[OSList] Quite a few questions about Sponsors, empathy and a safe open space for all it’s participants

Sun Jan 5 13:35:41 PST 2020

Hi Sagit,

I too will weigh in with my perspective based on experience, and yet aware
that there are other perspectives too.

1.In answer to your question of "can a community have an open space without
a sponsor?" Open space itself exists as an aspect of creation. It is
neither opened nor closed. It simply is ..for us to become aware of it.
Open Space Technology is possible without a sponsor, and probably without a
facilitator. However, something being possible does not mean it is the best
option for the best and greatest advantage. A sponsor is valuable and in
groups that I have lots of admiration for, people take turns being the
sponsor and being the facilitator.

2.Humans by nature are relational and are empathic. However, in a free will
universe, people have choice about how much to engage with their capacity
for being relational, and for their capacity with empathy. Open Space
Technology provides a container for people to engage in personal leadership
including engaging with their free will of what they want to focus on and
what they don't. Attempting to ensure forced empathy, by its nature of
control and judgment, reduces the openness that is offered.

3. Open Space Technology does not create or promise safe space. The
principles of OST and the one law provide guidance for people to self lead
including for taking personal responsibility for safety. Often, people are
not accustomed to enacting personal leadershp. However, OST is a wonderful
way for people to get their courage up, to take baby or even big steps, and
to practice until having their voice heard is the new habit. I have had
experiences in which there were many who didn't have the courage to engage
in posting a topic at the first OST meeting in an organization. However,
when they saw what a difference emerged from the first meeting, they
overcame their hesitation in the second OST meeting.

4. Advance preparation does not affect the amount of participation in an
OST meeting, by those who have chosen to accept the invitation to attend.

in genuine contact,

Birgitt

*Birgitt Williams*
*Supporting You in Developing Your Leadership*
Author,The Genuine Contact Way: Nourishing a Culture of Leadership
<http://www.genuinecontactway.com/>
Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc
<http://www.dalarinternational.com/>
Founder Genuine Contact Program
<http://www.dalarinternational.com/genuine-contact>. Co-owner Genuine
Contact Co-owners Group, I <https://genuinecontact.net/about/co-owners/>nc

*Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and
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On Sun, Jan 5, 2020 at 1:24 PM Jeff Aitken via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> Hi Sagit. Now that I re-read my post, it sounds like a lot of work to do
> both! It's good practice and more fun to work with others in calling and
> hosting an open space meeting. But I know there are situations in which a
> person can play both roles without problem.
>
> Jeff
> San Francisco
>
>
> On Sun, Jan 5, 2020, 10:05 AM Jeff Aitken <r.jeff.aitken at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi Sagit. I read your question to be: Must there be a separate person in
>> the sponsor role? Different from the facilitator?
>>
>> And my response is no. One person can fulfill the roles of sponsor and
>> facilitator of an open space meeting. One person who has an idea for a
>> theme, and a list of people to invite and greet into a circle, can
>> facilitate that open space meeting.
>>
>> It might not happen very often, as typically there will be different
>> people playing the two roles, and their relationship and interaction will
>> be important.
>>
>> Do you have interest to both sponsor and facilitate an open space
>> meeting? Any concerns about it?
>>
>> Jeff
>> San Francisco
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Jan 5, 2020, 7:56 AM Birgitt Williams via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>> during the OST, what makes a difference are decisions about the theme,
>>> length of the OST, length of sessions, who gets invited and how, reports or
>>> no reports, and whether there is an intention for prioritizing/action post
>>> the OST.
>>>
>>> The biggest reason for good prep with many things to consider is to
>>> enable the organization to get the biggest harvest possible out of what was
>>> done in the OST.
>>>
>>> There are varying viewpoints in our discussion forum about prep, givens,
>>> debrief, and later on peer with peer accountability meeting. There is a
>>> difference in expectation about follow up within an intact organization and
>>> whether the work has been done for the intact organization to have the
>>> capacity to take advantage of what comes out of the OST. This is less
>>> important for a one time conference with the follow up dependent on the
>>> individuals. In my many years of working with intact organizations, using
>>> OST as one of the processes/tools to accomplish a transformative change, I
>>> am a strong advocate for good prep and follow up.
>>>
>>> The fantastic leaders that I have had the privilege to work with are
>>> committed to the transformation, committed to making the most of the OST
>>> meetings that they sponsor, and they are in the front line of holding
>>> steady with liberating structures to allow a participatory architecture to
>>> do its magic.
>>>
>>> I was telling a story to someone yesterday. An OST meeting about an
>>> apparently unsolvable problem. The right prep and follow up. Acton plans.
>>> Approval at the government level of the 10 year plan. Plan accomplished in
>>> two years.
>>>
>>> in genuine contact,
>>> Birgitt (facilitating and teaching and promoting OST since 1992..with
>>> joy)
>>>
>>>
>>> *Birgitt Williams*
>>> *Supporting You in Developing Your Leadership*
>>> Author,The Genuine Contact Way: Nourishing a Culture of Leadership
>>> <http://www.genuinecontactway.com/>
>>> Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc
>>> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/>
>>> Founder Genuine Contact Program
>>> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/genuine-contact>. Co-owner Genuine
>>> Contact Co-owners Group, I <https://genuinecontact.net/about/co-owners/>
>>> nc
>>>
>>> *Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and
>>> working in the new leadership paradigm "Leading So People Will Lead"*
>>>
>>> *Mentoring Circles & Mastermind Groups* | December 13, 2019 | Online
>>> *Achieving Organizational Health & Balance* | February 21 & 28, 2020 |
>>> Online
>>> *Strategic Planning the Genuine Contact Way* | March 20, 27 & April 3,
>>> 2020 | Online
>>> *Holistic Leadership Development *| April 15-20, 2020 | Waterloo, Canada
>>> *Whole Person Process Facilitation* | April 24, May 1 & 8, 2020 | Online
>>> *Genuine Contact Organization/Summer Academy 2020 *| July 3-10, 2020 |
>>> Waterloo, Canada
>>>
>>> >> Learn More & Register
>>> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/upcoming-workshops/> for any of
>>> these workshops here.
>>>
>>>
>>> PO Box 19373, Raleigh, NC, USA 27613
>>> Phone: 01-919-522-7750
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, Jan 5, 2020 at 9:50 AM Harrison Owen via OSList <
>>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>> This may be  a cop out on the questions… but one of the most amazing
>>>> things in the 30+ years I have been privileged to explore Open Space is
>>>> that common people, dealing with a common issue … while sitting in a
>>>> circle, creating a bulletin board and opening a market place – and then
>>>> going to work … always seem to get something useful done. And NEVER (in my
>>>> experience) has blood been shed. It can get terribly exciting, and I
>>>> suspect the facilitator is the most nervous. I have also heard of
>>>> innumerable suggestion for good things to do before, during, and after …
>>>> but none … to the best of my knowledge have made any difference. This does
>>>> not mean that people can’t and don’t kill each other, and of course we seem
>>>> to be on the edge of doing that (killing) more extensively at the moment
>>>> BUT I have never seen that take place in Open Space. It doesn’t even take
>>>> place when the participants are sworn and professional killers of each
>>>> other. Now there’s a mystery.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Harrison
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On
>>>> Behalf Of *???? ???? ????? via OSList
>>>> *Sent:* Sunday, January 5, 2020 5:50 AM
>>>> *To:* oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
>>>> *Cc:* שגית רוסו יצחקי
>>>> *Subject:* [OSList] Quite a few questions about Sponsors, empathy and
>>>> a safe open space for all it’s participants
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>> I’m Sagit,  another one of Tova’s students :)
>>>>
>>>> I'm interested in learning more about three different topics so thank
>>>> you so much for sharing your experience and opinions in one or all!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Sponsors -* how vital are they for opening a space?
>>>>
>>>> For example, in the case of an association that is dealing with a
>>>> significant conflict. Since there is no external body that runs the
>>>> association, the question arises as to whether open space can be held
>>>> without sponsors? Can a community have an open space without a sponsor?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Some questions about *empathy and open space -*
>>>>
>>>> The first one will be - Is empathy important for a successful open
>>>> space?
>>>>
>>>> And if empathy is important -
>>>>
>>>> How can empathic space be created and maintained for all its partners
>>>> and voices that want to be heard?
>>>>
>>>> What techniques and tools do you use to bring empathy to the open space
>>>> and how do you invite other participants to hold empathy together?
>>>>
>>>> Do you have any signs or metrics for measuring the levels of empathy in
>>>> an open space?
>>>>
>>>>  Did you come across occasions where it was difficult or impossible to
>>>> create an empathic space?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *Creating an open space that allows all participants a safe and
>>>> comfortable space for expressing themselves * *- *
>>>>
>>>> In Open Space participants are invited to stand up and offer their
>>>> topics for conversation in the marktplace . I’m wondering whether people
>>>> who are not accustomed to make their voices heard or such who are at some
>>>> disadvantage (social, age, gender, origin etc.) Feel safe and comfortable
>>>> initiating conversations in such a space?
>>>>
>>>> What are the ways you know for making the space truly safe and inviting
>>>> for all its participants?
>>>>
>>>> How much does advance preparation contribute to their participation and
>>>> what should it include, in your opinion?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks again for sharing,
>>>>
>>>> Best wishes,
>>>>
>>>> Sagit
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
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