AW: My Microsoft experience

[Catherine Pfaehler]

Super, Doc. How great. It is not easy or self-evident to come to that place,
since you also do many other things where you are so much more visible (and
that’s what you get the praise for, and rightfully so!). This means that you
are well aware of your ego and how it works, and are indeed able to step
back when necessary. Super!!!

 

I have just come back from Berlin, the Wave Rider event. Being a participant
for 2 ½ days once again and realizing how totally unimportant the
facilitator is once we are busy with our topics was good. I will be much
more relaxed holding space from now on once the groups are in action!
(Actually, I have succeeded twice this year to take a nap outside in the sun
during sessions, so there is progress
)

 

With love, C.

 

Catherine Pfaehler Senn

lic.oec.HSG

Open Space Begleitung

St. Alban-Vorstadt 15

CH - 4052 Basel

+41-(0)76 - 488 15 46

c.pfaehler at open-space-begleitung.ch

www.open-space-begleitung.ch <http://www.open-space-begleitung.ch/> 

 

 

  _____  

Von: Steven "Doc" List [mailto:doc at anotherthought.com] 
Gesendet: Samstag, 22. November 2008 08:00
Betreff: My Microsoft experience

 

Hello, my friends.

 

I've just finished an interesting couple of days.

 

As you may or may not know, Microsoft has a highly tarnished reputation when
it comes to Open Space.  They've tried, and pretty much botched it a couple
of highly visible times.

 

This week was their Strategic Architect Forum, put on by the same fellow who
had me do their Open Space in Redmond in April.

 

284 software architects and managers from 34 countries and 190 different
organizations/companies.

 

Roughly 260 of them had no idea what Open Space was about, many of them
being skeptical (as usual :-)).

 

I had faith, as always, that it would all come together, and it did.  I'm
learning, each time, the importance of what I refer to as the set-up.
Walking the circle, explaining why they're there and what they have a chance
to do and then how they're going to do it - that's the "set-up", combined
with the process of crafting the invitation (thanks, Michael!).

 

This was my largest event to date.  Three concentric circles of chairs in
the opening and closing circles.  Some reluctance on the part of many of
them to propose topics.  A microphone as the talking stick/token in the
closing circle, passed as often as used to speak.

 

And afterward, the energy and excitement.

 

But between the beginning of the closing circle and the "afterward", I
achieved something important for the first time.

 

I recall Harrison saying something along the lines of "if they thank you at
the end, you haven't done the job of facilitation right."

 

Always before, someone - or several someones - has thanked me in the closing
circle, praising me, recognizing me.  I admit that I was skeptical about the
whole idea of not being thanked, since it has always seemed that they're all
so aware of me, even as I have worked to be invisibly present.

 

Today, at the end of the closing circle, I realized that no one had
mentioned my name, thanked me, recognized me in any way.

 

And I realized that my contribution was in enabling them to have a unique
and meaningful experience, and that by doing so effectively, I had achieved
something new.  I had finally become only a part of the overall experience,
contributing and enabling, but taking a back seat to the community and its
experience.

 

And along the way, I helped to introduce a wider group to the pleasures of
Open Space Technology, and might get to do so again with some of them.

 

Wow.

 

Thanks, Harrison.

 

..Doc

--

Steven "Doc" List, Principal Consultant, ThoughtWorks NA
Mobile: +1 (512) 924-9248 | Skype: steven.list | Yahoo: dadjester
email: doc at thoughtworks.com | doc at anotherthought.com | web:
www.thoughtworks.com

 

Watch me being interviewed about Open Space Technology:
http://www.infoq.com/interviews/Open-Spaces-Steven-List

Everyone should know it's the month of Movember! Please donate to the 

cause of men's health at http://ca.movember.com/mospace/1794841

 

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