[OSList] Fwd: My first OS

[Peggy Holman]

That's wonderful news Marie Ann.  So exciting to know you are using what you learned.

appreciatively,
Peggy


On Jun 25, 2012, at 7:34 AM, Marie Ann Östlund wrote:

> Hi Peggy,
> 
> Thank you for writing! It was nice to have the opportunity to open
> space, and we'll do more of it (and I hope for the changes you say
> will be there). Just when you wrote I was supporting Johann here in
> Sweden in one of his OS events, and it went really well.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> gratefully,
> Marie Ann
> 
> On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 7:14 AM, Peggy Holman <peggy at peggyholman.com> wrote:
>> Hi Marie,
>> 
>> I am catching up on my listserv reading and just ran across your story.
>>  Congratulations!  I'm so glad that you jumped in and ran an Open Space.
>>  You'll find if you continue to do it from time to time that it will change
>> the character of the community, increasing listening, laughter, resilience,
>> creativity, and so much more.
>> 
>> appreciatively,
>> Peggy
>> 
>> 
>> _________________________________
>> Peggy Holman
>> peggy at peggyholman.com
>> 
>> 15347 SE 49th Place
>> Bellevue, WA  98006
>> 425-746-6274
>> www.peggyholman.com
>> www.journalismthatmatters.org
>> 
>> Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into
>> Opportunity
>> 
>> "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt,
>> is to become
>> the fire".
>>   -- Drew Dellinger
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Begin forwarded message:
>> 
>> From: Marie Ann Östlund <marieann.ostlund at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [OSList] My first OS
>> Date: April 9, 2012 12:49:46 PM PDT
>> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
>> Reply-To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
>> <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
>> 
>> 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)
>> 
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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
>> 
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>> 
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>> YET: the improv-based facilitation course you have always wanted to
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