advanced butterfly [long]

Wed Aug 23 16:12:50 PDT 2006

Hi, Justin --

You wrote a few things about appreciating environments and processes that
support (or constrict) your sharing thoughts in a group, and you had some
questions about how Open Space (and facilitators in Open Space) work in
different situations.  You mentioned that at the National Coalition for
Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) conference workshops you felt that
constriction -- though not in the Open Space part of the conference.

So I observe that in the Open Space, the process itself plus Matthew Blom's
holding space helped give you a space to share and voice your thoughts.  

You wrote:

Do you all find that to be the case, that the simple fact of convening
spontaneously in Open Space makes a more active facilitator less necessary?
Do you still see circumstances where you'd prefer or recommend a small-group
meeting with a more active facilitator over a larger-group Open Space event?

I venture to say that the Open Space facilitator is very active - just not
in ways similar to many other facilitation processes.  The Open Space
facilitator is totally present and holding space. And when/if conflict
arises, the OS facilitator is sort of a 'conscious non-interventionist',
giving breath and belief and trust to the people and the process.  Because
when the participants host, invite and convene their groups, they all become
co-facilitators, as it were, of their own and the group's experience.

You also wrote:

What happens in the presence of dominance relationships, such as a boss in a
work setting? 

You mentioned the CEO's 'design sessions' where when folks got engaged in
real issues and opportunities for improving the work of the company she got
furious.  You continued:

.What I'm wondering is, if we were to hold an Open Space in such a

situation, would the facilitator perform any kind of intervention

with such a person?

Well, Open Space is a tool, and you want to use the right tool for the right
job.  So we'd have to see what is the intention -- redesigning what works
for the company? Giving this CEO a place to share her ideas? We'd have to
analyze the need, first, then see if the time we have to spend on the
meeting, the hoped-for outcomes, and such could be delivered with Open Space
as the tool.  Otherwise, we could select a different tool.

So that's about the task and the tool.  And part of the pre-work with
clients (take, for example, this CEO) is frank talk about what this tool can
and cannot deliver, and about what can happen in Open Space.  If the
client/host is not comfortable with what might happen, this may also be the
wrong tool for this particular situation.  Just because OS is delicious does
not mean that it is right for all situations and all needs.

Now what about the power dynamics?

You recalled a story I told (I held a session in Open Space at the NCDD
Conference entitled "Stories from Open Space" where a group of us shared
stories of OS.  I was sharing a story of an OS I did - and in the pre-work
and planning stage I had had a frank talk with one of the clients about what
might happen if there would be conflict.  I told these clients (as I tell
all clients) that if conflict happens, please do not intervene, but come to
me.  And when you come to me, I may not intervene, either.  Because if we
tell participants that they are responsible for their own experience, that
they can engage or walk away to take good care of themselves - and then we
pull that respect away by intervening (by being their 'mom or dad' and
thinking we have to solve it for them'), we will not only lose their respect
but we may be removing the only opportunity they may have for experiencing
that conflict - without violence - indeed, passion -- can happen.and they
can make it through to the other side.  To take this away from them is
disrespecting them and not trusting the people, or the process.

When a situation of conflict arose in that OS meeting this particular client
ran to me and said "Save Joe! Save Joe! They are all ganging up on Joe!".
And I said, "You know, I would like to save Joe, too - but Joe has the same
guidelines as everyone else in this meeting - he knows he can use the Law of
Two Feet if he needs to - so there must be a reason he is staying in that
heated conversation.  I just have to trust Joe."  And she said (beat, beat,
beat) - "OK!" And she ran out of the room.  Because she knew if she stayed
there she would intervene.  And she really 'got it' that we had to give this
trust and respect to Joe.  

I was very proud of her.  And Joe did just fine.

Are there circumstances where you would refrain from facilitating an Open
Space at all? would you have some one-on-one sessions with the boss ahead of
time to help her understand what's going to happen? 

This is what we (the client and I) discuss in the pre-work and planning
stage.  In very frank terms.  And if I have any sense that the client cannot
be comfortable or might feel they might want to control the people, or the
outcome, I recommend that OS is NOT the method and we can use another
approach.  

And what about when you do all your pre-work, think you've gotten an
agreement and understanding with the client, chosen together the right tool
for the right job.and still someone with power comes in to try to control
things or shut them down?

Sometimes we see this as a 'Space Invader' - but sometimes we see this as a
gift to the group.  

As my own message here has grown quite lengthy, I invite you to poke around
on the OSLIST archives (call up key words such as "Space Invader", for
example); and others may wish to share their stories of both when they have
intervened (very, very rarely, I suspect, especially if they experienced
their intervention making the whole OS go flat) and conversely, when they
have trusted the people and the process - even the person they felt
initially was a 'Space Invader'.who may have been a gift in disguise.

Thanks for all your good questions, Justin - keep 'em coming.

Lisa

___________________________

L i s a   H e f t

Consultant, Facilitator, Educator

O p e n i n g  S p a c e

lisaheft at openingspace.net

www.openingspace.net 

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