[OSList] Training

Sun Jan 29 13:32:40 PST 2012

Thanks for sharing in this interesting thread

I’ve had more than 200 people exploring Open Space Technology with me (both in public and in-house trainings) through the years and just the other week I bumped into a woman who I hadn’t seen for quite some years – she shared that she had opened space 150 times since then... Imagine the difference we are making in the world – truly wonderful!

I usually offer a three day training including some pre-work before the workshop (for themselves and their boss!) and follow up after 4-6 months (usually as a virtual meeting). Many of the subjects you present Lisa are dear to me too. Participants explore the form of OST and the essence as well as pre-work and follow up. They experience an OST meeting (where we often invite other people for example their collegues and managers from their organization) and from that they can more deeply explore the role of the facilitator, the role of the sponsor of a meeting and the role of the participant. It’s also included to make a design for a meeting they plan to facilitate in the time between the training and the follow up meeting. Finally they make a plan for how to continue their “life” and life long learning journey with Open Space… The basic design is the one as taught within the Genuine Contact™ Program, of course spiced from my personal journey from working to support organizations to reach their potential.

I agree, it’s so wonderful to facilitate these trainings – learning so much from and with the participants each time. It would be truly wonderful to participate in trainings with you collegues around the world. Anyone around - the next occasion here in west Sweden is May 28-31 – in Swedish/Scandinavian though!

Warm regards

Thomas Herrmann

Open Space Consulting 

Phone: +46 (0)709-98 97 81

Address: Pensévägen 4, 434 46 Kungsbacka, Sweden

Email:  <mailto:thomas at openspaceconsulting.com> thomas at openspaceconsulting.com

Website:  <http://www.openspaceconsulting.com/> www.openspaceconsulting.com

Part of Beyond Performance Group

Co-owner of Genuine Contact Co-owners Group Inc

LinkedIn:  <http://se.linkedin.com/in/thomasherrmannopenspaceconsult> http://se.linkedin.com/in/thomasherrmannopenspaceconsult

Facebook:  Open Space Consulting <http://www.facebook.com/OpenSpaceConsulting> 

Från: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] För Stanley Park
Skickat: den 29 januari 2012 02:34
Till: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Ämne: Re: [OSList] Training

Thank you HO GW MMP LH and all others in the fantastic voyage toward the center: being the LOVE itself. -spark

2012. 1. 29. 오전 6:12에 "Lisa Heft" <lisaheft at openingspace.net>님이 작성:

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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