Not ideal but worth the effort

douglas germann 76066.515 at compuserve.com
Mon Sep 7 10:43:42 PDT 2009


Suzanne--

How inspiring you are! I especially like "Seems that we've forgotten
that sitting in a circle, having simple conversations about stuff that
matters, is action and leads to action."

"I will figure this out so MORE people get to Sit in a circle, etc.
etc." Please share with us from time to time what ways you figure out,
Suzanne! We all need your inspiration!

			:- Doug.

On Fri, 2009-09-04 at 09:21 -0400, Suzanne Daigle wrote:
> Doug, Harrison, Catherine, Thank you for your comments.  Now here goes
> with what's really bothering me. Four steps: sit in a circle, create
> an agenda, open a market place and go to work!  As I faced this
> challenge in Boston, I looked at those 4 steps worried that I was
> compromising and yes, even betraying OS and this community.   I wrote
> some serious emails to the client explaining that I would not do that
> although I would try to be flexible. I did not know then how it would
> turn out.  Sneaky, stealth OS, I did not plan that cause a big part of
> me wants to be totally authentic.  Actually as I stood reading the
> Principles out loud to the audience that morning, looking at the 2
> Feet, the butterfly and bumble bee, these words just came out of my
> mouth: "Live your conference according to those principles, not just
> in Open Space; meet everywhere and anywhere, use the LAW of 2 feet
> throughout the next 3 days and in your life.  How often do we give
> ourselves permission to choose, really choose. Have fun!".  
> 
> I can remember not too long ago the first time I sat in a circle. I
> was totally stressed, feeling out of control (oh my!) so now I can't
> help but feel compassion and intense frustration because after I
> experienced OS and learned to let go, it's wonderful.  Unfortunately
> people don't know this as they rush through their lives (worse when
> you're in a control/command hierarchy). What action, what end result,
> how do you measure it is what I get asked all the time when I talk
> about OS. Seems that we've forgotten that sitting in a circle, having
> simple conversations about stuff that matters, is action and leads to
> action. 
> 
> The day before the OPEN SPACE event, I took a morning jog in a
> beautiful park on the water.  I smiled quietly at people as I normally
> do, lots of people.  Nobody smiled back. I then watched everyone and
> noticed that no one was even looking at each other, or seeming to
> notice the sunny day, the flowers, the trees, the water, the park.
> After about an hour, perhaps 3 people smiled tentatively.  I was
> scared and so sad.  Then I thought of Open Space and told myself, if I
> need to do this in a conference setting, in a dirt pit or wherever, I
> will figure this out so MORE people get to Sit in a circle, etc. etc.
> etc. 
> 
> Sneaky, Stealth...whatever!  So now you know, that's my hidden agenda!
> And hopefully all I'll be doing is "opening space, holding space and
> closing space" not organizing others. - Suzanne
> 
> 
> On Thu, Sep 3, 2009 at 10:28 PM, douglas germann
> <76066.515 at compuserve.com> wrote:
>         Suzanne--
>         
>         Wonderful! You did it better than well! Courage looks good on
>         you.
>         
>         Please say more about inviting people to open sessions
>         wherever and
>         whenever. It feels very viral, and not at all confined to the
>         times
>         allotted to you. And a little sneaky!
>         
>                                :- Doug.
>         
>         
>         
>         
>         On Thu, 2009-09-03 at 17:59 -0400, Suzanne Daigle wrote:
>         > 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
>         >
>         >
>         
>         > * *
>         ==========================================================
>         > OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>         ------------------------------ To
>         > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
>         archives of
>         > oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>         > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn
>         about
>         > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>         > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>         
>         *
>         *
>         ==========================================================
>         OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>         ------------------------------
>         To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
>         view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>         http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>         
>         To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>         http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 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
> 
> 

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist



More information about the OSList mailing list