[OSList] My first OS

Fri Apr 6 04:51:50 PDT 2012

Thanks for all your insights and advice! It makes sense to be flexible
to the situation and adjust time slots to the needs of the group,
sometimes mixing their length (if not too much to confuse them). And
Eva: "why didn't they continue the session?" Exactly! I guess they
wanted to go to the next one, but you're right - they could have
continued....

Harrison: Yes, children got it! The challenge, I guess, are the
parents - and now that they got this experience they might see how
children can be part of it. This is great.

But at what age have you included children in open space? These were 7-8-9 yrs.

Marie Ann

On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 8:08 PM, Diane Gibeault
<diane.gibeault at rogers.com> wrote:
> I agree with you Chris.
>
> If I have limitations, I will favor a longer 1st round (1h30 or minimally 75
> min) for flexibility in the opening, also giving time for participants to
> choose topics at the market place and get to their group (can take more time
> since they are not yet familiar with the process and the physical space).
>
> Diane
>
> ________________________________
> From: Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com>
>
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2012 2:00:44 PM
> Subject: Re: [OSList] My first OS
>
> Echoing many things said here.  Congrats on your first one, and yes to the
> kids noticing passion and responsibility showing up.
>
> I like to err on the side of more time in the sessions.  With 1.5 hour
> sessions, we have a nice breath in the agenda and people can take as much or
> as little time as they need.  An hour for me is usually the minimum, but
> I've even had 75 minute sessions instead of 60.
>
> Of course all this depends on context and so on, and with very large groups
> anything less than 1.5 hours makes things very difficult logistically, and
> with groups working on well defined issues, 45 mins can work very well.
>
> Chris.
>
>
>
> On Thu, Apr 5, 2012 at 10:31 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Marie -- Many thanks for sharing! And I loved the part about the children at
> the end. My finding: Kids do get Open Space -- more better, quicker, and
> deeper than their (sometimes) recalcitrant parents. Next time try just
> treating them like people along with everybody else. We had some young
> people at our recent OSONOS in Manila. They raised provocative issues (not
> just about "young people") and convened rich (mostly adult participants)
> sessions. No problems and lots of good surprise!
>
> Harrison
>
> Harrison Owen
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>
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Marie Ann
> Östlund
> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2012 3:20 AM
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> Subject: [OSList] My first OS
>
> Dear all,
>
> I sent this letter Saturday but it got stuck as I had added a photo to it,
> but here it is again:
>
> There is only one open space that will be the first, even if all of them
> certainly will be unique. Since I facilitated my first open space last
> weekend March 23-24, I thought to write something about it. I find this
> email list both generous and helpful, and I admire the way you're all
> supporting each other. In any case, here is my little peanut of a
> contribution to the OSList bowl.
>
> I held the open space at the Hare Krishna farm/village community in Sweden
> (Järna), which hosts around 35 adults and 30 kids (most of them below 10!).
> There are mostly independent families with kids living there. I had
> suggested to them that they try OS. A few of them got it immediately, but
> there was some scepticism as they suffer from quite some meeting-fatigue .
>
> Some desired we hold it around the spring equinox and an astrologer pointed
> out the weekend after as excellent, if we could start on the Friday.
> Considering people's work commitments, that they are early risers, the
> children, we decided to hold a short inauguration of the meetings in the
> evening instead of starting the OS or doing some storytelling. They arranged
> for some recitation of mantras and chanting, and the children led a big part
> of it. They were so good! We also had some food, and the whole thing was
> really appreciated.
>
> The main challenge for the community in regards to the meeting was to engage
> the children so that the parents could attend. In the end they sorted
> something out by themselves (as is of course the best).
>
> By the end of the weekend (it was a 1 1/2 day event) they were surprised of
> how relaxed the meetings were while being very efficient.
> They experienced how OS got them into a collaborative instead of an
> adversarial mood, and had a really good time. They would like to continue
> the process. They also noticed who did not come and started to think more
> deeply about who feels included and who does not. It's nice to see how OS
> creates the clarity needed for action.
>
> Some learnings/reflections:
>
> We did one hour sessions, which was too short for some topics. Next we time
> we could use 1 1/2hrs per session. Anyone having experiences of mixing the
> length of time, like using 1 1/2 hr sessions in the morning and 1hr sessions
> in the afternoon?
>
> I could do a better introduction. I didn't prepare enough, and what I had
> prepared was in English - and had to switch to Swedish on the spot. I think
> simplicity really is the key, and getting out of the way. :)
>
> One person took the opportunity to organise a meeting demanding parents
> attendance. I let that go, as they were discussing an important topic for
> them. He also organised another one like that, but this time people voted
> with their feet. I should have been more alert to this.
>
> In the end, some kids sat by me drawing, and one started to come up with his
> own topics. I then gave them a part of the wall and asked what they wanted
> and they came up with really good stuff. I think they were really pleased to
> be asked. They wanted e.g. a more quiet temple room and less running around
> in it, which surprised me as they usually are the cause to the cacophony. It
> was a great learning, both in terms of how kids can do OS quite effectively,
> and how it's so much better to create the ground rules together than
> dictating them. And as someone told me afterwards, the 'cause' of a problem
> should be included in solving it as they are the experts in it.
>
> I hope you're well. We're getting some snow tomorrow in Stockholm, but are
> still keeping our hopes for spring alive! Happy Easter!
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Marie Ann Östlund
>
> PS. A few pictures of the weekend:
> https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150663955813785.392314.730693784
> &type=3&l=29b6f85440
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>
> --
> ---
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Facilitation - Training - Process Design
> Open Space Technology
>
> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>
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> April 13-15, 2012, Bowen Island BC, Canada
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> YET: the improv-based facilitation course you have always wanted to take!
> September 2012, Bowen Island, BC, Canada
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