[OSList] 12-15 people: the dynamics

[Lisa Heft]

Hi, Dan -

Whether small or large groups, it sounds like there are some very  
specific interpersonal dynamics going on here.

Open Space - and all dialogue work - is so much more than the meeting  
itself or the method used. And the meeting is an event that is part of  
a living system and a chain of interactions, events and behaviors,  
right?

Upon reflection - do you feel there is anything you could have done  
differently in the invitation, the nature of invitation, in doing all  
your investigation work as you analyzed before choosing the dialogue  
tool (objectives, context, culture, what will happen before and after,  
underlying issues and events, how this event fits into the culture or  
work plan or interaction of a group, power dynamics...) and those  
million other things one investigates, designs for, takes into  
consideration and receives information about as part of the pre-work?

And: do you have any reflections about the way you open and frame  
things and introduce the task folks are working on for the day - your  
languaging, the way you create the invitational space - that you might  
do differently?

I am not saying that you are the reason for any of this.  But of  
course there are many times when we cannot change a system or a  
situation - however we can change our own way of naming, interacting,  
navigating. And as Open Space is more than the tasks of Open Space -  
as it includes the facilitator's pre-work, interaction with client,  
extensive pre-work and yes as you are saying, presence during the  
event itself. Perhaps there are things you felt you did really well  
and things you noticed in these realms?

Cheers from Córdoba,
Lisa


Lisa Heft
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
Opening Space
lisaheft at openingspace.net

Ask me about these 2011 workshops for facilitators and others who  
convene people:

On Aug 3, 2011, at 1:03 PM, Dan Mezick wrote:

> I am writing the community to find out if you have seen this pattern  
> with smaller Open Space meetings. I am asking because I am 2 for 2  
> with this pattern, when the group is less than 16 people.
>
> 1. They play along at the Open
> 2. They look at the marketplace and notice it is all mostly one  
> subject
> 3. They all decide to meet for this 'one big session' (self  
> organizing)
> 4. It starts to zoom in on authority, and have a tone of challenging/ 
> questioning the formal authority, usually the Director/ Team Lead role
> 5. It causes some anxiety, mixed feelings/a problem for the  
> facilitator
> 6. What happens next is anyone's guess
>
> Questions:
>
> 1. Have you seen this
> 2. Is this a commonly understood pattern
> 3. If you have experienced this, when you experience it, what do you  
> do... in that spot
> 4. If I ad facilitator judge the situation  as "tipping into chaos",  
> is it bad form to intervene
>
> Staying out of it is more than a little difficult to do. A range of  
> feeling comes up as facilitator...
>
> Summary:
>
> They self-organize, into one big session. They just all decide to do  
> this, (so far, looks OK per OST ground rules...) then it takes on  
> this dump-on-authority tone. The tone can be considered  
> insubordinate to some observers and participants. The "discussion"  
> is usually well within the stated theme for the OST meeting.
>
> This appears to be a small-group pattern. I have no idea what the  
> upper end of the range might be, I have seen it in groups up to 16  
> people.
>
> Your wise counsel is requested, if you have directly experienced this.
>
> Regards,
> Dan
>
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