facilitation questions

[Harrison Owen]

The problem with the "demonstration" OS had nothing to do with fear,
hostility, or anything like that. Actually if both fear and hostility had
been present, thing might have been more fun. As it was, the real issue was
total, unabated, lack of anything meaningful to talk about. As I said, there
was no passion, no responsibility, and nobody cared. The only thing I know
to do in a situation like that is not to get into it in the first place.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Steve
Gawron
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 11:23 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: facilitation questions

Hello All,

Has anyone pursued the Six Sigma "Voice of the Customer" concepts into an
Open Space facilitation?  It seems that if the topics introduced into an
open space discussion do not concern the participants, they will not
respond.  There is also a 'fear factor' in this equation.  If the
participants include members of adversarial groups, they may be unwilling to
"Open" the discussion.  Perhaps a brainstorming session might surface common
ground where a discussion might occur in the situation Harrison describes
here..

Steve Gawron

----- Original Message -----
From: "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2005 7:22 AM
Subject: Re: facilitation questions


> Ah -- A little bit of Open Space! I have tried what you are suggesting
> several times (concurrent Open and closed space) and it never seemed to
work
> very well. But I have to admit, that is a personal judgment based on what
I
> knew could have happened had it all been in Open Space. I also have to
admit
> that some of the folks in the "Open Space Track" were delighted. The basic
> problem was that the majority of people loved the sound of Open Space, but
> given a choice in the moment opted for sitting in rows being talked at. I
> think I understand that reaction, but at the end of the day, I really felt
> uncomfortable. Part of my discomfort came from overhearing several
> conversations from folks who had not opted for Open Space -- who said
> something like -- that Open Space seems pretty useless. Now of course they
> just had "seen it," and not really been a part. But the reaction had been
> formed. It was not unlike several other situations where I had been asked
to
> "demonstrate Open Space." I tried -- (sit in circle, create bulletin
> board...) and when I finished they were all just sitting there looking at
me
> until somebody said "Is that all there is?" Right! No passion, no
> responsibility, not much at all.
>
> Personally, I just won't do that sort of thing again. But there are some
> alternatives. Some friends have done Open Spaces in the evenings around
> really hot issues and those who cared to come seemed to get a lot out of
the
> experience. Another -- if this is a multi-day conference -- Do the last
day
> in Open Space (for everybody) as a way of synthesizing the experience and
> building the common knowledge base. That does work.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Harrison
>
> Harrison Owen
> 7808 River Falls Drive
> Potomac, Maryland   20845
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
> Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Sue
Scott
> Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 8:18 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: facilitation questions
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I seek your wisdom and experience. I am a volunteer in an international
> volunteer organization that is beginning to experiment with open space. In
> my local area, we are planning a conference that will being together our
> volunteers, professionals, other volunteers, and the people we serve. We
> generally have a pretty traditional conference, i.e., presentations,
> lectures, continuing education credits, registration for time slots in
> advance. I had hoped and asked for completely open space for this
conference
> and it appears that we are not ready for that yet. However, the interest
to
> learn more is there.  Now some of us have the idea that we could offer
open
> space at the same time as the rest of the conference. The conference
> organizers are fine with this idea. It would be in the same building. We
> would like to give people the option to attend the whole regular
conference
> as is, move in and out of the conference, or spend all the time in open
> space. We would have a convening question, marketplace, space to post the
> sessions and space to hold sessions, etc.
>
> My questions: Have any of you been part of this sort of thing? If so, any
> advice on how to explain to people on the reg form? How would we open
space?
> To the whole conference? Just to those who showed up in the OS room for
> opening? How does it work if some people do not attend opening and then
> attend the posted OS sessions? I know I have more questions inside but
just
> am too inexperienced to know how to ask.
>
> Also, if I am part of this organization, I guess you call it a
stakeholder,
> is it wise for *me* to be the facilitator? I am fine with not
participating
> in any sessions that might ensue, if that is what is needed.
>
> Many thanks for your assistance,
>
> Sue Scott in Oregon USA
>
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