Warm Ups, Kick Starting Slow Starters

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

Brendan--

More often than not, the leader who opens the space does a good job of 
clarifying the question in their opening remarks.   But I did encounter this issue 
when I worked with two organizations, one that provides support to foster 
children and foster parents, and one that works with adoptions.   They were 
concerned about the difficulties faced by children who have been in foster homes when 
they reach the legal age (18) and are no longer eligible for foster care.   
They convened an Open Space on this subject, and invited the public to join 
them.

Participants included staff members from both organizations and from state 
social service agencies who work with these issues every day, and also 
individuals who work in related fields, teachers, foster parents, and others who were 
interested but not experienced in this area.

Unfortunately, the director of only one organization was involved in the 
planning--the other group sent a very capable woman to represent them on the 
design team.   I asked both directors to speak in the opening.   The night before 
the meeting, the director I had been working with called to say that the other 
director wanted us to provide her with an overhead projector and screen for 
her remarks.   We recognized that there were some facts which might be needed, 
and decided to ask her to put them in a handout, and to speak informally in the 
circle.

When the meeting opened in the morning, the director stood in the circle and 
read her handouts--every word, all the statistics.   Not an inspiring start.   
The second director, who had recently adopted two young children, stepped 
into the center and told a short and very moving story about her children which 
illustrated how easily foster children, who often are moved from home to home, 
can have gaps in their education.

A friend of mine is fond of saying that "Open Space is very resilient," and 
that proved true that day.   After a rather long opening, groups quickly got to 
work.   The outcomes of the day's discussions included several proposals for 
new programs to meet the needs of children "graduating" out of foster care, 
and a number of volunteers to help make them happen.   Two significant new 
programs became reality, and several issues from the discussion became part of the 
groups' lobbying efforts.

Another approach to providing needed information was offered by another 
client.   Her meeting involved a move to a new building, and her staff brought 
architectural drawings, floor plans and models to help people envision the space 
they would be working with.   She also offered, in her opening remarks, that if 
any breakout group had questions and needed information, they could come and 
get her, or any member of the Transition Team, to come and join their 
discussion.   Personally, I think I like this approach better, but both ways worked 
out well in terms of results.

My personal bias is to move into Open Space as quickly as possible, and to 
make sure, in the invitation phase, that the question is well thought out and 
that relevant resource people are invited.   I'm interested to hear how other 
have handled this issue.

Joelle


  

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