[OSList] Sharing the pre-work of our New Jersey upcoming event

Sun Jun 12 14:30:58 PDT 2011

You got it! And it will be fantastic!! - Of course!!! 

"Wherever it happens is the right place." This just could be the 300,001st
sighting of Space Opening. Carry on!

Harrison 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 20854

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Suzanne Daigle
Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2011 5:11 PM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: [OSList] Sharing the pre-work of our New Jersey upcoming event

Dear OS friends and colleagues:

So many times during this project, I have wanted to write to you to share
the exuberance, the challenges, the questioning, the commitment and the awe,
pride and admiration I have felt for everyone involved in the two-day
Creative New Jersey Open Space event scheduled to take place on June 14th
and 15th of this week.  <http://creativenj.org/> 

Check out the site http://creativenj.org/ and to witness what's happening
live this week. You can even twitter if you'd like. Just don't forget to
include #creativenj if you do tweet.

For Chuni Li and me, co-facilitators on this Open Space project with
Creative New Jersey, our work began a little over two months ago. For the
organizing host team, the Vision had started about 18 months ago.

A compelling white paper described the burning platform of a state (like
most across the country) facing enormous economic, social, cultural,
educational and environmental challenges. It spoke of a proud history of
innovation, creativity and success. Their goal was a Call to Action to spark
a movement that recognizes, fosters and sustains creativity and innovation
as catalysts for a vital, prosperous and sustainable New Jersey. 

After an Open Space simulation, introduced as part of our pre-work, the
organizing committee agreed to go with an OS process.  Then began the work
of creating an invitation which led to the theme question: "How can
Creativity and Innovation Revitalize New Jersey?" Excitement was building
with the committee though not without a certain degree of anxiety wondering
how we would attract a group of 150 diverse individuals to commit two full
days in mid-June.  A weekly meeting schedule by conference call was
established with the Host Team taking the lead on most of the pre-work
assignments. With each passing week, the energy and enthusiasm kept
building. Chuni and I became resources, assisting and guiding with the
intention of not only helping them have a successful event but also
transferring knowledge about Open Space, the mechanics and the depth of this
self-organizing leadership process.

Mid-stream, we also decided to call upon Gerry Kirk, from the Scrum
Community, an avid supporter of Open Space, asking him to lead us on the
technology side.  Chuni became his right arm person, avid to learn and do. A
host website with many simple tools was quickly created. Again the mission
was about transferring the learning to the New Jersey team of volunteers.
Now a few days before the event, the conversations are happening on line;
many participants have already posted their profiles and we know that the
site will be a welcoming place for blogs, live twitters, summary reports and
short videos to capture impressions and highlights during the event. It will
also serve as an important vehicle to continue the conversations afterwards
and to share ideas and engage action and to invite more people to join.

Initially the intent was that I would facilitate the event but in the course
of our preparations, a request came asking if we would agree to have Larry
Capo, one of the leads on this project, facilitate.  For a split second I
hesitated but then quickly agreed that yes, this was the way to go. Now as I
listen to Larry counseling others on our weekly conference calls saying
"whatever happens, happens", "letting go is what we need to do " or quoting
a passage in Harrison's Open Space Technology book, I know without a shadow
of a doubt that this was the right decision and that in a different and very
invisible way, I too will be holding space with him, working at the
newsroom. 

Today, a diverse group of nearly 170 people have confirmed from business and
industry, education, arts and culture, science and technology, government,
communities, medical and pharmaceuticals, faith based, media and others. 

As I reflect on what has happened these past few months, I can almost hear
Harrison's voice to us the facilitators of Open Space saying "one less thing
to do" is one more thing the clients can do for themselves.  Chuni and I
have contributed in a different way, wrestling at times as it was not always
easy watching our clients struggle and work as hard as they have.  In the
end, as we look forward to our upcoming event, I feel and hear the pride and
ownership of what has been achieved to date and I can only imagine how
wonderful and great it will be when we get to the end of the closing circle
"when it's over, it's over".   Of course, we will know that it's really just
the beginning . of a transformative change to revitalize New Jersey.

There are no words to express the joy at the emergent collaboration of
working with this wonderful team. Wish us all luck and please hold the space
for us and with us.  Thank you Harrison for your wise counsel and support
along the way; Lisa Heft for your expert guidance on the simulation and
pre-work; and Diane Gibeault, my teacher and friend, for the opportunity to
ponder deeply together and to exchange ideas in Ottawa last week and over
the phone.

Suzanne (with Chuni Li)

-- 
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
twitter @suzannedaigle

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