[OSList] "one less thing to do"

[Michael M Pannwitz via OSList]

Dear Tony,

one less thing to do is a question for practicing open space 
facilitators who want to expand time and space for the unfolding of 
selforganisation among the participants of an open space event.

Every thing that any or all of the participants can do by themselves 
can, if the facilitation steps back from it, expand the 
selforganisation. I also say that it simply gives more space for the 
force of selforganisation to do its thing.

Doing one less thing is simple. Having discovered something not to do 
any longer, just drop doing it. Of course, its simple but it is not easy 
since I and I suspect many of my colleagues have to unlearn deeply 
seated patterns.

A while back, someone distributed an invitation to all neighbors for a 
summertime gettogether. Just the date, the time span, the space and the 
invitation to bring something for the buffet. Very quickly, one neighbor 
with great experience and skill in organizing such gatherings in her 
tennis club came by and said: "You cant just send out an invitation 
without adding a list for folks to note what they are going to bring for 
the buffet, food, drinks etc. Otherwise you will have no salads but lots 
of barbecued meat....!" For some reason the convener decided not to 
provide such a list. As it turned out, a grand buffet with an amazing 
variety of homecooked delicacies was created... and stuff like dishes, 
napkins... tables, chairs... all simply appeared.
This summertime event is now a tradition.
And ever since it started without a list, I claim, initiatives have 
sprouted in our neighborhood. Come and see for yourself. We now also 
have an Octoberfest (not at all typical for Berlin). In case you want to 
get an invitation, just send me an email.

One small activity during any open space event that addresses that 
ingrained desire to step in, do something, help folks is to ask a couple 
of the people new in the Team to stand at the left and right end of the 
bulletin board during during the market phase. The instruction for them 
is to simply stand there and to do nothing. Dont help people finding the 
correct post it, dont pick up stuff that falls off the wall, etc. Its 
one of the toughest excercises and lays the ground for a successul 
facilitation career.

At this point, relieved to sending you this note, I ask myself: Do I 
always have to answer such enticing and grand questions?

Have a great day and come to the WOSonOS in Krakow... a grand place to 
fiddle with our os-craft.

Greetings from Berlin
mmp

On 04.09.2015 07:48, Tony Budak via OSList wrote:
> Would anyone care to drop a few lines in here regards, OST and "one less
> thing to do"?  I missed the table conversation and I'm curious. Thanks
> in advance.
> --
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> Tony Budak
> <http://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybudak>**
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-- 
Michael M Pannwitz
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49 - 30-772 8000



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