OST training and "certification"

Tue May 25 20:07:40 PDT 2010

over time, i've gone from hosting programs, to teaching a practice, to
working with people to make facilitation decisions -- so that by the time
they get into open space as the facilitator, that's just a continuation of a
decision-making process we started together.  i want them to know how to
think differently about what their options are in every moment of their
facilitating, how to keep inviting responsibility and keep disappearing.

in the beginning, i hosted harrison in chicago and we often called it
'training.'  like you say, lisa, it's what people understood at the time.
it was half a dozen storytelling sessions led by harrison with big chunks of
open space, three separate "events," that i facilitated in teh middle.  i
liked that the third of these was an all-day event and we invited
"outsiders" (not in the training) to come for just that one day.  that gave
them a taste of os, and it gave those who'd been with us for two days a
chance to begin to retell harrison's stories with their own twist -- and to
start making open space plans for themselves.

after that i ran 2- and 3-day programs with oslist friends and colleagues
around the world, which we called "practice workshops" and "practice
retreats."  the more connected participants were to each other, and the more
"real" situations in which that they wanted to open space, the better it
seemed to go.  the emphasis was on the "open space as a practice in
invitation," the program had two or three big chunks of open space, and
participants were invited to work out plans (invite, invite lists, logistics
and documentation) for specific events.  we always addressed both sides of
inviting:  how to do inviting and how to be inviting as a leader or
facilitator in open space.

for the last several years, i've done almost exclusively one-on-one
coaching, or partnering, working through decisions with people facilitating
their first os (or just a more complex situation than they've seen before).
it's still about practice, but more specific.  i'm mostly listening to
people's situations, talking through options, considering merits and
implications of those options, explaining my recommendations or biases, but
then they always make their own choices.  i insist on working with real
situations, so there's real pressure to make those choices for the best.  i
think that helps people focus on the options and remember the roads not
taken, for next time they have to choose.  then they get real consequences,
feedback, results -- which we also talk through, afterward.

so that's how i'm thinking about what we do as os facilitators, what i think
might make us different:  we make decisions moment to moment (now?),
responding to whatever happens, whatever is, rather than following or trying
to always fight our way back to the pre-set plan or pre-determined result.
we keep trying to disappear, to get out of the way, to let others do more,
and to make their own choices, about whatever is.

m

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates

http://www.michaelherman.com
http://www.ronanparktrail.com
http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org
http://www.openspaceworld.org

312-280-7838 (mobile)

On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 5:25 PM, Lisa Heft <lisaheft at openingspace.net>wrote:

> *
> Always a good conversation, this one.
>
> My experience is that some people can learn from the book, others best
> learn experientially (doing and being, and by interacting with others),
> others learn through the sharing and telling of stories, and so on.
> Some of our ways of 'teaching' Open Space involve all of these.
> Some of our workshops focus specifically on the inner work of holding
> space, some of us teach the logistics and 'nuts-and-bolts', some explore
> elements of invitation and inclusion, some do not.
>
> Just like anything you may be interested in spending some money on - it's a
> great thing to investigate - to find out if the contents and workshop style
> fit one's needs, expectations, desired outcomes and learning styles.
>
> I figure it's all good if the learner wants to do it, if it is made
> accessible to the learner, and if nobody implies that you need to go to
> anybody's training in order to be able to do Open Space.
>
> I myself do not call it a training except when using that
> universally-understood word will best communicate.  I call my workshops Open
> Space Learning Workshops - because we are always learning, from one another.
>
> I feel that -implying- that one needs to earn a certificate in order to be
> able to do Open Space reduces universal access and inclusion.
> It would mean that you have to get somewhere specific, pay something
> specific and somehow be measured or approved or complete something in order
> to facilitate Open Space.
>
> However I have found that in some cultures and countries people really need
> to show official-looking paperwork and documentation.  In those cases, upon
> request, I will create a custom-made certificate for someone with whatever
> they feel is useful on there.  More like a certificate of having taken a
> course than a certificate of mastery, for example. Because I feel that Open
> Space - like life - is lifelong learning - learning from each other at all
> levels rather than a 'mastery' situation.
>
> I also feel strongly that anyone who wishes to come to a workshop to learn
> Open Space should be able to, regardless of level of income - it's the
> access thing.
> So for my own workshops I offer several levels of pricing including a
> pay-whatever-is-the-most-that-you-can price set by the learner.  I also
> locate the workshops where there are public transit options, super-low-cost
> accommodation, and more - so learners with lower financial abilities can
> feel as much ease coming to a learning experience as the others.
>
> What do others do?
>
> Lisa
>
>
> *
> *Lisa Heft*
> Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
> *Opening Space*
> lisaheft at openingspace.net
> www.openingspace.net
> *
> *
> *
> Ask me about the Open Space Learning Workshops - October 15-18, 2010 -
> Medellin, Colombia and December 15-17, 2010 - San Francisco
>
>
> *
>
> * * ==========================================================
> 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
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20100525/aa2ddc1e/attachment-0016.htm>