[OSList] Training

[Lisa Heft]

Naps do come first. Or something.

Naps!  Siestas!  Harrison in a dream state!

Harrison my friend - the amazing thing is that you have written "Open  
Space Technology: A User's Guide" in such a clear and thoughtful way  
and shared your knowledge and experience so generously that there is  
no requirement to take anybody's workshop - including mine - to be  
able to understand and do this amazing process.

Well...I will adjust that - I have seen this process - or some things  
called Open Space - done terribly. With the participants feeling  
unproductive or with only some participants feeling they can  
contribute.  But that is almost always because - from my observation -  
the facilitator does not explore what is behind the surface, does not  
do thorough pre-work, does not trust the process or the people, does  
not feel they are always learning, messes with the simple effective  
structure, inserts their ego, 'helps' people, interrupts the flow,  
uses this tool for the wrong reason or situation... As can happen for  
any process and any group work.

I will always remember when the incredible Pepe Nummi of Finland  
walked into an Open Space workshop I was giving at an international  
facilitator's conference. He said 'I hope you do not mind if I just  
visit for the Opening Circle to see how you do it. I read the book and  
I have already facilitated 54 Open Space events but I have never seen  
someone else do it.'  It is true - we so rarely get to each each  
other's work as only one facilitator is needed for any sized group -  
from 10 to 2500.

Lisa – what I love about what you do is NOT the detail – which frankly  
takes my breath away. Honestly, if I had to learn all “that” I am  
positive I never would have ventured into Open Space – Something about  
working much too hard!  But you know me.

I admit to being a detail queen. "My name is Lisa Heft and I am a  
detail queen!"
My workshops are for those new to Open Space and those richly  
experienced who wish to dig down deep into those unseen-to-the- 
participant elements.  Not because everyone has to do things just like  
me - but simply to share stories and lessons learned, possibilities,  
opportunities.

Those of you who know and have worked with me know I am a combination  
of loving the details of good design, preparation, access and  
inclusion - and being very in the moment. In life and in facilitation.
My own approach to facilitation is to build a strong and thoughtful  
scaffolding - thoughtful thorough pre-work with careful attention to  
how food, site, context, culture, invitation, documentation design,  
follow-up and all the other details support whatever dialogue method I  
select for the job - including Open Space. And then - knowing I and  
the client planning team have done all that we can - I breathe...and  
trust the people and the process... and dance the dance wherever it  
takes us. With attachment to participant-centered usefulness and  
capturing participant-driven documentation to support sustainability -  
but without attachment to a particular outcome.

All that said, I simply love what you do – Giving Freely. It is all  
out there, and everybody is invited to partake and share. There is no  
license, no certification. Open Space belongs to everybody as a  
birthright. Marvelous! Open Space IS pure gift, but it comes with a  
cost (responsibility) – That we share freely all that we have  
learned.” That, so far as I am concerned, is the essence of Open  
Space. It is the Spirit of our global community, of OSLIST, and it is  
the same Spirit you manifest so well. Thank you!

Harrison Harrison - you are the model. I heartily believe that  
knowledge is not to be 'owned' but to be shared freely. That whatever  
it takes to make an event or workshop or process accessible to  
whomever has the passion for learning is worth any effort.  And to me  
that is joyful effort.  I strongly agree with you - no license, no  
certification. For a process you can learn for yourself from a book -  
and because I hope we Open Space facilitators are all life-long  
learners and no one is a 'master' to anyone - nobody needs my blessing  
or approval to go ahead and jump in and do Open Space.  Although in  
some cultures and countries a certificate is very important - and in  
that case I will certificate that you -attended- a workshop but not  
that you are 'officially' now able to do Open Space. Our workshops and  
OSonOSs and WOSonOSs and this OSLIST are about mutual learning - this  
interesting combination of sharing stories and experiences -and-  
staying in the beginner's mind.  About welcoming each person's wisdom,  
no matter what their experience level. About saying 'this is what I  
have learned to do - but you may have a different experience...'

And what is *your* different experience, dear readers and fellow  
learners...?

Lisa



  
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