learning report - OS for 60 teachers in Northern BC Canada (longish)

Tue Sep 6 11:31:35 PDT 2005

Dear Wendy--thank you for your big, courageous, willling heart.  thank you
for sharing all this with me.  I learn so much from you and all who share
here.  I will keep you all posted as I begin to use Open Space more here on
Bowen Island (Chris...I thank God you are here, even if you're away opening
space in some other place, your presence here on Bowen has already opened so
much possibility, so much spaciousness...)  And Wendy, I loved your musings
on the role (roll) tape has in our lives as open space faciilitators!
love
Kathryn
(sunny Bowen Island)

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Wendy
Farmer-O'Neil
Sent: Monday, September 05, 2005 11:44 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: learning report - OS for 60 teachers in Northern BC Canada
(longish)

Hello dear Open Spacers,

What follows is my learning report for my most recent Open Space.  The
reports will eventually be available on my website for searching when I get
the time to get the @#$#!@# thing (that’s ‘blessed thing’ for those of you
who don’t speak wingding
;-) ) fixed up
.until then here it is in full

School District 57- Prince George – Centre for Learning Alternatives

Open Space – September 2, 2005

Theme:  Student Success:  The Power of Working Together

Design Parameters:  Short notice (2 days); one day OS (9:00-4:00); action
planning; 60 participants, no helpers, mandatory attendance.

How the day ran:

Sponsor contacted me via email one week before the event was scheduled.
Previous speaker had cancelled as second day of two day professional
development conference—sponsor saw this as an opportunity to introduce OS to
the school community.  Was able to confirm with sponsor two days before
event and had initial planning conversation of about 30 minutes.  Sponsor
really wanted to get some action planning in and the day had to be short
(4:00 pm finish).  Not a lot of time to work with the sponsor to create an
alternative, so trusted in OS form and created a design for three breakout
session times, a reconvene and reopen to non-convergent action planning,
lightening reports and one-liner closing circle.  Flew in and had a 1 hour
working session with the sponsor the night before. 

Started at 9:10, by 10:10, the participants had posted 20 topics.  Session
times were 10:15-11:30. 11:30 -12:45, lunch break from 12:45-1:15,
1:15-2:30.  By 2:30 we had both a newswall with 30 pages of report posted
and a gallery of beautiful posters of conversation highlights.  (I decided
to go with both, as we had little time for people to read and the two
stations provided space for everyone to get a chance to see what was going
on.)  Rang bells at 2:30 to reconvene and shift to action planning.  Asked
people to take 10 minutes quiet reflection time to look for themes,
connections or actions that had heart and meaning for them and that they
were willing to champion.  Back in circle, they posted eight action topics.
Had conversations for ½ hour.  Back in circle, had lightening report-in with
topic, immediate action, and how to connect if you wanted to help out—ONLY!
For closing circle, asked them to think of one word, one phrase, or one
sentence to express what they had learned about Student Success, working
together, or an AHA moment.  We were done by 3:55.  Whew!

Learnings:

Yes, you can do it.

It is harder without helpers.  I spent a lot of time helping get reports to
print and saved onto my flash drive.  It would have been nice to be able to
focus just on holding the space.  (Not whining—just wishing ;)—and driving
the point into my memory to stress the importance of technical helpers
more.) 

The whole action planning thing has me thinking.  By the end of the third
session, the energy is deep and slow—ready for a shift to
reflection/introspection.  The shift to action planning felt jarring—and was
a bit confusing for some people.  But the grounding effect it had felt
really important.  It has me wondering about using the closing round of a
one-day as a grounding tool.  I am wondering if a closing round question can
generate the same grounding effect?  There is something really special about
people walking away from a day in open space knowing they are personally
responsible for carrying out into the world something precious that was born
in the open space.  I could see it in their faces and hear it in their
voices--tremendous excitement about what they had achieved.  So while I know
it is a stretch to get action planning into a one day, and work hard to help
sponsors stretch to that extra half day
for the times when that just isn’t
possible, I am beginning to believe that I need to continue to work at a
form that will support the grounding effect of action planning for one day
events.  Something that is both graceful and respectful of where
participants are at after a day of meaningful conversation.  

I was prepared for some negative reactions, as attendance was mandatory.
Two participants came up to speak with me about their discomfort in the
opening circle.  One was shaken up by the process
she felt something was
being done to her
that she was a guinea pig
she needed pull back from what
was happening and write to herself about her reaction.  The other was just
plain uncomfortable, from the moment she walked in.  She had to push her
chair back and get space and distance—she found the mike overpowering
the
space uncomfortable.  I appreciated their honesty and we had an interesting
conversation.  Upon initial reflection, I feel that the fact that they were
both able to take care of themselves in the moment and that they chose to
stay, even though both considered leaving
meant that the space was open
enough to include them
as they were and as they needed to be.  I think that
the reactions were strong as (although they were both adamant that they had
chosen to come) they had not really chosen freely to participate in open
space—there is a difference between feeling experimented with and choosing
to participate in an experiment—that I believe stems from the mandatory
attendance requirement.  They both said that they enjoyed the rest of the
day and found it productive and meaningful.  

Never take this amazing thing called Open Space for granted.  Just as those
of us who are blessed to live in incredibly beautiful and safe places
sometimes have to remind ourselves of how blessed we are and work a bit
harder to feel again the wonder of where and how we live, I was reminded
again of how rare and precious Open Space is.  For this person here, Open
Space just makes sense
it’s of course
it’s obvious.  But to the majority of
folks it’s magic, wondrous, the best thing they’ve ever encountered,
wow!
There still aren’t many places out there in the big world where we can
step forward into what has heart and meaning for us and be met with the
freedom to act on it.  It is truly a privilege, a blessing and a joy to open
space.  

How do you walk a circle with a wired mike? Is there some kind of trick? I
hope that someone will consider offering a workshop at OSonOS for those of
us less talented/experienced and not used to dragging a tail
.

Cheers all,

Wendy

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