Open Space for small groups

[Zelle Nelson]

Hi Justin,

I would echo the thoughts on small groups - it works. One thing I've  
done with small groups as a participant and part time space holder is  
to move locations with different topics. Sometimes getting up and  
moving to a different part of the room or even a different room can  
change the flow of the conversation.

In another small OS (12 people) that I held space for - at one point  
early after the opening I needed to physically leave the room in  
order to continue to hold space by getting out of the way as they  
wanted me to facilitate a disagreement. I simply reminded them that  
now that the os had begun it was their responsibility to work out  
whatever needed to be worked out, and then I walked out. It was  
exactly what they needed.

For ideas about how to practice democracy congruent with the flow of  
open space see The Tao of Democracy by Tom Atlee - an incredible  
resource.

with grace and love,

Zelle

Zelle Nelson
Know Place Like Home/Engaging the Soul at Work/State of Grace Document

www.knowplacelikehome.com
www.engagingthesoulatwork.com
www.stateofgracedocument.com

zelle at knowplacelikehome.com

work/home: (001) 828.693.0802
mobile: (001) 847.951.7030

Isle of Skye
2021 Greenville Hwy
Flat Rock, NC 28731
USA






On Aug 16, 2006, at 1:40 AM, Justin T. Sampson wrote:

> Thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments!
>
> I'm hearing two major points --
>
> 1. A small group may be more likely to stay together instead of
> splitting into separate parallel sessions, but the structure of
> the Open Space is the same as for a larger group, with the same
> opportunity/"permission" to split as appropriate. I was
> wondering/worrying about this, whether splitting would be awkward;
> but of course during every meeting there are several side
> conversations anyway! Occasionally the people around the table
> will divide evenly in half with some diving deeper into an issue
> while others continue with the business of the meeting, or two or
> three people at the end of the table will talk amongst themselves
> about something else entirely. As chair of the meeting I often
> want to follow that energy, and also to make sure no one gets left
> out of something they could contribute to, but also not dragged
> along in something they're not interested in; and I haven't been
> sure how to accomplish that.
>
> 2. The biggest challenge is holding space while being an active
> member of the organization myself. I definitely see my most
> important role for the group being the creating and holding of
> space, and I tend not to be the one championing any of our
> particular projects anyway, so I hope this will be a natural, but
> still challenging and learning-inducing, fit for me. I like the
> reminder of hats -- the sitting/standing method may be just right
> in this case.
>
> Another issue for this group is making decisions on behalf of the
> organization, which is a local political party (a county central
> committee, for those who know anything about USA party politics),
> and requires a proper vote for something like endorsement of a
> candidate. So I'm also looking forward to learning how to keep the
> space open while meeting our formal obligations as a party.
>
> I'll go ahead and ask the group for their indulgence in giving
> Open Space a shot at an upcoming meeting and see how it goes!
>
> Cheers,
> Justin
>
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