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

Mon Jun 20 12:05:03 PDT 2011

Hi Suzanne,

I have just read both your emails and my smile got bigger and bigger, so happy 
about this great outcome and recognizing the dare devil in you, mixed with a 
heart of overflowing generosity. You are an example for us all in letting go. 
Handing over the facilitation of the process for a group of 150 plus to someone 
new to the process and going many many extra miles to support him in the 
learning on the way, speaks volumes about your deep understanding of OS and the 
integration of its principles in your core, in your life. 

And then, to have set up such great technological support to capture the 
excitement and the results! Well that is the cherry on the Sunday.

Hope you have a good rest while still enjoying the high of your experience.

Amitié,

Diane

________________________________
From: Suzanne Daigle <sdaigle4 at gmail.com>
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
Sent: Fri, June 17, 2011 12:50:10 AM
Subject: Re: [OSList] Sharing the pre-work of our New Jersey upcoming event

Hi again everyone!

The New Jersey event held on June 14th and 15th was absolutely amazing. 

For once, I don't feel I can describe what happened in New Jersey.  It is beyond 
words.   And somehow I feel that the success, intensity and excitement of this 
event belongs to all of you in this worldwide community.  I know that what 
happened in New Jersey happens in so many places all around the world.  I feel 
so grateful and connected to all of you in the process of doing this work. 

To hear people describe how they feel when they are in open space engaged in 
topics that they are passionate about defies words. I will never tire of hearing 
them describe their experiences.

The stats can only give one sliver of description of what happened at this 2-day 
event: 150 diverse people in attendance, many on a wait list, 73 topics posted; 
50+ summary reports and they're still coming in; hundreds of photos, lots of 
tweets, about 25 or more video interviews and a book of proceedings of nearly 
110 pages. All of this in 2 short (or long) days.  Many volunteers, a dedicated 
committee, the best partner ever (Chuni Li) plus many others (most of all the 
participants!) created the magic. 

Rather than me describing more, I invite you to check these sample videos 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0BWV6Vf-E

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFq6NYWb7mg&feature=related.

If you search You Tube and type the key words creativenewjersey, you will find 
20 or 25 more interviews with people talking about "Revitalizing New Jersey 
through Innovation and Creativity". Sprinkled here and there, you will also hear 
how they felt about Open Space.

You can also check the event website  http://creativenj.org/  which gives 
another flavor of what happened.

Sleep deprived these past few days, I could not help but share my awe and 
gratitude with you before catching a few winks.  I will also confide that it was 
tough not facilitating this event, letting the client take on this role that I 
love so much. I had provided him with some behind the scenes coaching. In the 
end, it felt like the right thing to do. Today he kindly sent me a note that 
said: "I now understand why you were a little regretful about not facilitating. 
It was great fun and a real high to see it all happen so brilliantly. It could 
be very addictive." In my mind's eye, I smile remembering the people lined up by 
his side to announce their topics and later seeing him pick up coffee cups and 
arranging the chairs in the circles for evening news and closing circle. I 
believe we may well have another facilitator in our midst. Life will never quite 
be the same for him as indeed it has never been quite the same for me and many 
of you.

Thank you dear friends for being there always, wherever you are on this planet, 
as I once again share with you how I feel and what I have lived these past few 
days. 

Suzanne 

On Sun, Jun 12, 2011 at 5:10 PM, Suzanne Daigle <sdaigle4 at gmail.com> wrote:

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. 
>
>
>
>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. Theirgoal 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
>
>

-- 
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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