[OSList] OS & graphics

Thu Jun 19 01:06:09 PDT 2014

HI all!

Lisa, I just propmted in to read your message.
Very welcome. Very good points, specially (for me) the one regarding the
Closing Circle.
Thanks!

Enjoy life!
Eleder

2014-06-18 22:30 GMT+02:00 Lisa Heft - <lisaheft at openingspace.net>:

> Hello, Arno and others -
>
> I am one of those who analyzes and reflects about anything that someone
> (including me) wants to add or adjust in participant-driven dialogue forms,
> including Open Space.
>
> What of wha-we-would-loveto-add might shift the participants’ own
> dynamics, what looks like it adds but for which there may be an ‘offset’ to
> consider, what does that then mean and so on.
> An Open Space / World Cafe / etc. group is a living system, so I think how
> that thing-they-or-I-wish-to-add may affect that system. Not that it is
> good or bad, just that... Even if I or my client like something ourselves,
> for our own way of working - I feel it is valuable to reflect on why's and
> what-ifs.
>
> So for example: Here is what I think about when I think about inviting a
> visual documenter to an Open Space meeting.
>
> - In the Opening Circle / agenda co-creation section, participants are
> *already* writing topics in their diverse handwriting, in diverse marker
> colors, and naming in their diverse voices what are their topics, as they
> post them on the wall (kinesthetic, graphic, relational, other modalities
> included). So I am imagining that there is not the need for a visual
> documenter at this point in the meeting.
>
> - Discussion sessions: A visual documenter cannot hear all the
> discussions, so would be perhaps a roaming documenter / would document a
> sample. Is this useful? Does this add? I still would have participants
> writing their own text as in any process I am using for participant-driven
> work (Open Space included) - I want documentation to be ‘owned’ by
> participants - both so it is in their ‘voice’ and so they step up to that
> wonderful shared co-responsibility. Not a reason to use or not use a visual
> documenter, just something I would think about. And I always invite
> participants to document in the way they see things - via text, mapping the
> conversation, sketching, poetry - whatever they feel best documents their
> conversations.
>
> - I have seen people use documentation forms for participants (not in Open
> Space but in other small group discussion work) that is a visual template
> for taking notes. Would this be useful, helpful, collect more or deeper
> documentation than a non-visual template - these are the things I would
> think about. When I see for example flip-charts used I find that often the
> images there make more sense to the people who were actually in the group.
> So even if I had a visual template I was using for the participant groups I
> might also encourage text. So the knowledge they are sharing would be more
> universally accessible.
>
> - Am I thinking of using / adding an element just because *I* like it /
> find it comfortable / think people *should* be enhanced by it? If so, it is
> oh-so-often about me (and my wishes for them), rather than about them.
>
> - Documentation design: Is the visual report / photos, etc. accessible to
> all participants? Do they all have access to graphics, or pdf files, or
> computer time for viewing photos? Can they show those back to their funders
> / supervisors if needed? Is the information easily in their hands
> post-event? Does the overall documentation tell the story of the
> conversations? Do they ‘own’ the creation of it, if possible - do they play
> a major part in creating it / making sure it says what they meant and said?
>
> - Closing Circle: Here is one of the times when a visual documenter can
> hear what is happening across the room - as participants reflect upon their
> experience. I always have someone scribe these closing comments as I feel
> it is incredibly useful to the participants and the client. So I always
> include that in the documentation design. I say “I” but of course all these
> things are discussed and reflected upon by myself and my client / client
> team. Closing Circle is a time when to me it is sometimes useful for a
> visual documenter to capture images, patterns, themes - as some really
> great visual documenters can. And that -plus- the text of the participants’
> closing comments and reflections may be a multiple-modaility way of showing
> participants’ thoughts back to them.
>
> - Resources: A visual documenter deserves to be involved in pre-work
> meetings (or at least see emails / receive ongoing notes) - instead of
> simply walking in the room when the meeting starts. They, too are skilled
> consultants. They see things through a different lens, can add thoughts,
> and most importantly, their knowledge of the pre-work conversations informs
> their work at the event. They too deserve payment, and ideally, at market
> rate. Does the organization have funding to pay them what they deserve for
> these hours of work, experience and expertise? Something to consider as
> well.
>
> All of these are things that come to my mind when this possibility or
> offer comes into discussion with my clients for upcoming dialogue events -
> Open Space or otherwise.
>
> Thanks for inviting the question…
>
> Lisa
>
>
> On Jun 16, 2014, at 11:24 PM, Arno Baltin <arno at tlu.ee> wrote:
>
> Dear Open Minds and Hearts!
>
> I had wonderful experience to open Space with friends, graphic
> facilitators.
> As the client was a bit in trouble to state the Question/Problem in one
> sentence (the invitation included about 5 sentences which called invitees
> to share they thoughts on how, where and why should we (Tallinn University)
> move on keeping in mind year 2020. The results should become the input for
> mid-range strategic plan. So as there was no consensus on this "one
> sentence" I asked my friend to draw the Question.
> You can see the results via the link
> <https://www.dropbox.com/sh/28eb3vo70k5izep/AAD3cPzFMxRIrcTGcibpf0Bca>
>
> (The Question is the last photo in the row.)
>
> I am curious if anybody has tried this route already and what are your
> experience with inviting graphic facilitator to OS.
>
> Be well!
>
> Arno
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> OSList mailing list
> To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
> http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20140619/f0fec9c7/attachment-0005.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
OSList mailing list
To post send emails to OSList at lists.openspacetech.org
To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave at lists.openspacetech.org
To subscribe or manage your subscription click below:
http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org