[OSList] Human Connection Starvation

[Harrison via OSList]

Dan - I think you are working a bit too hard. Truth of the matter is that
folks don't "need" the "right" process, right form, the right whatever. The
already know. It is part of their DNA. Building for 13.7 billion... All they
really need is an invitation to be themselves. After that... they are what
they are. Like everybody else, really needful of serious, meaningful
connections. Not rocket science. But go ahead. Charge your full fee. I
always did. Amazing, but people will actually pay real money to experience
what they already know. Go figure.

 

Harrison

 

 

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From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of
Daniel Mezick via OSList
Sent: Sunday, June 21, 2015 7:46 AM
To: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Subject: [OSList] Human Connection Starvation

 

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



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