[OSList] waveriding in Oz / Stories

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Wed Nov 27 07:38:32 PST 2013


Hege ... Stories are wonderful, and as I have remarked, We are the stories
we tell. So telling stories and hearing the stories of others is critical to
a deepened understanding of self and community. Not to bore you with a lot
of reading, but if you want more on my understanding of the power of story
(one might also say, myth), take a look at the opening chapters of my book
"Spirit: Transformation and development in Organizations." Out of print, but
you can download a copy at http://openspaceworld.com/Spirit.pdf I have also
dealt extensively with stories in a book that is still in print called "The
Spirit of Leadership" (Berrett-Koehler)which comes in a digital version.

So stories are definitely important, and if you think about it, Story
Telling is in some ways the heart and soul of Open Space. That's what
happens, not as a special program, but as perhaps the core activity. I don't
think it is pushing too far to say that every issue group is a storytelling
circle. And when the stories get really juicy, the spirit flies. Or
something like that.

Sometimes it can become truly powerful to formalize the story telling, and
the night before an Open Space is a great time to do that. But you don't
want to make it too formal, I find. So I have had great luck by inviting the
participants to randomly create self-organizing story circles right there on
the floor. Just find 5-6 people, more if you like and sit in a circle. The
rules are simple: Tell your story, one person at a time. A talking stick
helps. And of course the Law of Two Feet is critical. If the story becomes
old and tired, move on. I never have a schedule (time periods) because you
can never tell how long a good story(s) will take, and all our stories are
different. It also turns out the good stories can also be told in silence.

ho

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)
Camden, Maine 04843

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 Hege Steinsland
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 4:31 AM
To: Michael Wood
Cc: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Subject: Re: [OSList] waveriding in Oz

Thank you so much Michael, for this long and detailed reply. It s a gift!
You`ve given me another gift in your article about Christian leadership,
Theology and emergence. I`ve really learnt a lot from that! In this article
you describe Open space and dialog circle as two very helpful and rich ways
of working. Im quite familiar with Open Space, but I`m eager to hear more
about ways to use storytelling or dialog circles ( is this two words for
more or less the same thing?)

In the Church of Norway there is quite a lot of frustrations and insecurity
nowadays, due to different things. One of them is big changes in the
relations between the state and the church and discussions and processes
about how to set the new church organizations. This leads to discussions and
arguments more than conversations, and a lot of focus on structure more than
on purpose and care for the system more than the person in the system. Many
of the people in the church are suffering, and there is, In my experience, a
lac of openness and trust and more conflict, frustration and disillusions.
(There are also wonderful things going on, especially in the work with
children)

I`ve been a part of the church system for 22 years myself as a lay leader (
a system that is special in Norway where we have a lay leader next to the
clergy with wide responsibility for work in the church). I left this
position and started as an consultant three years ago. Every now and than
I`m contacted by churches that find themselves in trouble. 

I think Open Space can be a very good way of working, but maybe we need some
storytelling as well? Leaders are afraid to open up, because they dont know
what will come out in the open, and what to do with it?
In storytelling, as I understand it, we tell our stories to each other,
without arguing og commenting, but just to listen to it? As a kind of
greafwork.

I would love some shared experience, and some backup on how to think about
the use of this method, if you have some more to share?
What kind of questions are useful for the dialog circle? how many people?
how many stories? What do we do after the stories are told? And wow do we
prepare?
I know I´m very detail oriented in this phase of exploring a new tool, but
that´s how it is to be inexperienced and gaining courage to do something new
:-)

If you can find time to share some more, I´m most grateful.

All the best from
Hege Steinsland

27. nov. 2013 kl. 02:55 skrev Michael Wood <michael.wood at uwa.edu.au>:

> Hello Hege,
> 
> The design for the program that Brendan does here in Perth is different to
the one I have been doing with church leaders in Brisbane. For my part, I've
made quite a long reply  to you, Hege, about what I've been doing in
Brisbane. The group is comprised of both clergy and laity, which I think is
always a good combination (i.e. trusting that whoever comes are the right
people). 
> 
> I'd be interested in hearing more about your question on Open Space and
story telling. If you mean, could you use Open Space to enable people to
share stories, then why not? I think the same principles would apply. If
it's you who are interested in hearing the stories, then you are the
'sponsor'. Develop an invitation outlining the theme of the story telling
sessions and invite whoever wants to come to be there - to either tell
stories or listen to them. Sounds like fun.
> 
> Here's the outline of the Brisbane program with Anglican Church folks:
> 
> On Day one, start with a 'check in' talking circle. Brainstorm some ideas
about 'crucial questions I'd like to sponsor conversations about in my
church'. Get people to red-dot-vote on questions that most engage them.
Come up with an overarching 'question' for an real-play OST meeting. Ask one
of the group to be in the role of Sponsor. We then run a short OST meeting
(3 x 30 min conversations and a short action planning sessin). All of this
takes us through to mid afternoon on Day 1.
> 
> After they have experienced a 'real' OST meeting, I invite them to get
into groups of 3-4 for about 20 min to reflect on two questions ('what did
you notice about the process' and 'what questions are emerging'). I ask them
to write one question per piece of A4 paper with marker pens. Then we come
back into the main circle and throw the questions on the floor. As a group
we constellate the questions into themes. Generally the themes tend to
naturally fall into about three main areas (i) preparation work with the
sponsor (ii) set up and facilitation on the day (iii) convergence and post
open space. The constellated themes then form the 'agenda' for the next full
day day. I also keep a little 'check list' up my sleeve to ensure we cover
most important things for a faciliator to know, and I encourage them to buy
Harrison's book, 'OST - a user's guide'. Interestingly we just about always
end up covering all the areas on my check-list from the question which
people put on the floor at the end of Day 1. 
> 
> On Day 2 we work through all the practical questions mentioned above.
> 
> On the third day we take a look at the underlying themes of self
organising systems rather than just the 'mechanics' of OST process. Some of
the diagrams from Peggy Holman's book 'Engaging Emergence' are very helpful
, along with the eight principles from Harrison's book 'Waverider'. Day
three includes some self organised conversations on how to be a Waverider in
every day parish life i.e. how would people use Wavering principles in
pastoral care, governance, education, worship, mission, outreach ete etc.
> 
> Because this is a Chrsitian group we also spend a couple of hours, on 
> the third day,  reflecting on the question, 'Was Jesus a Waverider?' 
> This has been a really important and deepening part of the learning 
> process. I have an article on this theme on my web site which I am 
> happy to develop and add to and receive feedback on. In fact Chris 
> Corrigan just shared another great thought on the story of Jesus 
> walking on water (symbolic in Jewish thought of  'chaos'. So what does 
> it mean for us to walk, in faith, through chaos?)
> 
> On the last afternoon it's back into a short OST on the question,
'Waveriding in the Sunshine State - where to from here'. This is to provide
space for people to think about what they are actually going to do back in
their parishes or agencies to apply OST and Waveriding principles. 
> 
> We finish with a closing circle, send poeple on their way, and then meet
again after three months. At that follow up day we have a look at one case
study in depth (something that someone in the group has tried) and then the
rest of the day in OST on the question, 'what have we been learning and
where to from here'. So this is basically giving the group a pattern for an
ongoing community of practice. I think this follow up day has been really
crucial in keeping monentum going - without which people simply get absorbed
back into the 'business as usual' culture of command and control.
> 
> Lisa Heft has a very good 'Open Space Ideas Book' which I understand she
is happy for people to use with appropriate acknowledgement to Lisa (I make
an honorarium donation to Lisa when I use this resource).
> 
> Michael Wood
> www.michaeljohnwood.com
> A warm sunny day in Perth, Western Australia Ph. 0435 065326
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2013 17:05:46 +0100
> From: Hege Steinsland <steinslandhege at gmail.com>
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
>        <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> Subject: Re: [OSList] Wave Riding in OZ
> Message-ID: <48FBA4E4-E75F-445C-A975-8E6DE257EB65 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"
> Wow. I just love this story. And I?m so glad every time I hear about open
space and self organization used in the church. I?m trying to make this
possibility known in the church of Norway as an approach that can make
people less stressed out, more happy and more concerned with the really
important things in church and life :-) I love this Dean, that have made the
wisdom in the principles and the law a way to live and work.
> I`m looking for more shared experience with story-telling. How to invite,
who to invite, do you still need an sponsor and how do you frame it? I wold
love to learn from others experience here.
> I would also love her more about Michael and Brendans program. Is it an
training program in Open space for clergy?
> All the best fro
> a cold and windy night in Norway.
> Hege

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