A new topic and request

Sun Nov 29 06:57:32 PST 2009

Carol -- the interesting thing is that a group of 500 works exactly like a
group of 50. Of course there are more folks, so you need more space (duh!).
And actually I find it easier to work with larger groups (500+) than smaller
ones. One tip -- be very clear that there is no need for speeches when
announcing your issue. Just the issue and your name will do. No explanation,
no appeal to better angels -- just the facts and nothing but the fact. And
should somebody start on a speech, let them go for a little bit -- and then
pull the mike back. And with a smile say something like, "Thank you -- and
that sounded a little bit like a speech."

Of course to do this you will have to hold on to the mike which gives you
the elegant status of Microphone Stand. Which is about as close to present
and invisible as you can come when standing in the midst of 500 people :-)

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com 
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Carol
Loughrey
Sent: Sunday, November 29, 2009 7:03 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: A new topic and request

Hello all,

I have not participated in this list for a number of years but have been
contracted to facilitate an open space that is larger than I am accustomed
to - 300 to 500 people versus my usual 50 to 100. We are bringing together
business, government and non-profits in our community to look at the
question "How do we make Fredericton better."  Although primarily
spearheaded by social groups the hope is to bring the three groups together
to find innovative and creative ways to improve our city and life for the
people in it.  There is a lot of great energy in the organizing team.

Do any of you have any tips, suggestions, or advice re dealing with this
size of group?

Thanks,

Carol  

On 29/11/09 7:30 AM, "Michael M Pannwitz" <mmpanne at boscop.org> wrote:

> Dear Michael Dobbie,
> hope you have a great time in Australia and run into many of the
> os-workers there! Are you facilitating os-events there or do os-related
> stuff? I remember
> Since I have always just simply participated in the oslist, the aspect
> of being invited never came to my mind. Maybe that contributes to what
> Harold (and many, as he states) perceives as "forbidding", fat guys like
> me taking up the space.
> The "roll call" in process did reveal to me that there are many on the
> list who are mostly in the "learning" mode (as in the Law: "I honor a
> group with my absence if I neither learn nor contribute. If I learn, I
> stay, If I contribute, I stay. But if neither nor, I leave.")
> By the way, I noticed that the email you used in your post varies from
> the one in your info box in the Open Space World Map...let me know if
> you would like to have it adjusted).
> Greetings from Berlin
> mmp
> 
> Michael Dobbie wrote:
>> hello all!
>>     just for the record (so my voice is somehow captured on this
topic)...
>>     
>>     in all these years on the list (maybe 8 or 9 years now of mostly just
>> having to listen) i have not found this listserve and it's format to be
>> welcoming to me (easy to use) in a way that "invites" me to contribute
much
>> at all, 
>>     i look forward to moving this list along (away from this cumbersome,
>> difficult to read boise listserve system) into something more ning-like
(but
>> hopefully better),
>>     thank you all for your efforts and looking forward to more
conversation
>> with you all, 
>>     michael (here in australia for the next 3 months if you're nearby and
>> want to meet up somewhere)
>>     
>> http://twitter.com/cuixote
>>  
>> 
>> Date:    Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:47:07 -0700
>> From:    Harold Shinsato <harold at shinsato.com>
>> Subject: Re: re honouring each other
>> 
>> Denise,
>> 
>> Just a quick note - "into deeper cyber realms" - is not what I would
>> think is the intent to improve things.
>> 
>> When things are improved - it should be easier, lighter, more
>> transparent.    YES!!!
>> 
>> The "deeper cyber realms" sounds to me rather scary.
>> For many - and myself as well - the OSList is actually a bit forbidding.
>> Not just technologically. I was scared to post for years.
>> 
>>     Harold
>> 
>> Date:    Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:36:52 -0600
>> From:    Michael Herman <michael at michaelherman.com>
>> Subject: Re: re honouring each other
>> 
>> ....We have been here for a long time, and it is difficult to move into a
>> new house.*      WHY?
>> 
>> murli nagasundaram is the guy who first invited us (here) to boise state,
>> and has been the nominal owner as far as the boise state list admin folks
>> are concerned.  my earliest observation in this thread, about the oslist
>> ownership, was just to point out that if boise state decided to change
their
>> systems, we have no control at all over that.  for now, we are just lucky
>> that we have murli -- and also lucky that the admin guys like him/us well
>> enough that we've worked out an arrangement through which the admin guys
>> will to look after us, even if murli were to leave the uni.
>> 
>> so none of us really owns the oslist, and for the last 13 years, it is
>> working just fine.      for who ????????????
>> 
>> 
>> to paraphrase ralph, the space doesn't care who owns it.  m
>>     SOME OF US DO CARE
>> 
>> *
>> *
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>> 

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