[OSList] My first OS

Peggy Holman peggy at peggyholman.com
Mon Jun 25 07:38:24 PDT 2012


As was my response!

Ah well.  It IS great to know when people put what they've learned to use.

Peggy

On Jun 25, 2012, at 7:36 AM, Peggy Holman wrote:

> 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)
>>> 
>>> 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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