[OSList] Poke the Open Space Box

Tue May 17 13:19:02 PDT 2011

Hi Phelim,

Thank you for your insights about being an inside facilitator. Very 
enlightening! :)

Michaels comments are also right on the mark. Great exchange, made me 
learn a few things today for which I am grateful :)

Warmly from a somewhat chilly Utrecht,

Koos

At 10:43 17-5-2011, Phelim wrote:
>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>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
>
>________________________________
>
>I generally pick up emails only at the beginning and end of the 
>working day. I am currently aiming to respond the following day. If 
>it is urgent please call me on 07956 187298.
>_____________________________________
>
><http://www.improbable.co.uk>www.improbable.co.uk
>@openspacer
>
>
>On 17 May 2011, at 00:37, Harold Shinsato 
><<mailto:harold at shinsato.com>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
>><mailto:harold at shinsato.com>harold at shinsato.com
>>http://shinsato.com
>>twitter: <http://twitter.com/hajush>@hajush
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