"Process Expert"

[Elwin and Joan]

Doug,

You where right about my experience being mostly with "existing"
organizations. But I do not think your example of a "different" group
of stakeholders i.e., community people, is any different. They too
are an organization that exists if only for the Open Space.

Same rule applies here. I stay out of sessions and focus on the
coffee cups and Butterflies!

Elwin


--- Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

> Doug wrote: "Reading between the lines of your response,
> Elwin/Chris, you
> seem to do OS for existing organizations who are asking you, as the
> process
> expert, to come in and make it easier ("facilitate") for them to
> come to
> terms with some issue or opportunity confronting them. Is this
> anywhere near
> accurate?"
> 
>  
> 
> Doug I think I understand why you use the phrase, "process expert,"
> and I
> also feel a degree of caution, perhaps discomfort with the notion.
> Speaking
> personally I would admit to some degree of learning and expertise
> after
> opening multiple spaces in odd places. At the same time, I must
> affirm that
> each time I am afforded the privilege of opening some space for a
> group of
> people to do whatever it is they need to do - it comes as the
> "first time."
> Never before have I been in that time and that space with those
> people. I
> come as a newcomer and need to remember that status. My experience
> (expertise) can be helpful, but equally it can very much get in the
> way. If
> I only see what I expect to see (that which my experience/expertise
> tells me
> I should see) there is a very high probability that I will totally
> miss what
> is actually going on.
> 
>  
> 
> I also think it is important to remember that what I "do" in that
> space can
> be done very effectively by ANY person with a good head and a good
> heart. As
> we have all learned, Opening Space is not rocket science. After
> all, how
> difficult can it be to sit in a circle, create a bulletin board,
> open a
> market place and get out of the way? If this is the work of a
> "process
> expert" then I guess we are all equally endowed - which renders the
> phrase,
> "process expert" rather curious at best. 
> 
>  
> 
> This is not a matter of ideology or philosophy - but rather
> experience. Time
> and again I have watched people who have only read the book, or
> even just
> "seen" an Open Space - do just superbly. Frankly I find myself
> cringing when
> I hear people speaking of Open Space as some esoteric practice
> requiring
> years of experience and lots of training. Even worse - when folks
> say they
> can't "Open Space" because they don't have the experience or
> training. That
> to me is a tragedy. From where I sit, opening space is a completely
> natural
> act, which we all do. It is also true that we can all learn to do
> it better,
> and in fact it may take a lifetime to realize our full potential in
> this
> regard. But the same could be said of all our life. When we
> actually hit our
> zenith, it is probably all over. And the worst thing would be
> waiting around
> until we became "expert" before we start to live. Just Do It!
> 
>  
> 
> Harrison
> 
>  
> 
> 
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