How do you respond to unsatisfying experiences of "open" space?

[Karen Sella]

Christy wrote: "What, if anything, do you say/do/think when someone says
to you, "oh, I've been to an Open Space Technology meeting before, and I
didn't like it, and wouldn't want to do it again," 

and upon gentle inquiry you discover that what they were told was "Open
Space" was not really so very open? And/or that something was missing
(for example, session summaries weren't posted or shared or compiled in
a timely way, or at all)? 

And especially when the spaces in question were held by really wonderful
people (definitely possessing "good heads and good hearts") whom you
like very much?"


Hmmmmmm. I imagine that I would respond with a statement such as "sorry
to hear that your experience was x, especially since I am such a fan of
OS and have had mostly positive experiences attending and convening OS
events..." followed by more inquiry and conversation, depending on my
interest and the other person's interest in engaging the topic.  As I
read your email, I found myself asking a lot of questions like:
 
What specifically did this participant observe-what specifically did
(s)he actually see others say/not say or do/not do (e.g. the convener
wrinkled his or her brows,  interrupted people two or three times, and
left the room for two hours.)-that led him or her to his or her
interpretations of the event (e.g. the convener is grumpy, controlling,
and shockingly remiss in attending to the event [grin])?  
 
What are five other interpretations of the same behaviors (e.g.
wrinkling the brows could be interpreted as the convener is grumpy or
having trouble seeing or has a headache or about to sneeze or
concentrating really hard, etc.; interrupting could be interpreted as
the convener is controlling or attempted to open more space for others
by interrupting a few folks who liked the sound of their own voices a
little too much, or didn't realize that the other person was still
talking, or has a different communication style, etc.; leaving the
room.well, we all know at least one other way that this could be
interpreted [grin].)?  
 
How did this participant contribute to his or her experience of the
event?  What did this participant learn about her/himself?  How did
others experience the event?  How did the convener experience the event?
What was the rationale for various decisions to do or not do x (e.g.
omit summaries) and how were the decisions to do or not do x made?  
 
This perhaps followed by more inquiry and more conversation as
inspired.and hopefully, more understanding.
 
Warm regards,
Karen
 
------------------------------------------
 

Karen Sella
Managing Partner
www.luminacoaching.com
206.780.2998
 
lumina fr. L., light, air, opening
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Christy Lee-Engel
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2006 8:30 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: How do you respond to unsatisfying experiences of "open" space?
 
Hello dear open space friends,

What, if anything, do you say/do/think when someone says to you, "oh,
I've been to an Open Space Technology meeting before, and I didn't like
it, and wouldn't want to do it again," 

and upon gentle inquiry you discover that what they were told was "Open
Space" was not really so very open? And/or that something was missing
(for example, session summaries weren't posted or shared or compiled in
a timely way, or at all)? 

And especially when the spaces in question were held by really wonderful
people (definitely possessing "good heads and good hearts") whom you
like very much?

thank you,
Christy Lee-Engel
Seattle 
-- 
weblog: http://lifecultivatinglife.blogspot.com * *
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist 

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20060128/35030711/attachment-0016.htm>