Heard the one about the Irishman and the Catholic Priest....?

[Brendan McKeague]

G'day folks - a wee story....

Last week I had the privilege and deep pleasure of sharing a 
presentation with the very reverend and esteemed Brian Bainbridge.
In a moment of magical madness (or inspiration) we had concocted the 
title of a workshop for the annual Australasian Facilitators Network 
(AFN) / International Association of Facilitiators (IAF) conference, 
held in Adelaide.  The conference theme was The Next Chapter: 
Showcasing the purpose of Facilitation
and the title of our workshop was: 'Letting Go - heretical or heroic?'

We were expecting a relaxing, easy 1.5 hour session with a few 
colleagues (there was 130 at the conference so we anticipated about 
20 at our workshop) and had prepared our session rather loosely over 
a coffee the day before - or something like that.
I suggested that we perhaps tell some stories about our experiences 
of Open Space that illustrated these tensions around 'letting 
go'....and in his own inimitable style, Brian responded with - 
whatever happens....!

On the day, over forty folks crowded into our circle and were poised 
waiting for the 'delivery'....Brian and I looked at each other and I 
could tell by the mischevious glint in his eye that he was saying, 
'another fine mess you've got us into McKeague'... in his other eye, 
I could clearly see the affirmation: 'let's walk our talk now...time 
to let go...'

And so we did.

We had the SIGNS on the wall behind us and I told the first story 
about my very first 'paid' Open Space event when the sponsors began 
to pull individuals out of the conversation groups and form a rather 
exclusive group right in the middle of the space - what should I 
do?  They were ruining the process. How dare they do this to the 
process (to me!). Why aren't people rebelling?  How disrespectful....
And so I did the only thing I possibly could have done - I went 
outside for a walk!
(it turned out that the sponsors were responding to a 'directive' 
from their Government Minister and needed to compile a reply 
quick-smart....everyone in that room 'knew' that this was what was 
going on - except me - and it was accepted as a normal part of the 
culture of that department - no worries!)

Well that raised a lot of curiosity among the mob of professional 
facilitators - and the questions flowed effortlessly from the 
discussion that followed...

Brian followed with the story of an Open Space sponsored by a 
multinational mining company and members of the local community - the 
angst and anxieties embedded in the adversarial energies that 
gathered to work out the best way forward when the local mine was 
ordered by Head Honchos overseas to expand or close down - and the 
need for Brian to 'let go' when the emotions were escalating and the 
conflict was running hot.....

Another round of conversations and questions and before we knew it, 
the 90 mins were gone and we'd only told one story each - we had 
prepared for about three each....

The feedback was positive and affirming - with some longer-term 
facilitator colleagues remarking that, at last, they now understood 
what the essence of Open Space was about....

And so, the Catholic priest and the Irishman went off on their 
separate ways, enriched and emboldened by their magical adventure 
into yet another 'mysterious space' where letting go, with positive 
intention and willingness to flow with the energies that emerge, once 
again provided the stuff of life....

I just love this 'work'....
and the people who do it - thanks Brian!

Cheers
Brendan



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