[OSList] Another Way of Ending an Open Space Meeting

[Artur Silva]

Thanks, Brendan.


Meeting you in
Berlin in 2010 is a memory so vivid and present for me has having met Brian
(and some others) in 2000, also in Berlin...


A use a variant of
your approach.


Before I pass the
talking stick for the closing circle, I say a summary of your questions to help
participants’ reflection: "please reflect and - if you so wish - tell us
what were the most significant learning’s you got from your time in this Open
Space event?”


When the talking stick
comes back to me, I simply close the session, using sometimes the procedure you
described in your last sentence.


Oh, and I dislike
and never used, the Medicine Wheel. It is too much directive for my liking…


Regards and have a
nice week end
 
Artur

   


________________________________
 From: Brendan McKeague <mckeaguebrendan at gmail.com>
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> 
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2012 2:14 PM
Subject: [OSList] Another Way of Ending an Open Space Meeting
 
Hi folks

I've just revisited the delightful conversation on the use of the Medicine Wheel and thought I'd share a way of ending that now sits comfortably within me...the Medicine Wheel, as some others have mentioned, never has.  I think this may be due in part to me not being from North America. I'm also not from Australia where I currently facilitate most of my Open Space meetings.

So here is what I usually do at the Closing Circle, after everyone has spoken and the Sponsor, being the last one to speak in the group, hands the talking stick/mic back to me...
I rise and slowly walk the circle with some words of description around what people came to do and what they actually did during the meeting (number of topics, action plans...) and then I invite folks to reflect on how the principles showed up for them during the meeting experience - usually beginning with a question, followed by a pause, like: 

"Did you notice the right people came here here today?" - pausing while I walk another few steps, then 

"How did whatever happened...appear for you today?"...pause...

"Did you start at the right time?"...pause...

"Did you recognise when it was over - or not over?"...pause..

"Did you use the Law of Mobility at all...or notice others using it?"...pause..

"Did you butterfly a bit?"...pause...

"Did you buzz a bit?"...pause...

"Did you need a billabong space for yourself at any time during the meeting?"  (billabong being an Australian word referring to a 'watering hole/oasis')...pause...

"And finally, were you surprised at all about what happened here today, in yourself, observing others, topics raised, anything?"...pause...

In the tradition of the OS Closing Circle, I then invite the group to stand, look around the circle and acknowledge what has been given and received to/from each other, and the work that has been done here today, and when you're ready, take a 180deg turn and step out of the circle...and we're done.

That's it...until the next one!

Cheers
Brendan






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