Not ideal but worth the effort

[Jaime Pedreros]

Dear Suzanne and colleagues,



What a wonderful experience and my deepest thanks for sharing it. This forum
is a vivid example of an open space.



Last Wednesday I went to a closing session for a training program conducted
here in La Paz, Bolivia by marvellous Kristina Nauditt and Gerd
Wermerkirsch. Unfortunately I could not participate for the whole program
(later on I realized I would have been a space invader). What I saw was
amazing: participants deeply involved and enthusiastic, passionate about the
topics they had chosen; one young participant mentioned what is a
cathedral-like truth related to the role of the facilitator: *“always
present but absolutely invisible”* A young girl at her turn talked about
themes which OST should and should not be applied to, At that moment I
decided to talk and raised my hand. My first words were to introduce myself
as a “passionate, enthusiastic, lover at first sight (doobee, doobee doo…
Hello Blue Eyes), addicted and similar adjectives to Open Space. Referring
to what I learnt in these almost ten years practicing OST, I mentioned that
there are not suitable or non suitable “themes” for OST but circumstances
(no main subject, known answers, stakeholders/executives wishing to be in
control) that make OST “non advisable” and even under those circumstances,
who knows… Kristina asked me to tell something about my experiences with
OST. I remembered my first event, for which I was a little nervous but eager
to start it anyway(only 5 people), no matter I was not prepared nor received
formal training; just took part as participant and got astonishingly
captured by OST. I also remembered my second one, perhaps one of the most
touching events I have ever conducted: 190 members of a political party (in
power those days). I had only three hours for having them demonstrate
themselves the power of determination and vision for consensus building in a
highly conflictive environment. Participants gave me more than six hours,
ended absolutely convinced of their strengths and showed real emotion during
the closing circle. Many of them had other things to do that Saturday and
wanted to continue… the space was opened.



My reflections coincide with those of Harrison. Trying to organize or
control a self organizing system is like trying to put traffic lights,
traffic guards or traffic signs in a FI race circuit. Another topic relates
to the leadership style of the facilitator. Some time ago I came to learn
more about leadership styles and got acquainted with the Hersey-Blanchard
model related to situational leadership. My own style is 90% laissez faire
and the remaining 10% is participative-democratic and this has helped me a
lot. To explain the principles and the rule, the market place and other
logistic aspects, I usually go a bit authoritarian; afterwards, my LF spirit
takes over me… that’s magic.


Well, thanks again to Kristina and Gerd; thanks to all of you for that
amazing “soul-strip-tease” and for having read me up to here!

Warm regards from a little warming-weather La Paz



Jaime

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