
>> intentionally creates an  "inquiring system"  through the disciplined use
>> of questions (not topics or issues) as well as creatively
>> cross-pollinating ideas in varied ways that enable people to feel,
>> literally, the "whole system thinking together" in a very short period of
>> time.
>>
>> We find that World Cafe helps to ease the "freedom shock" that Harrison
>> and others describe, while still giving the space for emergence and
>> surprise.  I have to admit that perhaps my "nurturing side" welcomes the
>> opportunity to support people in feeling comfortable in the early phases
>> of a gathering, which is why we create the Cafe ambiance when that is
>> possible and appropriate.   We find that the combination of focus
>> (carefully setting the context, the disciplined use of questions and  the
>> intentional patterns of cross-pollination) create a different (not
>> better, just different) type of collaborative learning that many people
>> seem to find useful as they enter this world of emergence--and even more
>> useful when combined with complimentary approaches like Open Space and an
>> appreciative stance.
>>
>> Our goal in Cafe conversations is for people to experience themselves
>> being an integral part of a living web/network of relational thinking and
>> of experiencing conversation itself as a co-evolutionary force for
>> accessing co-intelligence on behalf of life affirming futures and the
>> conscious evolution of social systems.  So, perhaps the key learning
>> goals of World Cafe and Open Space are somewhat different....but still
>> complimentary in my humble opinion.
>>
>> I'd love to learn about others experiences when they've designed meetings
>> or gatherings in which both Open Space and the World Cafe were
>> effectively engaged together to create generative outcomes.
>>
>> I've responded to Alan's questions below in caps...and welcome our
>> exploring  these questions together among colleagues who are using both
>> approaches and want to learn with and from each other.
>>
>> Fondly,
>> Juanita
>>
>>
>> On May 31, 2005, at 5:08 PM, Alan Stewart wrote:
>>
>>> G'day Peggy and All
>>>
>>> It's wonderful indeed to have the comprehensive account of your
>>> observations and experience to complement Tom's enthralling report.
>>> Maybe Juanita would wish to add her's too ...
>>>
>>> Several queries for you Peggy:
>>>
>>> . At what stage were the OS principles and law introduced to the
>>> participants? Was this at the first evening circle or at the Open Space
>>> the following afternoon?   AT THE OPEN SPACE THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON
>>>
>>> . Did you have any sense that issues/questions posted in Open Space were
>>> related to those which emerged in the opening Cafe session? I THINK THE
>>> WORLD CAFE SET A BROAD "FRAME" FOR THE INQUIRY IN A MUTUALLY
>>> COMPASSIONATE WAY WHICH HONORED ALL OF THE DISCIPLINES AND PERSPECTIVES
>>> BEING BROUGHT INTO THE ROOM--WHICH THEN ENABLED WHAT WE CALL THE "MAGIC"
>>> TO BEGIN RIGHT FROM THE START AND "HOLD" THROUGHOUT THE THREE DAYS.
>>> SINCE WE DID IT THE WAY WE DID, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT WOULD OR WOULD
>>> NOT HAVE HAPPENED AS EASILY IN A SOLEY OPEN SPACE FORMAT.
>>>  . You mentioned that you got to participate in the Cafe. I wonder if
>>> Juanita did likewise in the Open Space?  (I CERTAINLY DID AND LOVED IT!)
>>>  . I wonder too if what you interpreted as 'freedom shock' was related
>>> to the fact that participants did not know each other, whether or not
>>> they came from different backgrounds.  I ACTUALLY DIDN'T EXPERIENCE THE
>>> PARTICIPANTS AS HAVING THE INTENSITY OF FREEDOM SHOCK I'VE EXPERIENCED
>>> IN OTHER SETTINGS WHERE A NEW AND DIVERSE GROUP SIMPLY JUMPED INTO AN
>>> OPEN SPACE EXPEERIENCE-USUALLY THE MORE LOUD OR OUTGOING FOLKS ARE THE
>>> ONES WHO JUMP OUT FIRST IN OPEN SPACE--BUT WHEN WE'VE COMBINED WORLD
>>> CAFE WITH OPEN SPACE THERE SEEMS TO BE A MORE EVEN DISTRIBUTION IN THIS
>>> REGARD WHICH HAPPENS QUITE NATURALLY--AND MAY (I'M NOT SURE) TAKE A
>>> SOMEWHAT LONGER TIME (FOR THE LESS TALKATIVE/OUTGOING FOLKS WHO ARE
>>> RETICENT IN LARGE GROUPS--PARTICULARLY IN OTHER CULTURES)  IN OTHER OPEN
>>> SPACE SETTINGS WHERE THE COMBINATION IS NOT USED.
>>
>>>  I ask this because I have used the two processes in combination - in
>>> the same order - with people from very diverse backgrounds and who had
>>> encountered each other previously (they were members of a leadership
>>> program). They did not manifest this kind of distress, at least in my
>>> observation. Mind you some of them were quite taken aback initially by
>>> the very notion of turning to face each other rather than their
>>> accustomed experience of someone speaking to them!
>>>  With love
>>>
>>> Alan
>>>  Hong Kong
>>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>>  From: Peggy Holman
>>> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>> Sent: Monday, May 30, 2005 2:04 PM
>>> Subject: The World Cafe meets Open Space
>>>
>>> You've seen Tom Atlee's description of the recent "Evolutionary Salon".
>>> Here are my reflections, mostly on the partnership between TWC and OS.
>>>
>>>
>>> We began our first evening in a circle with a check in, people speaking
>>> to what attracted them to the Evolutionary Salon. We described the
>>> process that we'd be using for the conference as a living experiment in
>>> being an evolutionary social system. This let us use our real time
>>> experience as a mirror for our learning.
>>>
>>> The next morning, Juanita Brown took us into a World Cafe. I got to
>>> participate. We focused on a question about our burning questions. I
>>> think I had the honor of experiencing TWC at its very best. Juanita is a
>>> master of her craft. When reflections were harvested at the end of the
>>> session, people said they were touched by the experience, discovering
>>> the feeling of connection to each other, the synergy among their burning
>>> questions. They expressed excitement at the sense of intimacy and
>>> kinship they felt. I have to admit that as a participant, I felt as I
>>> did the last time I experienced TWC: constrained by the expectation of
>>> staying at the table. It was quite a contrast for me to hear the
>>> excitement of others in the room! We began the Open Space in the
>>> afternoon. Of course, people jumped in with their sessions. They seemed
>>> to be doing just fine. Come the closing circle, several people expressed
>>> distress at their experience. One went so far as to ask if we could go
>>> back to the comfort and intimacy of a cafe-like format. I thought to
>>> myself, "freedom shock" is alive and well. The mix of people at the
>>> conference included scientists and people of spirit. It seems there was
>>> something of a clash of cultures going on in many of the sessions. I
>>> just listened -- no defending, no fixing.
>>>
>>> As is my practice in multiple day events (learned from Spirited Work),
>>> the convening group met to reflect on how things were going after the
>>> evening circle. The meeting was open to any who wished to join us. A few
>>> people did. One wondered if we needed to do something to "push the
>>> group" in the direction we wished them to go (as if we knew what
>>> direction that was!). We discussed the fact that the discomfort people
>>> experienced wasn't necessarily a bad thing, that it provided an
>>> opportunity for something new to emerge. I encouraged my nervous
>>> sponsors to trust that things were going just fine.
>>>
>>> That evening I found myself in a butterfly conversation with a couple of
>>> people distressed by the "yang" energy they ran into, feeling unsafe to
>>> express their "yin" selves. We talked at length about what it means to
>>> take responsibility for what you love. They left the conversation
>>> thinking about how to come fully present tomorrow in all their "yin"
>>> glory. The next morning, someone announced 3 new "yin" meeting spaces.
>>> There was much laughter as people bantered about yin-ness and yang-ness
>>> and its intersection. Turns out there had been LOTS of butterfly
>>> conversations and those who had felt distressed, found their way,
>>> dissipating the angst before it became a real issue. In fact, from that
>>> point forward, the OS just flowed.
>>>
>>>
>>> A reflection on how TWC affected the dynamic.
>>>  It was clear that people had a felt sense of community very quickly
>>> through TWC. I think that the move into OS created that condition that
>>> Harrison calls "freedom shock". It's possible that the contrast
>>> heightened the shock. That said, I believe the sense of connection
>>> created during TWC enabled those who were distressed to seek out the
>>> friends they had made rather than completely check out (of course, being
>>> in a remote location would have made it difficult to leave!). I wonder
>>> if that is a benefit of a cafe prior to OS -- to create relationships
>>> that might support people to stay engaged if they have a tendency
>>> towards freedom shock?
>>>
>>>
>>> THE TWC MEETS OS EXPERIMENT
>>> The OS continued as usual over the next couple days. During our
>>> preparation for the conference, the planning team (Tom Atlee, Michael
>>> Dowd and myself) discussed the possibility of convening evening sessions
>>> on "what are we learning?" On the third evening, Tom and I decided that
>>> it would be useful to do so and that we'd do it using "TWC meets the law
>>> of two feet".
>>>
>>> Our session question: what patterns do you see emerging? About 12 people
>>> came. We started in groups of 4 with an agreement that we'd come
>>> together as a whole to see what we'd uncovered in about an hour. In the
>>> meantime, people were invited to stay or move as they wished. As
>>> context, I said that we knew from the cafe experience that patterns
>>> become visible quickly when people move around periodically, so moving
>>> is useful. At Juanita's suggestion, we had blank cards in the clusters
>>> so that groups could send an idea to another group if they wanted. They
>>> could also send an emissary. That was it. Basically, it was OS with
>>> groups of four discussing the session topic. What happened was a kick.
>>> Two groups were quite intent in their conversations, clearly not moving,
>>> just going deeper and deeper. The third group eventually dissipated, a
>>> couple people going to sleep, the others joining the two hot groups. And
>>> then others started arriving. They just opted for one or the other of
>>> the groups. The conversations were animated and intense. At one point,
>>> the group I was in sent a card with an idea to the other group. In all,
>>> I think about 20 people were there by the end of the evening.
>>>
>>> After about an hour, we came together as one. First one group described
>>> what they'd learned, then the other group did the same. The second group
>>> mentioned that they used the idea they'd received on the card. The
>>> remains of the original third group added their thoughts into the mix.
>>> Llyn Peabody, new to graphic recording, but clearly in her element, took
>>> notes, drawing an incredible visual map of the weave of our stories. The
>>> result was electrifying and became the basis for some breakthrough ideas
>>> the last day!
>>>
>>> One side note -- someone said during the session that they often looked
>>> for what was missing to understand a situation. I pointed out that the
>>> yin/yang laughter in the morning signaled something rather remarkable
>>> that was missing from our living experiment of an evolving social
>>> system: angst. Rather than fragmenting into conflict, people had
>>> transcended it. That drew a raised eyebrow or two as people digested how
>>> the space had made room for conflict to be embraced with grace.
>>>
>>>
>>> A reflection on the TWC meets OS experiment
>>> Next time I'm a participant in an OS and have a large group, I'd likely
>>> split up again in this way. It was a great way to reflect on our
>>> question when the group was large.
>>>
>>>
>>> THOUGHTS FOR THE FUTURE
>>> Juanita and I talked the next morning about our impressions of the
>>> intersection of TWC and OS. We discussed several strengths of TWC --
>>> creating a sense of community and uncovering patterns quickly. Given my
>>> own biases, I wouldn't use TWC as an opener unless the client had some
>>> specific situation that moved things that way. I can imagine
>>> experimenting with doing an evening reflection with people beginning in
>>> small groups. I can see this as a natural flow of the energy as people
>>> wander in, talking together before coming into a single circle. I think
>>> this could be a low key transition that actually makes it easier to
>>> convene the evening circle. By following the energy of people arriving
>>> for the close, inviting them into reflection as they arrive rather than
>>> waiting for everyone before beginning, I think something simple and
>>> useful could occur. Juanita suggested explicitly encouraging people post
>>> their sessions in the form of questions. It made me smile when Harrison
>>> recently posted:
>>>  I think of every Open Space gathering as a (potentially) question rich
>>> environment. That is why I always suggest to people that they phrase the
>>> theme as a question, as opposed to a statement.
>>>
>>> Questions are certainly a place of coming together.
>>>
>>> So, that's about all of my musings on this subject.
>>>
>>> yours, on a warm evening in Seattle,
>>> Peggy
>>>
>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________
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>> Living Knowledge Through Conversations That Matter
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