[OSList] Human Connection Starvation

[Suzanne Daigle via OSList]

Amen!
On Jun 21, 2015 12:19 PM, "Daniel Mezick via OSList" <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

>  Lately I'm noticing that people are absolutely starved for genuine
> connection with other humans. Or, so it seems...
>
> ...I'm coming to this conclusion as a result of getting more and more
> experience doing these Open Space events in organizations and conferences.
>
> At a conference at PMI in Boston last Friday, I facilitated an very short
> event that was 1 hour from end to end. We did 5-minute sessions to
> introduce the format. All 50++ of them were completely new to it. In the
> closing circle, these people reported genuine authentic pleasure in
> connecting with others.
>
> This was more than a little strange to me, since the 3 sessions were just
> 5 minutes long.
>
> Earlier that same week, inside an organization, with about 20-25 people,
> Harold and I with Louise Kold Taylor literally "threw together" an OST
> event last Tuesday. It was all improv. We were winging it. We were all
> unsettled. We were all making sh*t up on the fly. We had like 20 minutes to
> set it up and convene.
>
> It wasn't supposed to work.
>
> This "improv-episode" was missing many of the standard elements in the
> standard OST composition.
> I'm embarrassed to say which... and how many.
>
> And hey guess what? There was loads of connection and engagement by and
> between the members. LOADS.
>
> This from an organization "with no time" to do such things. This via an
> "unsettled" facilitator. We scheduled the 45-min sessions for 10AM, 1045AM,
> 330PM and 415PM. So there was this huge gap in the schedule. We did not
> expect the afternoon sessions to be attended at all. What was amazing to us
> was the fact that almost all of them returned for the afternoon sessions
> and they all immediately engaged.
>
> All of which had me scratching my head for quite awhile. Do you know what
> I mean? As in, "what the heck is going on here?"
>
> Why is this OST thing so robust, even when some of the essential "big O,
> big S" elements are missing? When there is "no time?" When there is no
> planning? When the facilitator is not really prepared?
>
> What is making this OST stuff work, even when it's "slipshod" in terms of
> planning and form?
>
> My current hypothesis is: typical people in our world are literally
> starved for real connection.
>
> And that anything, anywhere resembling anything AT ALL that looks like a
> genuine and authentic opportunity to connect ... is going to work.
>
> And this without "management" of things like "when to start", "when to
> stop", "topics", "silence", etc.
>
> This Human-Connection-Starvation hypothesis might tend to explain: why OST
> always seems to (mysteriously) work, why getting out of the way is a
> primary job of the facilitator, etc.
>
> Daniel
> http://OpenSpaceAgility.com
> http://DanielMezick.com
>
>
> --
>
> Daniel Mezick, President
>
> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>
> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
>
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>
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