STORIES, Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
Peggy Holman
peggy at opencirclecompany.com
Sun Jul 19 12:20:44 PDT 2009
STORIES, Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US),
Summer, 2009
http://openspaceworld.org/cgi/netwiki.cgi?NewLetter0907
Purpose:
The purpose of the newsletter is to make our stories available to each
other so that we continue to learn and grow. We hope they will serve
you for education, examples, connection and pleasure.
This newsletter is intended for the use of friends and members of the
Open Space Institute (US). It may be reproduced in any useful way with
acknowledgment. When copying, please include the author/contact/
publication information at the end of each story.
In This Issue:
1—Notes from the Editor
2—The Green Forum
3—At the Center of the Journey
4—Virtual Global Communication
5—Inviting leadership
6—Coming Events
7—Footprints in the Wind: I have no call to be reasonable
Notes from the Editor:
Spring has turned to summer in the northern hemisphere, and Peggy
Holman and I are celebrating by bringing back STORIES, after a long
hiatus. We invite you to share your stories, adventures and
misadventures in Open Space.
Here in the northwest corner of the United States, we had a long, cold
and stormy winter, followed by a long, cold and stormy spring. One of
the local passes, closed for winter, was unable to open on the
appointed date because they had six inches of fresh snow the night
before—in mid-May.
Since then, the weather has warmed, and we are taking our sun-starved
bodies outside to walk, garden, sit in the park—anything to soak up
sunshine.
Thanks to the couple who built our house and planted gardens, back in
the early 60s, our yard is filled with azaleas and rhododendrons,
masses of coral, yellow, pink, red and white flowers. I love the
intense colors and blossom-scented air, and bless them for their
vision and hard work. What seeds are you planting today, to grow and
bloom in the future?
With appreciation,
Joelle Everett, consultant, coach, poet, and editor of this newsletter.
jleshelton at aol.com
==============
THE GREEN FORUM
Mobilizing Community Action for a
More Sustainable Future in Just Three Hours
By Jay W. Vogt
The Green Technology Committee is a group of community volunteers
chartered in 2006 by the Selectmen of the rural town of Lincoln,
Massachusetts, USA, to reduce energy consumption in town facilities.
As the committee reflected on its charge, members realized that their
success depended on gaining the support of the entire town.
A couple members approached me about facilitating a Green Forum for
Lincoln. The committee wanted folks to come, learn things, get
inspired, and take action. They had no idea how to make that happen,
and asked me what I thought.
Now Lincoln is the quintessential Yankee New England town, complete
with a central town green and a white-steepled church, surrounded by
grassy meadows and forested hills. New Englanders generally don’t
like it when others tell them what to do. Yet they are the first to
help others if it serves their self-interest. We New Englanders
jokingly call this “Yankee communism.” I sensed that the residents
of this town would love Open Space, where no one sets the agenda for
others, and nothing happens unless people choose to make it happen.
So I proposed a forum in Open Space, and after some initial shock and
worry, the committee accepted.
We had three hours to gather on a Sunday afternoon. The whole town
(population 5000) would be invited. An old town building with a great
open hall on the second floor and some meeting rooms on the first was
available. The theme would be: “What are the issues and
opportunities in creating a greener Lincoln?” There would be no
presentations, only a large resource display on tables around the
hall. Participants would be invited to step forward, state their
issue, claim a space, and convene a discussion. There would be a
gathering time to welcome participants and create the agenda (thirty
minutes), a single discussion round (ninety minutes), and a final
closing circle (thirty minutes).
In talking about the theme with the committee, many members shared
stories of things they or their neighbors were doing to make their
lives greener. One person had organized some neighbors to buy and
plant cherry trees together. Another was experimenting with drought-
resistant grasses. Another was researching the most effective energy
audits. Another had just bought a share in the produce of a local,
organic farm. Yet another had recently renovated their home to be
heated and cooled with geothermal energy. I loved hearing about these
private, passionate acts.
Although Open Space is perfect as it is, I was moved to find some way
to consciously collect and share these stories with the community, so
that innovative residents could be publicly affirmed for their
creativity, while inspiring others, and reminding everyone of their
power to make a difference.
I proposed that, after the welcome, we start with thirty minutes of
what I called “Green Ads.” Committee members would invite
participants as they arrived to sign up and share a sixty second
“Green Ad” - about some action they were taking, or some resource
that they valued, related to sustainability - with the rest of the
community. Once again the committee welcomed this approach, and with
growing excitement about the upcoming Forum, set about marketing it
with enthusiasm.
Finally the Green Forum Sunday came, on a lovely spring afternoon, and
about 130 people – from preteens to seniors - arrived at the hall.
They munched on healthy snacks and drank unbottled local water as they
gathered. Thirty people signed up to share a sixty second “Green
Ad,” which started the Forum with homespun wisdom and humor. About
ten residents stepped forward to convene discussions, on topics as
diverse as improving community transportation, increasing use of
school buses and electric cars, expanding community supported
agriculture, helping residents understand the value and importance of
native vegetation, financing solar technology, and making buildings
more energy efficient.
The Green Technology Committee reported, in the March-April 2009 issue
of The Lincoln Review, that: “In just three hours, Jay helped us all
to gather our energies and interests, connect personal values and
visions with collective needs, and make some concrete forward plans.
With more than 2% of Lincoln residents present, this establishes a
firm footing for a town-wide commitment. Our hope was that attendees
would ‘Leave the event energized with valuable, practical
information, an action plan, new resources and support of like-minded
people.’ And it looks like they did!”
Cities and towns around the world are looking to mobilize the talent,
knowledge, and motivation of their residents to make their communities
greener and more sustainable. Lincoln’s example shows that, with
Open Space, and as little as three hours, a community can come
together and discover its strengths and passions for more sustainable
living.
Jay W. Vogt is a consultant, facilitator, and author of Recharge Your
Team: The Grounded Visioning Approach
jay at peoplesworth.com
==============
AT THE CENTER OF THE JOURNEY
by Tom Atlee
The facilitator has no agenda
except the emergent agenda seeking to be born
in, among and through the people gathered before her.
Her emptiness is not nothing, though.
It is an invitation and a reflection.
Wherever she moves, radiating welcome,
things take shape, evolve, transform, move on.
She is delighted, fascinated, and as impartial as the sun.
She offers comradeship on a journey into an open space
where co-creativity finds its home and voice.
The greater her skill, the less she does,
but the more profound the life she meets
because life loves, above all things, to find itself
and it always comes to where it can meet,
embrace, and discover Greater Life,
which it finds in the universal center where she stands.
"Under the best of circumstances," writes Harrison Owen,
"the facilitator will be totally present
and absolutely invisible."
Like God. Like the Tao. Like the Center of the Universe.
Everywhere -- especially Here.
© Tom Atlee
Tom Atlee is founder, co-director, and research director of the non-
profit Co-Intelligence Institute.
cii at igc.org
==============
VIRTUAL GLOBAL COLLABORATION –
It’s not just possible, it’s happening
by Lucy Garrick
An opportunity to contribute to positive social change gave me a new
appreciation for Open Space Technology. Our access to technology and
is making possible ways of connecting that were never before possible -
crossing community, geographic and organizational boundaries.
On Saturday, May 9th, Approximately 54 people from around the world
logged into Skype Chat to hold the opening session of a global
collaboration for positive change using Open Space principles.
The Conference, Real-time Virtual Collaboration (RTVC) convened
participants around the question:
“What Tools and Principles Do We Need To Help Change Unfold?
Social and Technological Developments Mean
Better Organizations and a Better World”
The conference was the brainchild of Holger Nauheimer, creator of the
Change Management Toolbook. It was the simplest of acts, Holger put
out the invitation and RTVC was born.
The concept of the world’s first Real-time Virtual Collaboration
Conference was to learn what is possible when integrating simple
facilitative change tools such as Open Space Technology with online
synchronous communication tools, such as voice over internet protocol
(VOIP), wikis, chats, collaborative work tools and social media.
Participants organized before, during and after the conference through
a Mind Map portal created especially for the event. Links in the mind
map led people to conference registration, pre-session preparations,
areas to post sessions, and help.
The four-hour conference was the collaborative design of a self-
organizing group of consultants, facilitators and technologists who
met online and reside in six countries: Germany, S.Africa, Brazil,
United Kingdom, USA, and Canada – most have not yet met face-to-
face. In addition to Holger, the RTVC steering team consists of
Stephan Dohrn, (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), Lucy Garrick (Seattle, USA),
Hans Gaertner (Bremen, Germany), Suresh Fernando (Vancouver, Canada),
Sofia Bustamante, (London, UK).
We chose Open Space because of its simplicity and flexibility which
empowered conference participants to define their own session topics.
Participants attended from around the globe, representing 30 different
countries. Online postings of topics for break-out sessions was
supported by a discussion board and the RTVC steering team. Break-out
sessions were held on a variety of social media chosen by session
conveners. Imagine a sort of virtual, conference hotel.
Over 50 participants from around the globe signed on to the opening
session using Skype Chat.
Opening and closing sessions were facilitated by members of the RTVC
steering team.
During the Closing session, held on a Skype Chat, I asked participants
for one word reactions to the conference and here’s what they had to
say:
thrilling
technically challenging just starting
excitement
engaging difficult connections
multilevel
falling off the cliff interesting
smooth
bacterial complex
encouraging crossing boundaries What's next?
engaging
calls for more exhilarating
conversations
surfing germinal
learning disruptive
possibility
like riding a roller coaster
What did we learn?
Well for one thing, it works! Humans really are self-organizing
systems even in cyber space. And our team was synergistic. Someone
always had the skill and commitment that was called for. We believe
that this is the wave of the future and that nothing could be a more
open space than this. We’re planning to do more. You’ll find a
full report of all facts, stats, break-out topics, and key learnings
posted in a new RTVC Mind Map. At this writing it has been viewed 811
times. Note files of country representation charts and other
transcripts are attached to the mind map.
To learn more and follow RTVC developments: Visit the RTVC Forum
currently housed on the Change Management Toolbook website at http://www.change-management-toolbook.com/course/view.php?id=115
Lucy Garrick is an organization and leadership consultant and coach.
lgarrick at northshoregroup.net
==============
inviting leadership
by Michael Herman
relax. right now.
(rest into heart)
pause long enough. to. sink. in.
passion and purpose open space.
take the time to notice. and breathe.
settle. straighten. sort and sigh.
yawn. laugh. love. rest.
re...awaken wonder.
invite others into that.
(welcome everyone)
ring the bells, bring the question.
host the meeting, pour the tea.
open the conversation.
imagine, invoke and invite
the common good.
wish it out loud.
let everything move.
(support relationship)
through knowing and not, forests and trees,
learning and contribution, mine and yours – to us.
inviting is action, and support without effort.
leadership yields without loss, or collapse.
doing nothing touches everything, gently
ease into flow.
make inviting ordinary.
(refine into practice)
execute the obvious; embrace all the rest.
ground visions. craft agreements. take next steps.
grow more of what works. harvest gratitude and joy.
as the fruits of practice ripen, share the juice.
today's news seeds tomorrow's invitations,
inviting more leaders (to open heart...)
Distilled from InvitingLeadership/FourPracticesStory and then extended
as InvitingLeadership/Retreat, see michaelherman.com
Michael Herman practices, teaches and writes about inviting leadership.
michael at michaelherman.com
==============
WHAT DO WE KNOW NOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP
IN A SELF-ORGANIZING WORLD?
By Tenneson Woolf
Last month I was in Leavenworth, WA for a learning conference,
Leadership in a Self-Organizing World. Berkana was co-sponsor --
another event to support the needed exploring and forms for these
times. The place was beautiful. Gigantic pines. Icicle River running
alongside the conference space and at the feet of Sleeping Lady, the
mountain after which the conference center is named. A harvest video
by Thomas Arthur and Ashley Cooper is here, including some beautiful
shots of the land. Amazing people there. I particularly found it
helpful to be with some old friends and feel the sense of meeting each
other even more deeply -- the times are calling us to be in our
deepest relations and creations together.
“What do we know now about leadership in a self-organizing world?”
was a question that Berkana colleague, Teresa Posakony and I carried
deliberately at the learning conference (see also previous blog post
on this event).
Below are three levels of harvest from this question:
1. Teresa hosted a circle in open space on the third day. (See photos)
The notes below are in response to a check-out circle on "How do we
talk about this?"
Saturday, 3:00 (Teresa, Tenneson, Gabriel, Diana, Henri, Jim, Shiloh,
Ashley, Roosey, Tom, Diana, Christy and more………. - Tell real
stories of amazing stuff that we wouldn’t have expected - Be in the
practice of listening, hearing, and symbolizing - Assume that
everything we need to know is right here - Name it as participant
organized – they own the responsibility and can point to “somebody
did it” - Relationship between hearing the story and self-organizing
change - Clear intention, purpose context…people can self-organize to
create - Experience it - Ask powerful questions - How would you like
to access the true potential of your organization - Focus on the work
we have to do, the real need and purpose. Then be thoughtful and
choiceful about how to get about it. - Reflection of nature & Body…
words and images - Follow the energy of yes! - Use vocabulary to
understand and engage - Be in the life energy – how to serve the
larger whole. - Cultivate genuine curiosity and authentic response -
Welcome people home…to the best of what we know and in connection
with what is alive already.
2. The last convergence exercise we did on the fourth and last day was
with the full group. The intention was to see another glimpse of what
was important in the group. Innovative process hosted by Peggy Holman.
Each of us wrote the one principle we thought was most important for
leaders in a self-organizing world. The cards included everything from
simple principles to larger sets of ideas. We exchanged cards randomly
with other participants and then stopped to rank points between two
cards. Then random exchange. Then ranking. We did this through five
cycles and totalled the points. The top responses are here:
1. One never knows the power of an idea/vision until shared with
others who have similar passions. (27)
2T. We are the ones we've been waiting for. "Leaders" are not self
ordained. They are recognized by their contributions and response to a
calling from deep within to commit their life to contributing to the
greater good. (26)
2T. Clarity I now have: *So many labels! * To participate in a Self
Organizing World means truly owning up to allowing each person
(including myself) freedom to express their passions about the subject
* to be fully present and mindful within myself and within the group.
(26)
4. Be yourself. (25)
5. In a Self Organizing World: I bring my whole self my dream passion
each moment presence, and allow others the same grace. (24)
6. Provides a space where each person can speak her/his truth and
offer his/her gifts. (23.5)
7T. Leadership in a self-organizing world - means…We all lead and we
know when it is our time to lead by listening to our body and spirit -
when it calls out our gift. (22)
7T. Creating contexts that help life-energy find itself, manifest,
serve itself, and evolve - at all levels including self, group,
community, social system, and planet - with decreasing violence,
toxicity, and waste. (22)
9T. You must be a vital self-organizing system in order to lead,
serve, and host the ever unfurling nature of a self-organizing world.
In this breathing, beating, crumbling, and constellating living world
- we love and lead into dynamic tension of living and dying - sending
and receiving - leading from in front or behind. True leadership is
authentically living expressing just that. (21)
9T. The power of connection to nature remaining in its stillness so
that all that needs to show up shows up, with flow of a river. (21)
9T. Open Space is a way that nature organizes itself. I also see that
the container is the "how" of the system. It would take longer time
periods to deal with certain grievances at a more root level than
others. Truly what is needed for humanity currently is "root"
responses to personal and collective trauma. (21)
9T. My insight: Hierarchies arise, serve, disolve, reorganize. Leaders
can relax and allow their role to present itself - be free of the
burden of the acknowledged leader role. It takes an integrated "anima"
to be a effective leader in a self-organizing world. (21)
9T. LSOW is allowing and nurturing passion. (21)
9T. Convene in curiosity to remember and create together choices.
Trust first next steps. (21)
3. I asked about a dozen people (thanks to each of them) the same
questions on the 3rd and 4th days with this context. Assume the world
is self-organizing. Assume there is such a thing as leadership.
Knowing that these are both meaningful conversations that invite more
attention, what you would you name as the most important principle for
a leader to be effective in a self-organizing world? Those responses
are below.
- stay open -- don't get stuck in a time suck
- keep dropping seeds -- don't get freaked out about what you can't do
- remember you already are leading in a self-organizing world
- be bold, listen, and do
- fully manifest and make room for others to fully manifest too
- give people a place to tell their story (until the sun comes up and
it is a new day)
- practice letting go and welcoming a discerning stance
- be deliberate in witnessing what is happening, sometimes not through
voice
- create a safe place in the transition (grief work is birth work)
- put a ball into play and then be a participant
- pay attention to the field
- speak a best guess of what is arising
- be bold, and then surrender
- be grounded
- work with the spirit of invitation
- name the question clearly
- be a steward of shared intention
- tend to the social fabric of community
- tune in / center
- welcome and invite diverse voice
- welcome disruption as gifts
- give shared attention to task, process, and relationships
- reenlist in the love affair with tension
What do we know now about leadership in a self-organizing world? One
thing for me is that the question is a rich inquiry and on-going
practice. Self-organization is the pattern that, as Harrison Owen
names, has been going on for 14 billion years. Our work from this
reality, our learning together, and our strengthened relationships are
critical and called for in these times. And are beautiful and
inspiring, much like those gigantic pines growing round the Icicle
River in Washington.
Tenneson Woolf consults, coaches, builds community and writes about
the Art of Hosting
tenneson at berkana.org; www.tennesonwoolf.com
==============
Coming Events:
The 17th Annual World OSonOS
This Open Space on Open Space is for practitioners, organizations, and
colleagues who use Open Space Technology - is in Taipei, Taiwan,
15-17 Oct 2009. For details, visit: http://www.frontier.org.tw/2009wosonos/index.html
Leadership in a Self-organizing World
November 11-14 in Toronto, this conversation is inspired by Harrison
Owen’s recent book: Waverider: Leadership for High Performance in a
Self-organizing World. For more information, contact Larry Peterson, larry at spiritedorg.com
Open Space Technology Training
For a list of training workshops around the world, visit http://openspaceworld.org/cgi/wiki.cgi?FacilitatorTraining
==============
FOOTPRINTS IN THE WIND # 950
By Doug Germann
I have no call to be reasonable. My call is to the spirit, to the
experience of life that precedes cognition and separation from life
and others. My call is to engage people in the life of divinity which
exists fully between and among people.
My call is “urgently out beyond the ordinary and the reasonable,”
to use Brueggemann's phrase. These have gotten us where we are, which
is ordinary and reasonable, but we need to go to a new place. The
place we are is full of pain.
What pain? The pain of being unemployed or underemployed. The pain of
being not heard. The pain of being invisible.
What new place? You have the power to make the world better, to turn
the world just a bit toward kindness and connecting and moving.
Please pass it on.
:-Doug.
By Douglas D. Germann, Sr. © 2009, Learning Works, Inc.
Doug Germann leads conversations that make a difference, and writes
Footprints in the Wind, http://www.FootprintsintheWind.com
76066.515 at compuserve.com
==============
__________________________
Peggy Holman
Open Space Institute (US)
15347 SE 49th Place
Bellevue, Wa 98006
(425) 746-6274
www.openspaceworld.org
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