making requests of leaders?

Mon Nov 29 13:17:40 PST 2010

I'm 100 per cent with Chris Corrigan on this one.

Regarding senior management's full participation in Open Space, it's one of
those situations when you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. In
such situations my default is "do it", because you're damned anyway (in a
double-bind, if you like) so you might as well "do".

Warm wishes to all from a Siberian Bristol,

Jack

Jack Martin Leith
Creative Activist
Bristol, United Kingdom
Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)
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On 29 November 2010 19:51, Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com> wrote:

> Echoing Michael here...I hear these concerns often, mostly from the sense
> of wanting the event to go well.  My invitation to people is always to just
> let their good judgement guide them in the moment, as that is what everyone
> else will be doing.
>
> IN other situations, I have had sponsors say that they wanted people to
> attend just to observe because participation would be problematic.  This is
> often the case with governments who are using OST for stakeholder
> consultations.  In those cases I always say that there are no "observers" in
> open space and everyone is welcome to attend sessions and post whatever they
> want.  If sponsors don't want people to participate I say that they should
> not invite them.
>
> In that case people are always free to show up and participate or not, but
> there are no different conditions for one set of participants than for
> another.
>
> I can't think of any exceptions I've ever had to this basic principle.
>
> Chris
> ----
> Chris Corrigan
> chris at chriscorrigan.com
> http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>
>
> On 2010-11-29, at 9:19 AM, Michael M Pannwitz wrote:
>
> > Dear Raffi,
> > I put my money on the force of selforganisation.
> >
> > In fact, in the many contacts I had with sponsors (often "leaders",
> "managers") they often asked me
> > --should I wait a bit so others have a chance to voice their topics
> > --should I perhaps not go to the sessions so people can talk freely
> > --should I have some issues up my sleeves in case nobody offers issues
> > --etc.
> > which was often followed by a small talk about the "assumptions" or
> "images" we tend to act on and not on the stuff we are passionate about.
> >
> > I think open space is real life and real conflict and lots of tough stuff
> and shit happens... and it always gets sorted out and my assumption is that
> the sorting out happens more readily if I as facilitator step back and give
> up on control.
> >
> > Have a great day in San Diego, lucky cat
> > mmp
> >
> > Raffi Aftandelian wrote:
> >> Queridos amigos,
> >> Christine, your question about the challenging OST event you are working
> on
> >> encouraged me to post this question today. I've been meaning to put this
> out
> >> for weeks. I'm wondering how much it is a practice for all you to talk
> to or
> >> communicate with leaders and managers who will be attending an OST event
> and
> >> encourage them to *hold back* a little in order to equalize the power
> >> dynamics a little in the OST event.
> >> Specifically by *hold back* I mean:
> >> - asking them to wait a little before posting topics
> >> - for them not to feel like they need to post certain topics
> >> - not to try to steer the conversation, or try to resolve conflicts
> >> and ask them instead to participate as just one more person in the
> group.
> >> This question was inspired by coming across the document "Ground rules
> for
> >> Managers" in Lisa Heft's Open Space Idea Book. In that document, Lisa
> you go
> >> through a number of things that you communicate to leaders and managers
> >> ahead of an OST event, which include the requests above.
> >> When I came across this document in the book a few years back, I was
> >> surprised as I hadn't really heard of such a practice before. And
> finally for the first time I used it recently. I run a bimonthly
> >> Nonviolent Communication community practice event in OST (with one
> small- or
> >> perhaps for some, not so small- change-- we start with a short centering
> >> meditation)
> >> And it's hard to gauge right now if making those requests have helped in
> any
> >> way. The one person who I spoke to the longest about it seemed to ignore
> the
> >> requests in the document (I adapted the document for my situation; and
> the
> >> document explains that this is really something meant to be communicated
> >> orally. Most people I told them briefly about this over the phone or in
> >> person and then sent a full document over email). I'm really excited
> about making those requests in future OST events where it
> >> seems appropriate.
> >> And Lisa especially, I'm wondering that since you self-published the OS
> Idea
> >> Book, if your thinking around making those requests has changed.
> >> Thanks all!
> >> abrazos,
> >> Raffi
> >> *
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> > --
> > Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
> > Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> > ++49-30-772 8000
> > mmpanne at boscop.org
> > www.boscop.org
> >
> >
> > Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 412 resident Open
> Space Workers in 71 countries working in a total of 141 countries worldwide
> > Have a look:
> > www.openspaceworldmap.org
> >
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