[OSList] Signing up for sessions
Harrison Owen
hhowen at verizon.net
Fri Nov 25 05:32:43 PST 2011
Suzanne wrote: “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.”
Nothing wrong with a movement towards Order, I think. After all if that
(order) never happened, we would not be here. But to be really effective, it
is always a dance
order to chaos
chaos to order, and around we go again.
The only time we get into serious problems is when we become stuck on one or
the other. When that happens, the dance is over. Dances do end, but it is
sad when they end prematurely, I think.
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
Camden, Maine 20854
Phone 301-365-2093
(summer) 207-763-3261
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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Suzanne Daigle
Sent: Friday, November 25, 2011 7:52 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Signing up for sessions
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: <tel:%2B31%20%280%296%20512%2072%20127> +31 (0)6 512 72 127
robvandereyden at veranderarchitect.nl
www.veranderarchitect.nl <http://www.veranderarchitect.nl/>
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Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
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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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