[OSList] My first OS

Mon Apr 9 12:49:46 PDT 2012

Thank you all for your valuable comments and advice. You're all very kind.

I hope you had a great Easter weekend!

Marie Ann

On Sat, Apr 7, 2012 at 3:15 AM, Stanley Park <spark.osk at gmail.com> wrote:
> Child is father of the man.
>
> Both children and adults would learn about themselves if the theme is
> inviting the both group.
>
> Appreciatively,
>
> spark
>
> 2012. 4. 6. 오후 8:58에 "Marie Ann Östlund" <marieann.ostlund at gmail.com>님이 작성:
>
>> 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.org
>> >
>> > -----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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>> >
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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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>> >
>> >
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