OST with indigenous groups

[Harrison Owen]

Mel - The fellow you quoted at the end has it right, and I wouldn't expect
too much change in the role of tribal elders. They have been doing that a
long time, and always in the way of Open Space, by whatever name. I am
reminded of a Navajo chief who came up to me at the end of an Open Space. He
took my hand, smiled and said, "What took you so long white man? Join the
club.

 

Harrison

 

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Mel
Bradbury
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 10:01 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: OST with indigenous groups

 

Hi guys,

 

I have a question for any of you that have worked with indigenous groups
using OST. 

 

As a bit of background to the question, I have noticed in my work with
indigenous groups in Australia that the 'group' dynamics - ie. leadership
and structure work quite differently to non-indigenous groups. In a
non-indigenous group its quite easy to tell who are the leaders, who are the
juniors, and who are middle management types just by the way they act. The
leaders mostly position themselves up the front of the 'group', they talk a
lot, and give lots of directions. Of course OST dissolves a lot of that
structure, but not all.

 

In the indigenous groups I've worked with the leaders, or elders, behave
quite differently. They are the ones that sit right up the back of the room,
in the quietest little corner they can find. They rarely speak and most
people don't even know they were there. An aboriginal guy I've worked with a
bit over the years once told me that they don't tell people what to do, they
wait for people to come and ask them questions and it's not until the person
asks the right question, that they get an answer.

 

So I am wondering, if OST can make non-indigenous leaders relinquish a
little of their 'command and control' behaviour and let the junior staff
have a bit of a say, does OST dissolve some of that group structure with
indigenous groups. Does it make the elders speak up a little more??????

 

As an aside, the one experience I've had with OST and indigenous people was
when I facilitated a group of around 40 environmental professionals which
included about 3 or 4 indigenous guys. In the closing circle one of the
aboriginal guys said, "its good to see you fellas using this way of
discussing our issues, our mob have been doing it this way for years"

 

Cheers Mel.

 

 

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