Thoughts on a Town Crier

Mon Jan 14 09:23:28 PST 2008

for me it was letting go of the notion that there is "a way to do it  
right". I started by being very puritan"by the book" and I am very  
glad I did. it helped me a lot in stating to live open space in my  
daily life and uncovering what open space is. Being the one to bring  
the use of OST to Israel had put me both in a position I had quite a  
lot of figuring out to do and, at the same time, felt I have to be a  
puritan if I am "carrying the message". The lean choice was also a  
constant dictate to do "one thing less each time" and I believe that  
as long as we practice this principle, we are on the right track.Beinf  
fortunatr enough towork and play with many of you, learning from  
coleagues and freinds all over the world, seeing quit a number of  
styles, my personal openion is that it is more the presence we ofer  
than the actual personal wording
these are my two cents of the day
  a happy new year to all, though with some delay
Tova Averbuch
Holon, Israel

Quoting TYASTO <tyasto at sapa.nsk.su>:

> Dear Peggy, Michael, Elena and others!
>
> I will support Elena and tell why we are doing this in our part of the
> world. We have the lucky opportunity to introduce OST to different
> categories of the state and municipal civil servants here at the Siberian
> Academy for Public Administration (SAPA). It's written in their program as
> Business game with the theme on improving their work.They come to us for 3
> and often for only 2 hours. It gives us only 30 minutes for each item:
> Introduction (including moving tables and putting chairs into the circle), 2
> sessions and Closure (in case of 2 hours). In 3 hours I have some time for
> reports, voting and convergence and after it Closing circle. As I call it
> Voluntarily-compulsory participation in  OST. Great majority of our
> participants have no idea what to expect from this event and we have a very
> short time to invite them and explaine it as a good way to have
> conversations about issues and opportunities of How to improve their work.
> In first 30 minutes they have a collective cultural shock while they are
> sitting in the circle and facilitator going inside telling them what they
> can do and everything is OK even to go away if they don't like it ( in this
> case it is voluntary participation). Common reaction is : We all will be
> butterflies today. Then, as Harrison said it happens always everywhere, some
> people begin to write the topics and all works well. When people at the
> Market place are trying to realize what to do and where to go I wish them
> all well and say when we will meet again in the circle and go out. But then
> I usually come back at the time of change between sessions to see if they do
> it or not.  Sometimes they can do it themselves, sometimes little bit later
> than on the schedule. But their shock of freedom is so big and they have
> such a fun talking in their first groups and leaders of the second sessions
> are too weak to break it, that mostly they expect someone to take the lead
> and say - now it is time for the second session or they miss it at all. I do
> the same as "Town crier", saying - it's time for the second session, but
> it's up to you what you are doing now. Then they can move or not. I agree
> with Elena that when we have such short time we have to encourage them to
> take the lead and organize second groups. Sometimes they come all into one
> big circle and discuss all issues alltogether. The energy is high, they have
> great fun, but some issues even discussed, don't get the reports.
> I learnt to take it easy and let them  do whatever they want during this 2
> or 3 hours, because I know that at the end they say - it was the best in our
> 2 weeks here and it should be at the beginning of the course. Each time
> somebody says "I will do it at my working place". I give them short written
> instructions.
> What else you don't do normally - listen the reports - I do it every time -
> have them in the circle to share briefly their reports. I have a 3 minutes
> sand-glass and show to them, but don't interrupt. They have chance to ask
> questions or discuss something. If it goes longer I show the principle "When
> it's not over it's not over" and say that it needs additional discussion.
> Because my class takes place normally at the end of their 2 weeks course
> this sharing in the circle is the only way they could really see the results
> of their work and feel their collective wisdom. They always say that they
> learnt more from each other than from all their other classes.
> You will be surprised, but I also collect their reports and type them and
> give them back to take home with them as tangible "Collective wisdom",
> because it's no other way yet - they don't have access to computers.
>  So, you see, we really do some more things than you and probably do it in a
> different way. But I realized that even 2 hours in open space is more
> powerful than two weeks of passive learning from teachers. That is why I try
> to use every opportunity to introduce OST to every possible group. The
> shortest one I had OST in 1,5 hours with a group of trainers, where we all
> worked very fast, but had all 4 items - opening, 2 sessions and closing. If
> i don't have much time for closing I send the bell and ask people to say one
> word or two. It's always positive and inspiring. I believe that we have
> homeopathic influencing on the civil servants in Siberia through these short
> OST classes at SAPA. Some people come and say "I've heard about a workshop
> which is must to participate". We help people to feel happier, more
> self-confident  and be leaders. If additional ring of the bell helps us to
> do this, we will ring. By the way, for the Russian people tibetian bells
> work magicly. I also like the arrow, but someone have to come and move it.
> With warm greetings from cold Siberia,
>
> Marina Tyasto
> tyasto at sapa.nsk.su <mailto:tyasto at sapa.nsk.su>
>
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: Elena Marchuk [mailto:marco at mail.nsk.ru]
> Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 8:25 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Thoughts on a Town Crier
>
>
>
> Dear Peggy,
> I wish I could NOT ring the bells and let participants to work as they care,
> but most OSs I provide are very limited in time, and several time I missed
> the time by chance (though not much...) I could see, that people are just
> seeting and talking in a previous groups. If I had the time to give them a
> 'teach' that it is their way of doing things and will have time to 'spread'
> time for another quant of session, I would probably do, but I'm affraid, may
> be it is ok to be, and just do, but I'm afraid, that we would have just no
> time for the next session, so I usualy ring, though say in opening, that it
> is up to them, how they will work, I would just be a Town Crier, as you
> say...
>
> thank you for the question
> warm hugs from -25 C Siberia with a lot of snow, though sun shining :)
>
> elena marchuk
> novosibirsk
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Peggy Holman <mailto:peggy at opencirclecompany.com>
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:22 PM
> Subject: Thoughts on a Town Crier
>
> Has anyone noticed more milling about before people move into sessions over
> the last few years?  I'd been noticing enough of a trend this way that I
> always intend to explicitly tell people that there won't be anyone telling
> them when to move, that it is up to them to follow their own rhythms and
> interests.  I haven't quite internalized this yet, so I usually forget.
> Anyway, I think I may have figured out what is going on.
>
> I just did an OS for a friend for a group of about 50.  He uses OS a lot but
> wanted to be able to really participate in this one.   He told me that he
> was a little surprised when the first round of breakout sessions was
> starting that I didn't tell people it was time to get started.  He came to
> me when the first round after lunch were scheduled to start and asked me
> wasn't I going to ring a bell and let people know?  I basically told him
> that I never did that.  The participants were adults and could figure it out
> for themselves.  He was floored and a little upset.  He said he always lets
> people know.  And then it dawned on me:  there are more and more people who
> have experienced OS.  Perhaps there are many practitioners doing what Jon
> does - telling people when it is time to start the next session.  I realized
> that since most of these folks came at Jon's invitation, they were probably
> enculturated to responding to a bell.
>
> So I took what seemed a middle ground to me and rang a bell, saying, "It's
> 1:30 and all's well."  I figured a town crier was a minimalist thing to do
> -- providing information without attachment to how people used it.
>
> I then spoke more with Jon because I wanted to understand his perspective.
> He said that to him, what is posted, like the session start times, are part
> of the commons and when he is holding the space, that is part of his
> contract with the group, to give them the information.  He doesn't care what
> they do once they hear it.  So, it strikes me that Town Crier is a good
> description of what he does.
>
> Given the trend I mentioned, I suspect Jon isn't the only one doing
> something like this.  I'd love to hear other thoughts on providing
> information that marks the passage of time.
>
> from sunny (for a change) Seattle,
> Peggy
>
> ________________________________
> Peggy Holman
> The Open Circle Company
> 15347 SE 49th Place
> Bellevue, WA  98006
> (425) 746-6274
>
> www.opencirclecompany.com <http://www.opencirclecompany.com>
>
>
> For the new edition of The Change Handbook, go to:
> www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook
> <http://www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook>
>
> "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt,
> is to become
> the fire".
>   -- Drew Dellinger
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