[OSList] One thing less to do and other neat ideas from the field of experience and practice

Sun Apr 14 11:11:09 PDT 2019

And Chris… you might add that some people are never happy. They are, professionally, sad sacks. Apparently they enjoy the status intensely, and for sure Open Space won’t change them. At least I never hold out much hope, nor indeed waste much worry time. Another thing to let go of J

ho

From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Chris Corrigan via OSList
Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2019 8:09 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Cc: Chris Corrigan; Michael M Pannwitz
Subject: Re: [OSList] One thing less to do and other neat ideas from the field of experience and practice

Harold. 

Over many hundreds of open spaces I’ve hosted, this is not a problem I have ever encountered. That’s not to say it hasn’t happened. Almost everything you can imagine happening in an open space has happened in the ones I have done!

But that isn’t what I choose to give my attention too. Introverts and extroverts are very good at managing in the world without my help: they have been doing it their whole lives. It isn’t my place to say whether they should or should not do a certain thing or be a certain way. 

I find that people are generally able to work it all out. Not everyone leaves happy, but not everyone leaves sad either. 

The more I find small things to manage in then open space, the more small thing compete for my attention. And the more I split my attention the worse I become at holding the space, which is the unique role I am there to do. 

Harrison said once “don’t trust the process, trust the people.”  I do. I trust them deeply. 

Chris. 

_____________

CHRIS CORRIGAN

www.chriscorrigan.com

On Apr 13, 2019, at 8:20 PM, Harold Shinsato via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

Dear Michael,

This inquiry inspires me to write something. Thank you Michael!

I cheer on your reminder that sharing our learning is a Law. Harrison Owen did not license, patent, or copyright Open Space Technology. But it was gifted with the requirement we sharing our learning. Maybe no Government can enforce this Law. Yet perhaps it's reality is even more REAL than most laws that governments can enforce.

As for breaks, this has been something that has bothered me. Many groups that I have helped or participated with strenuously wanted formal breaks between the breakouts. I'd prefer to trust people to take care of themselves. And yet maybe when a group that self-organizes their own Open Space event force in not only end times, but also break times, I've seen it can help people give themselves some space.

But I'm curious how you and others help people give respect to those who schedule sessions. Very often I find that extroverts and assertive people just hold onto their space and the more introverted and reserved wait patiently for the space to vacate. I like to ask people to respect the groups that follow to find another space. And so very frequently, groups (especially larger ones), will not find another space even though "it's not over", at least from what I could see.

Very eager to hear your thoughts, and those of others, on their experience of End-Times, No-End-Times, Formal Breaks between sessions, etc. etc.

Thanks!

Harold

On Sat, Apr 13, 2019 at 12:54 AM Michael M Pannwitz via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

Dear Gray and Juliane and everyone out there,

lonely souls!
Right, this is one reason to have OSLIST. It works.

Remembering and honoring that "breaks" were the beginning of open space 
technology I looked out for ways to have the entire os event in the 
spirit and the structure of a break... and it is not over and probably 
will never be.
Here are some of my details:

--- the event starts with a "break". Its there in the schedule: 8:30 Break

--- there are only beginning times for breakout sessions, no slots (and 
in the introduction I address this aspect in context of one of the Facts 
of Life "When its over, its over... When its not over, its not over")

--- instead of time slots for meals or coffee breaks, there is a 
permanent buffet, from 8:30am, in the first "break", until after the 
closing circle. The permanent buffet has always fresh fruit, vegetable 
sticks, dips, nuts, coffee, tea, water, juice and someone who looks 
after it. During what we usually would call "lunchtime" (lets say from 
11:30 to 14:30) the permanent buffet is expanded with something like a 
hot soup, salad, bread or even fancier stuff and in the afternoon 14.30 
to 16:00 there is another expansion with light cakes cut into small pieces

--- the beginning times for the breakout sessions are fixed and there is 
a longer break between those breakout sessions in the middle of the day 
(I have not experimented without beginning times and am interested to 
hear more details, stories with this approach)

Ok, come out of your lonely place and spread your learning (which, as 
you might have heard, is a Law)

Greetings from Berlin
mmp

>>
> 
> Yes, this! For my open spaces since 2007 (at least in one particular 
> flavor) we never break up the day - not even for lunch (“At a certain 
> time, Lunch will magically appear! If you are hungry then, feel free to 
> partake. If not, feel free to keep doing what you’re doing.”) My 
> experience has been that I often have to reassure certain people that it 
> will be alright - the lack of pre-determined slots makes them nervous. 
> By the end of the day, they are almost always happy with it - and 
> meanwhile we have sessions (which is what I call them) ranging from 5 
> minutes to four and half hours, however much it truly needs.
> 
> Juliane, thank you for being the first OS practitioner I’ve ever known 
> who also practices this way. I feel less lonely.
> 
> :-)
> 
> Gray
> 
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-- 
Michael M Pannwitz
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49 - 30-772 8000
mmpannwitz at gmail.com

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