[OSList] Poke the Open Space Box

[Phelim]

Hi Harold,

Aha.. Yes I have my special edition of Seth's "Poke the box." complete with "No Free Lunch," poster! His challenges are pretty useful to entertain. What you talk about is pretty much how I got into open space. I started doing it because I saw some situations I wished were better and followed the recipe. Requests to do open space gigs followed elsewhere. This month we will be doing one of our regular OS evening events for the arts world about what happens now that our  arts funding cuts announcements have happened. Here's the link to the invite.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=a5189ca3fc76859d6e74c21e3&id=863ec71dce&e=a24d55ee54

We set up one every month and partner up with a venue who usually support the event by giving us the space. They get to meet a passionate theatre crowd and call there own issues if they desire.  The following month it's going to be about the conflicting issues around theatre critics and new theatre bloggers who come see theatre shows before they open. Very juicy. Recent topics have been: women in theatre, queer theatre, theatre architecture, puppetry in theatre etc.. Sometimes we leave a slot totally open for people to just bring up anything they are devoted or disgruntled about. If we notice an issue that's in the air we often approach someone who feels strongly about it to write the invite. Someone who we know will pull people in. Sometimes we ask two people to write the invite to get more diversity in the reach. Overall this feeds into our big annual Devoted and Disgruntled and keeps the gathering new faces as well as regulars. Our smaller evening open spaces are also a great training dojo for new people in the company to facilitate. 

When I came to San Fransisco Wosonos I was surprised by some people's strong reaction to the idea of me facilitating open spaces that were about my own issue. I remember someone jokingly making the sign of the cross at me (like you do to vampires) when I said I myself was going to facilitate an OS for a big show I was going to be directing. 

Now I understand the impulse. I think it's one about knowing that a big ingredient of good facilitation is detachment... From outcomes and things going well etc. But I just think it's not true that you can't do that around your own work. One of the reasons I recognised I'd been working in OS for years was the similarity in OS and stage improvisation skills. The fact is you just can't do good improvised scenes if you want them to turn out good! You have to drop your plan or agenda. It's not possible. So the practice is how to be happy about whatever outcome there is and stay present. The origin of it is probably the situation where the big boss wants to facilitate cos she wants to push an agenda. So we suggest.. no it's best if someone who isn't so invested holds the space.

However I sometimes wonder if this idea has created an unconscious "middle man" distancing us from our own passions in our work. Or the idea that the open spaces we do are dependent on there being a client out there. 

Anyway I agree with Seth. Harrison has said it too and Barry in different ways..  don't wait for a client to create your business. Be your business. Poke that box and go create some space!

Love

Phelim 

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On 17 May 2011, at 00:37, Harold Shinsato <harold at shinsato.com> wrote:

> I just read this in Seth Godin's latest tract - "Poke the Box". I've heard occasionally that some folks are having trouble making ends meet as Open Space Technology facilitators. Yet others seem to be doing ok. I've been wishing I could do this full time - go out - get clients - and facilitatre OST conferences full time - but Seth's quote kind of threw that back at me.
> 
> 
> "My friend Jessica wants to be a conference organizer. You can hire her and she'll sweat every single detail of your event. Give her the attendee list, the venue, and the agenda, and the conference will go off without a hitch.
> 
> "The problem with this plan is that it involves being picked by the event promoter. If she gets picked often, it's a fine living. If she can negotiate a fair payday, it's a fine living. But Jessica must pitch the promoter, hat in hand.
> 
> "So... why not be the promoter, the initiator, the one in charge and responsible?"
> 
>    - Seth Godin, Poke the Box, p. 25
> 
> 
> This sounds a lot more like the spirit of OST than going out looking for clients who want to do OST events. This is very personal for me as Missoula BarCamp's OST event happens on Saturday. I went out and just got it started - but it's not exactly a money maker at this point. But what Seth says, just initiating cool OST events, sounds a lot more juicy than trying to pitch OST facilitation.
> 
> Any enlightenment anyone? What's the path to abundant full time Open Space living?
> 
> -- 
> Harold Shinsato
> harold at shinsato.com
> http://shinsato.com
> twitter: @hajush
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