[OSList] My first OS

Fri Apr 6 05:11:13 PDT 2012

Marie -- I don't remember the exact ages. Some were surely teenagers, but we
had a few in the 5-10 range. People who have worked with groups that were
mostly (exclusively) children seemed to use shorter periods to allow for
more limited attention spans. But what I always noticed is that when
children really get into an issues the focus and attention seems unending.
Makes some adults look scattered. Then of course for those kids who get
bored -- the Law of Two feet takes care of everything. Funny thing, I have
never heard a child describe an OS as "boring" -- even (or most especially
when) the use their two feet.

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

www.openspaceworld.com
www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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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: Friday, April 06, 2012 7:52 AM
To: Diane Gibeault; World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] My first OS

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
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
> Potomac, MD 20854
> USA
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
> Camden, Maine 20854
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
> (summer)  207-763-3261
>
> www.openspaceworld.com
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of 
> OSLIST Go 
> to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.or
> g
>
> -----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.10150663955813785.392314.730
> 693784
> &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
>
> Upcoming workshops (click for invitations)
>
> Art of Hosting Water dialogues
> (for people involved with water issues) April 13-15, 2012, Bowen 
> Island BC, Canada
>
>
> YET: the improv-based facilitation course you have always wanted to take!
> September 2012, Bowen Island, BC, Canada (email me for more 
> information)
>
>
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