Facilitation disasters - your stories please

Sun Nov 15 17:08:29 PST 2009

Such wise words on a topic that has generated so much insight.
I felt myself seeped in what has been described and discussed. This community of learning and sharing is the best!
Suzanne heading back to Florida after 2.5 wonderful days of Wave Rider surfing in Orillia, Canada!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>
Date:         Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:53:12 
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Subject: Re: Facilitation disasters - your stories please

Absolutely Annamarie! It is all about choosing. A friend told me - never
sell Open Space. It is like teaching a pig to sing. Sounds terrible, and
annoys the pig. I think so. 

ALSO - There really isn't any sale to be made or choice, for that matter.
The nasty truth is that the whole cosmos is self-organizing (Open Space) -
and so the fundamental choice was made just about 13.7 million years ago. We
do, however, have the choice about how well we "do" it. Or more extremely -
whether we want to maintain the delusion that we are actually in control,
and if not us, then surely somebody. Ah - the great aching simplicity of the
days when we actually knew what we were doing, and did what we knew.

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

Open Space Training  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com

Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com 

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Annamarie
Pluhar
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 7:13 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Facilitation disasters - your stories please

Such an interesting conversation that you have started Robyn.  

My own experience was (gulp!) 15 years ago. My life has taken twists and
turns away from group facilitation - the fact that I'm on the list now has
everything to do with a current contract/assignment.  Before meeting the
client - knowing what they were looking for  "empowering the people" "new
ideas" "enthusiasm" and "excitement" I thought that sounds like OS.  Turns
out those are just words.. they only want want is safe and familiar and what
they did last year. 

15 years ago, I was facilitating a two-day annual retreat for a smallish
company.  Day two was to have been OS.  It was started OK, but the owner of
the company hijacked the process (I can't remember the exact words) - he
invited (he's the boss so invited...) everyone to go on a hike with him on a
trail. When I was invited to go, I said "no" on the grounds that I wasn't
sure everyone was there and some might be looking for the group. I was told
that they ended up having a very good conversation on top of the mountain. 

I think that the contracting process is the most important. what I'm holding
to is that the client has to choose OS rather than it being recommended... 

Annamarie Pluhar 

Pluhar Consulting

Results through effective group process

802.451.1941

802.579.5975 (cell)

On Nov 14, 2009, at 7:44 PM, Robyn Williams wrote:

Hi folks

On Friday I was facilitating a 2 hour workshop primarily using Open Space
principles as requested, and as I would have suggested anyway given the task
in hand. My own 2 feet did the walking less than halfway through when the
'person in charge', who I'd not met before, interrupted the process,
criticised me, and gave me directions (in public) and not for the first
time. The agenda items were being announced, and her direction was that all
the issues should be dealt as a whole group and indicated that I should
facilitate that. I said no, thanked them for their time, wished them well
for the rest of the session, and left.

Given the short duration and the task at hand, this had been a long-winded
arrangement which resulted in more questions than answers. Arranged by a
delegated person without authority, I wasn't able to ascertain who was
really 'in charge' (I was told that it was a group project, ie all team
leaders) or get agreement for a meeting to clarify expectations. The day
before the workshop I contacted the Director of the department, had a
pleasing chat, and arranged to meet before the session. That session was
cancelled later in the day, and a shorter session was re-convened for
another time (when critical people could be available). Sure bells were
ringing but I started to think that I was being overly consultative. I mean
what could go wrong in 2 hrs? Right? 

On the way home I reflected on how it had unfolded and my part and felt that
I'd done as well as I could do under the circumstances despite my
inner-critic suggesting that walking out was pretty extreme and surely I
could have done better. Needless to say I've learned lessons from this and
have damage control ahead of me this week (sigh).

So what would you do, or have you done, when your role is undermined?
And how did you reach closure with the client/s?

Best wishes, Robyn
Fremantle Western Australia

PS WA colleagues - anyone available to debrief this with me?

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