Thoughts on a Town Crier
Koos de Heer
koos at auryn.nl
Mon Jan 14 13:08:31 PST 2008
Dear Peggy, dear Tova, Tree and all the others who have shared their
wisdom about time keeping:
This time keeping thing is a frequent topic over here. In an OS
meeting, it often happens that someone comes up to me and tells me it
is time to tell the time. People in the Netherlands are very fond two
things: keeping time and reminding others of their responsibilities
;-). So I often get this friendly reminder from a participant that it
is time for me to tell the time. I never do. If the person looks
really worried, I explain that this is one of the core principles of
Open Space: people manage their own agenda. I remind them that I have
said in my opening "when it is over it is over" and that also means
that "when it is not over, it is not over." They always remember me
saying that. I then ask them: "How can we know if it is over or not?"
They have to agree that we can't. So then we usually agree not to
tell the time. On other occasions, when they look not so worried, I
just smile at them. Often they will then say: "Or do people have to
see for themselves?" I nod, still smiling.They then usually laugh
about this new discovery and happily go about their business.
Just my 2 cents
Love
Koos
At 19:54 14-1-2008, Tree Fitzpatrick wrote:
>Greetings to all. Before I respond to Peggy's 'town crier' post, I
>pause to remind all who might be reading that when I share my
>opinion, I am not putting down others' comments. Sometimes when I
>have commented on this list (and others) people seem to hear me
>putting down others' ideas when I am simply saying "I think
>this". I am feeling unusually sensitive this morning so I offer this caution.
>
>It is fascinating to me, Peggy, to see this post from you
>today. Last week, I was thinking about open space time and how it
>works best when we trust ever more deeply within our own selves
>without regard to others timing. As you know, Peggy, you and I met
>in person on Friday and we did not discuss open space time but it
>was alive in my etheric. Perhaps it was alive in me because it was
>alive in you because of your recent work with Jon. Or perhaps open
>space time was alive last week and we both tuned in.
>
>The above paragraph might sound off-topic but to me, it gets to the
>very heart of self-organization. The more I believe that things
>unfold exactly as they ought, well, my goodness, the more they do.
>
>Last week when I thought about 'open space time', each time, I
>thought of you, my dear Peggy. I have worked with you on several
>multi-day OS events and several times I have been grateful to hear
>you softly remind the design team 'we are in open space time'. It
>is my recollection that you have said this when the design team was
>feeling a time crunch, fretting that we couldn't get in all that we
>had to get in and then you would say 'we are in open space time' and
>an ease would settle upon us.
>
>We are always in open space. We are always in open space time. As
>an open space facilitator, I think much like Tova has described in
>her response to you, Peggy. The quality of how the facilitator holds
>the space is really the work of facilitation. We are not
>timekeepers or town criers. If a facilitator does remind
>participants of session times, this will be just fine because in
>open space, there is no right or wrong but I think announcing times
>is a subtle failure of trust. To me, the work of open space
>facilitation is much deeper than any particular event and much more
>important than a client's deliverables. To me, giving a group the
>opportunity to collaborate in open space on a shared intention is
>always about much more than the stated goals in the event's
>invitation. Yes, when we are accountable to a client who has hired
>us because they wish to achieve goals, sometimes we will calibrate
>our choices to give the cilent satisfaction. But mostly, I guess I
>think of open space facilitators as cultural capacity shamans. The
>human race urgently needs to learn how to trust that all is well and
>to trust our inner inklings/guidance and the best wya for the human
>race to develop these skills is to spend time in openly-acknowledged
>open space. If someone comes to an OS event and 'all' they get out
>of the event is that moment when they noticed an inner click that
>said to them 'it is time to move to another session', well, that is
>an amazing thing, that is the whole point, that is evolution
>unfolding. If someone calls the time, we are depriving participants
>from knowing for their own self what time it is, where they should
>be, what they should be doing. What an awesome gift to give someone.
>I will never forget the first moment I got that click when I was in
>an OS event and I perceived within myself that I was in the wrong
>room and hey I could follow that inkling until I stood in the place
>just right. That is os facilitation, if you ask me.
>
>I know the above can sound highy impractical to a client with
>workplace goals to achieve in a 2.5 day open space or a two hour
>open space. . . but for me, having each participant in an os event
>begin to better discern their own wisdom, well, it is the whole point.
>
>Coming to you from cold, overcast, and windy Whidbey Island. Puget
>Sound and the Olympic Mountains are within my view, just past the
>computer screen. I see lots of white caps. It is way cold. I miss
>my warm, sunny home in California and I have another week of
>Northwest winter ahead of me. There is a reason I am very cold this
>week. I am sitting here waiting for that reason to be revealed to
>me. My fingers are like ice. I write to keep warm.
>
>On 1/14/08, Mickey Averbuch
><<mailto:averbuch at post.tau.ac.il>averbuch at post.tau.ac.il> wrote:
>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 <<mailto:tyasto at sapa.nsk.su>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
> > <mailto:tyasto at sapa.nsk.su>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: <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>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:
> <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.ED
> U <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
> >
> > <http://www.opencirclecompany.com>www.opencirclecompany.com
> <http://www.opencirclecompany.com>
> >
> >
> > For the new edition of The Change Handbook, go to:
> >
> <http://www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook>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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>--
>Love rays,
>Tree Fitzpatrick
>
><http://thecultureoflove.blogspot.com/>http://thecultureoflove.blogspot.com/
>
>. . . the great and incalculable grace of love, which says, with
>Augustine, "I want you to be," without being able to give any
>particular reason for such supreme and unsurpassable
>affirmation. -- Hannah Arendt
>
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