[OSList] Poke the Open Space Box

[Lisa Heft]

Ms. Suzanne and others -
I have a question - Suzanne's post invites it but I welcome anyone  
responding as this is a greater conversation than just a few of us.
You mention explaining the unexplainable (for people who have not yet  
experienced the model). My question is... why do we have to explain  
process to prospective clients at all?

My experience is that few clients are 'into' process - they are  
focused on what can help their situation / productivity / teamwork and  
so on. The 'what', not the 'how'.

In facilitation - with any method or tool - in my experience it's not  
the tool or method that excites most clients and invites them to say  
'yes' to what they cannot yet see - it is conversations about the  
deliverables, the possibilities, the analysis of their need, situation  
and desired outcomes - listening to their story of what they  
perceive... all about what they *do* know.  On my side, I am listening  
for the context, the story-behind-the-story, and I am asking all the  
many questions that inform my eventual selection of process / tool,  
Open Space or otherwise.  That interchange, creation of the initial  
picture, and discussion of what is realistically achievable via one or  
more meetings - plus their intuitive sense for the chemistry with /  
style of the facilitator and the trust-building in those conversations  
- seems to be how clients select a facilitator and partner with them  
in planning, preparing and inviting for a dialogue-based meeting. No?

Looking forward to your thoughts, my colleagues,
Lisa

On May 18, 2011, at 9:27 AM, Suzanne Daigle wrote:

> <snip>
>
> Oh Donna, thank you, thank you for this post.  In the spirit of  
> abundance and collaboration, I always imagine that we will  
> individually and collectively uncoil the Dragon Lizard from off our  
> hearts and throats together as a community, knowing the  
> possibilities and joy that await clients who ultimately say “yes”  
> instead of “no”.  It means going into this with a humble beginner’s  
> mind, in conversations where the clients are,  in language that is  
> familiar to them, with an invitation to participate that is never  
> forced, imposed or selling. The conundrum is that we don’t even want  
> to talk about Open Space. Yet we must because it is so foreign from  
> how people currently manage, host meetings, and organize conferences  
> and events.  How can anyone ever imagine the possibility of  
> transforming a highly energized coffee break into a way of doing  
> business, running our organizations and achieving results? It defies  
> logic.
>
<snip>

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

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