Not ideal but worth the effort

Suzanne Daigle sdaigle4 at gmail.com
Sat Sep 5 07:49:16 PDT 2009


Harrison -
Inviting people to live the Open Space principles and the Law of 2 Feet
throughout the conference and beyond was my invitation. Doug said it was a
little sneaky; Harrison said the whole thing becomes rather subversive:
"Stealth OST". No criticism intended and none taken on my part. But it got
me thinking and then grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Well the irony of it all is that OST is all about that. The beauty is its
simplicity and covertness.  It worked for me by awakening my activist soul
and putting the conformist me in a box somewhere. Being French, I'd say that
OST can be the Bastille of Independence, Freedom, and Choice...the thing
that awakens the dormant "passion" and "personal responsibility" in
individuals. Society and companies do not easily embrace the chaos,
confusion and conflict that you describe in Wave Ride often preferring the
Closed System Hoax with its illusion of control and predictability rather
than the messy alternative. Not working so well these days though!

Now back to those 4 simple principles with the Law of 2 Feet, the Butterfly
and the Bumble Bee and what they stir "inside" people when you let yourself
experience them cause you can't really know it by reading it. They awaken
feelings, emotions, connections, thinking on a more conscious and
unconscious level, listening, participating, sharing, authenticity, fun and
the list goes on -- all of the stuff that we are taught to control and
contain. And then surprise, once that's released, creativity emerges,
purpose, action and results which come under that beautiful law of nature
called self-organizing --nothing new, always been there. OST I think invites
this hope and magic back into our being and our lives.  Sneaky, subversive,
stealth....yes indeed!  Fitting reflections for this Labor Day Weekend 2009!
Thanks guys!

Suzanne


On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 7:46 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

>  Suzanne --
>
>
>
> So you had fun! Great!!  And as I read along I had this strange sense of
> déjà view all over again, to quote the great Yogi. This is where we started
> with improvements!! OST was born out of the recognition that the really
> juicy part of a large conference happened in the coffee breaks, to which I
> would add the bar, long walks,  and just hanging out. Sure there were formal
> presentations and elaborate processes to include people, expand people,
> transform people. But for the most part the formal sessions provided stuff
> we had heard before or could have read in a book, and all the elaborate
> processes seemed great at the start, but simply couldn’t hold a candle
> compared to a good conversation at the bar or wherever.
>
>
>
> My learning from your experience for which I thank you – is that the good
> old informal, self organizing system is alive and well, and it will function
> regardless of all efforts to structure and control. And if you offer a
> little support (your “anywhere, anytime sessions”) it only gets better. Doug
> is right – the whole thing becomes rather subversive. You might call it
> Stealth OST.
>
>
>
> My real learning is that we haven’t invented a thing. “It” (self organizing
> systems) always was. We may acknowledge its presence, support its process,
> but at the end of the day – it will do just fine all by itself. Of course it
> would feel better if folks stopped trying to organize a self organizing
> system.
>
>
>
> Harrison
>
>
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave
>
> Camden, ME 04843
>
> 207-763-3261 (Summer)
>
> 301-365-2093 (Winter)
>
> Website www.openspaceworld.com
>
> Personal Website www.ho-image.com
>
> OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>   ------------------------------
>
> *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Suzanne
> Daigle
> *Sent:* Thursday, September 03, 2009 6:00 PM
> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> *Subject:* Not ideal but worth the effort
>
>
>
> Back from Boston after facilitating “A *Taste* of Open Space” at the NAMAC
> (National Alliance for Media, Arts and Culture) Conference.  This was my
> first large event (300+ participants); did not have that much lead time to
> prepare; and the circumstances were less than ideal: blended with workshops,
> no opportunity to sit in a circle and for a while, I worried about wall
> space and ability to use masking tape on the walls of this ornate room in a
> historical hotel. We used blue painters’ tape.
>
> Looking back, I would not have traded a minute of this experience. Yes, it
> could have been so much better but ultimately it was worth it based on the
> number of conversations (20 – 25…more?) over the 3 days of the conference.
> I had 90 minutes on the first morning with the plenary group to OPEN SPACE:
> announce the OS question tied to their theme (Lisa Heft was so helpful in
> offering some ideas with lots of other invaluable tips too), to explain the
> principles and the Law, to build an agenda, and  to open a marketplace.
> Within an hour, no less than 15 groups were talking.  I called it the Speed
> Dating of OPEN SPACE clearly indicating that this was just a “TASTE of Open
> Space”. I said it would be an opportunity for them to find each other
> quickly by connecting with others who shared their passion on common
> topics.
>
> I thought I would be a basket case but somehow having meditated twice daily
> for the 10 days preceding this event, rehearsing on my outside patio over
> and over, scouring Diane Gibeault’s training materials, reading everything I
> could get my hands on and seeking help from some OS trusted friends who were
> so very generous, I felt calm, clear and grounded.  It wasn’t about me; it
> was about the participants! The night before, working with a few volunteers,
> I took the time to quietly walk the room and did so again the next morning.
> And I thought of this audience and my passion for their cause – free press,
> documentary film producers, youth, arts, media, culture, democracy, etc.
>  The hardest part was not having the circle and people writing and posting
> the topics at the back of the room. Clearly all the OS practitioners are
> right that you NEED a circle to keep the energy focused in the middle in
> spite of the fact that I had them visualize a giant circle as part of my
> intro. Not the same…at all!  As people were writing and announcing their
> topics, many started conversations around their tables and I had to bring
> them back to attention a few times.  I feel we could have had 60 to 75
> topics in those first 15 minutes instead of the 30 we got.  Others topics
> were added later and some folks posted Summary Reports from their
> discussions.
>
> Over the 3 days, there were six 90 minute OS timeslots on the program not
> including the Closing (no circle there either).  What I invited people to do
> was to live the 4 Principles of OS and the Law of 2 Feet  (Butterfly and
> Bumble Bee) throughout the conference and even beyond.  We had blank post-it
> notes so they could schedule their sessions anytime, anywhere and they did:
> in the coffee shop, in the bar (15 people form 10 pm until past midnight),
> early morning and lunchtime as well as in the assigned locations in our
> plenary room which became the OPEN SPACE hub. What they said they
> appreciated most was the gift of choice and freedom.
>
> As I watched the conversations happening from afar, I felt such gratitude
> to have had the courage to do this. People came by to share quietly as I
> cleaned up coffee cups, trash, etc.  The feedback was extremely positive and
> while I know it could have been better, my commitment to be “opening space”
> for people wherever and however I can from the heart is what drives me now.
>  Yes I will always push for optimal conditions as I feel I must. But if I
> can’t get there, I will just try to do my best and not shut the door.   If
> anyone wants to know more, I’ll gladly share all that I lived and felt
> during those three days.  I owe so much to this community. Thank you
> everyone.
>
> Link to some of the NAMAC OS photos:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/namac/page5/
>
> Suzanne
> --
> Suzanne Daigle
> NuFocus Strategic Group
> 7159 Victoria Circle
> University Park, FL 34201
> FL 941-359-8877;  CT 203-722-2009
> www.nufocusgroup.com
> s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
>
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-- 
Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
7159 Victoria Circle
University Park, FL 34201
FL 941-359-8877;  CT 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com

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