[OSList] Signing up for sessions

Fri Nov 25 04:52:02 PST 2011

A few reasons I have loved the signing up, from the physical rubbing of
shoulders as people write their names, all at the same time, bumping into
each other, craning their neck to see, up high on their toes for some, as
they watch the names populate the "big white sheets". Sometimes, they need
to gently push their way through and often I see them taking a second look
when lots of names appear there. I cannot know what motivates where they
will sign up; I just know that there is a lot of freedom and choosing
starting to happen; something that doesn't often happen in our traditional
world.

And finally, I also feel the great joy of those who step forward, many for
the first time in their own leadership, talking out loud, announcing a
topic and then realizing how many were attracted and signed up.  It's the
first validation that yes, my ideas do matter!  And to know that others are
seeing it too is also exhilarating in an ego/non-ego sort of way.  And
then, all day, through the event  it feels that the wall, a marketplace
with lots of topics and people whose names appear are all interconnected
and interwoven. The beginning of community and collaborative action is on
that wall.

I smile remembering my young 10-year-old niece posting her topic "How can I
help the earth" attracting 3 adult men, one a PhD scientist, another a
senior account, and then her 32 yr old cousin.  She still talks about that
event. She's 12 now. I have pictures of her post with the names and
pictures of her capturing the summary notes, participating as much as they
much older guys.

I have felt the signing up energy at the wall most as a participant.  When
I am the facilitator, I  always escape away from the marketplace wall,
somewhere in some far off corner of the room so that people can
self-organize in this beautiful first chaos. I will have shared about this
chaos ahead of time with the host and will have mentioned it as I opened
space that it will be messy but fun!  The hosts and leaders often struggle
when they experience this for the first time and I always hope they might
remember that we talked about it during our planning sessions -- the
benefits, the self-organizing and yes the mess and leaving it as it is

Afterwards...later I walk back to the wall, often taking photos, and I feel
such energy on that wall. The photos after the event is over, bring the
essence of participation, they show a life with great topics and many
people having signed up as if to say: "I'm in!"

I love it when the wall stays exactly as it is when, messy with topics all
over.  More often than not, organizers, hosts or participants come order
the mess. It seems the tug of order and control is too great; somehow I
just love the creative energy of it the other way but I never say a thing
about it. I just let whatever happen, happen. My job is picking up coffee
cups.

And then for the matter of the higher-ups in the hierarchy whose voices are
the ones who are most often heard -- those who get to create and invent
topics on how we run the organization, I can't tell you how often it has
happened that fewer names appear on their sheets.   I have not seen a
pattern where people rush to sign there.  Somehow it feels as if there is a
moment of decision where people are truly starting to feel equal and
deciding what matters most. I have seen reflective leaders and experts;
even felt their disappointment that fewer than they expected signed up for
their topics.  They seem to do a second take, shifting inside then looking
again at the topics on the wall. There is leadership on that wall,
unfiltered leadership in the making, not as interpreted by others which is
the way of our hierarchy. It is the first taste a the leadership that will
emerge over the course of their event. It starts at that bazaar wall.

So perhaps some will say I read too much into this.  And perhaps I do but
because I have worked in the traditional organizations for so many years
and have heard the pain and longing of people wanting to engage in the big
issues/topics of the business and not being invited. I have witnessed the
hesitancy of people to speak up and speak out often never going beyond that
fear.  I know that each little piece and morsel of this very simple and
magical process of Open Space can be so powerful.  Under the surface of a
marketplace wall and the Law of 2 feet, major shifts start to happen.

So in terms of one less thing to do, I plan to continue to place the cups
on the floor with the waiting pens. And on the safety side, because yes, I
have worried about having pens on the floor rolling all over, I started
putting bunches of them in many big red plastic cups along the wall and
seems that people get the idea. They sign up and put the pen back in the
cups.

Oh how I love this process of Open Space; thanks for reminding me again
through this wonderful post.

Suzanne

On Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 6:51 AM, Ulrika Eklund <ulrika.eklund at telia.com>wrote:

> I smile when I read your fourth point. The struggle. I recognize it
> myself. J Its so easy to get going and trying to guess what people want
> and don’t want. Also easy to start to try to read peoples thoughts.
> Starting to value. And the only thing that happen is that I myself get
> frustrated. Instead of holding the space, trusting the people that follow
> their passion and responsibility. Nowadays when I let go and trust – the
> outcome is amazing and it’s so much more energy saving J ****
>
> ** **
>
> Wish you all a great weekend****
>
> Ulrika ****
>
> ** **
>
> *Från:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:
> oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *För *Rob van der Eyden
> *Skickat:* den 23 november 2011 12:08
> *Till:* 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
> *Ämne:* Re: [OSList] Signing up for sessions****
>
> ** **
>
> Hello all,****
>
> ** **
>
> I still wanted to share some of my experiences in the Open Space I
> facilitated a couple a weeks ago. The event was a ‘Veranderdiner’
> (Changediner) that we organize a couple a times a year for a network of
> people interested in behavioral change. Topic this time was: ‘What can I do
> to make the world a better place?’.  About 20 people showed up.****
>
> ** **
>
> We had positive reactions on the event, lively conversations, new people
> met. Valuable experience gained in facilitating an Open Space. All good.
> About the Open Space ‘technique’:****
>
> **·         **We asked the participants to set up the circle of chairs
> for them self. Worked really well.****
>
> **·         **The agenda we had lying on floor in the middle of the
> circle. After a short introduction, I asked the participants for their
> topics / sessions. Lot of (very diverse) topics were raised, each put an a
> paper. Each paper was put somewhere at the agenda, but mostly not at a
> specific location / timeslot. That was probably because I did not put
> post-its on the agenda, that could be taken by everyone that wanted to host
> a session (so will do that next time). So we ended with a stack of topics
> suggested to be discussed, but no agenda yet…****
>
> **·         **So on to ‘signing up’: based on the discussion on the OS
> List, I decided to ask the participants to sign up for the topics they were
> interested in by putting their name on that paper. Result? Nobody did that,
> but the buzz did certainly get going. And probably a bit different than it
> should, because we did not have clear topics assigned to location/timeslot.
> I ‘managed to’ leave it to the group to figure it out. There were some
> participants that started trying to organize the whole thing (“let’s do it
> like this…”), but in some way several groups formed about some topics
> (which were probably all different from the ones posted in the first run)
> and they got to work and have a good time.****
>
> **·         **I did feel some struggle within me during the event. Before
> we got started one of the participants told me about a (to me very good and
> clear) topic he wanted to discuss, but for some reason he did not raise it
> in the group, but chose to raise another topic (to me very vague). I felt
> some regret, decided to let it go, but when another topic related topic
> came up, I did make a reference. That went nowhere, so probably I should
> have stayed out in the first place. Later when I listened in to some of the
> conversations, I got the feeling that some participants were more involved
> than others, so I started wondering ‘why don’t they use their 2 feet?’ and
> ‘should I remind them about that possibility?’ I did not. Any other
> experiences on that? I had the idea that participants still feel it as not
> done / not polite to leave a session…  Guess I am still trying to find the
> balance letting the group do it themselves and trying to influence / taking
> care of the participants ****
>
> **·         **We closed with a nice ‘talking stick’ closing circle with
> warm reactions. ****
>
> ** **
>
> So probably I did not do it all by the book, but still I look back to a
> great event and am looking forward to try again ;-)****
>
> ** **
>
> Again: thank you all for sharing your thoughts on signing up earlier.****
>
> ** **
>
> Best regards, Rob           ****
>
> ** **
>
> *Van:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:
> oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *Namens *Rob van der Eyden
> *Verzonden**:* dinsdag 8 november 2011 21:30
> *Aan:* 'World wide Open Space Technology email list'
> *Onderwerp:* Re: [OSList] Signing up for sessions****
>
> ** **
>
> Wow! How good to see how ‘alive’ this open space community is. Thank you
> all for all your valuable thoughts on signing up. I will try to find my way
> based on your suggestions and I will share my experiences with you
> afterwards.****
>
> ** **
>
> Best regards, Rob****
>
> De Veranderarchitect B.V.****
>
> Rob A.I. van der Eyden
> *"Change is disturbing when it is done to us, exhilerating when it is
> done by us" (K. Moss Kanter)*
> Parkietstraat 30, 1171 HV  Badhoevedorp
> *M*: +31 (0)6 512 72 127
> robvandereyden at veranderarchitect.nl
> www.veranderarchitect.nl****
>
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-- 
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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