[OSList] How to prepare to be surprised?

[Christine Whitney Sanchez]

Great personal practices, all.  The first thing that came up for me  
when you asked the question, Harold, was the image of a huge poster  
the Girl Scouts made for the 2005 Open Space for 2,000 delegates to  
the GS national convention.  Although I officially opened the space in  
2005 and Lisa Heft opened the space in 2008, it was truly the large  
group of self-selected leaders who self-organized into teams to  
wrangle all the logistics and create the container, who held the space.

Check-in was one of our core practices in the months of work before  
these large events.  We began the practice in person at the planning  
meetings and continued the practice on the phone.  I first began  
practicing check-in in my days as a Gestalt Group Therapist and have  
found this to be one of the best ways for groups to practice and  
prepare for being surprised.

Of course, the Open Space Institute-US, along with many other groups  
in our open space community also use check-in.  It's the surprises  
that are often the best part of our meetings!

Warm wishes from a warm Phoenix afternoon,
Christine

Christine Whitney Sanchez, Partner
Innovation Partners International
480.759.0262
www.innovationpartners.com


On Apr 4, 2012, at 10:30 AM, Phelim McDermott wrote:

> Harold
>
> I also wrote a blog on the idea of how we are active in our own  
> surprise as an invitational idea.
>
> http://clusterform.tumblr.com/post/6485524108/surprise-trust30-prompt
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Phelim McDermott
>
> ________________________________
>
> 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.
> _____________________________________
>
> www.improbable.co.uk
> @openspacer
>
>
> On 4 Apr 2012, at 18:13, Lisa Heft <lisaheft at openingspace.net> wrote:
>
>> Good points, all.
>> I would just add - b r e a t h e...
>> ...and take good care of yourself.
>> Then you will better be able to marvel at the surprises - whether  
>> you can define or articulate them or not.
>> Whether you like them or not.
>> Whether they are as you might have wanted them - or not.
>> Whether they come on the timeline you had wished for - or not.
>> Whether they are in a form you understand or not.
>>
>> It is a bit like welcoming the stranger...
>>
>> Lisa
>>
>> The Open Space Learning Workshop / el Taller de Aprendizaje de  
>> Espacio Abierto
>>    - May 16-18, 2012 - San Francisco, USA
>>
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