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<font size=3>Michelle:<br>
<br>
What a wonderful story. I honour your 'doing nothing' and appreciate so
much that the dead moose came out. <br>
<br>
Esther<br>
<br>
At 10:52 PM 8/23/99 -0400, you wrote:<br>
>Betty:<br>
><br>
>I too used open space to facilitate a retreat for the Board (13) and
two <br>
>staff of a national women's group. I was to start with an
evening of story <br>
>telling following a board meeting that had ended up being very
conflicted. <br>
>There was a huge dead moose under the table.....most people believed
that <br>
>the organization's life cycle in its current form was over, but
nobody <br>
>wanted to actually say it. Shortly after opening the evening,
it was very <br>
>evident that the group did not have the energy to proceed. The
group <br>
>decided "when it is over, it is over." We finished
the evening much earlier <br>
>than expected. <br>
><br>
>I opened the space the next morning. Someone had placed a
postcard picture <br>
>of a moose in the middle of the floor (this group had had exposure to
open <br>
>space before). Many topics when up about the issues and
opportunities for <br>
>the future of the organization, but some people were rocking at the
edge of <br>
>their chairs....the dead moose had not been posted. Finally,
one person had <br>
>the courage to post a topic " Death and dying". When
the marketplace was <br>
>opened, the whole group gathered for the discussion, which lasted
more than <br>
>two hours. There were many tears and the many great stories of
the history <br>
>of the organization. They came to consensus that it was time to
allow the <br>
>great lady to die with dignity and to sow the seeds for whatever
needed to <br>
>emerge to fulfil the future needs of women. There was a great
group hug <br>
>followed by an extended lunch break where no posted sessions
convened, but <br>
>there was much healing conversation between individuals and among
small <br>
>groups. Just when I thought that it must be over and started to
arrange <br>
>chairs in a circle for closing, the group re-energized and decided
that <br>
>there were topics that still needed discussion, even with the future
fate of <br>
>the organization sealed. They broke into several small
groups.<br>
><br>
>We did a brief convergence where participants decided that death and
dying <br>
>was the priority issue. They all met together again to decide
on next <br>
>steps. In less than an hour had champions to handle disbanding the
office, <br>
>completing an anniversary issue of their magazine and planning
a conference <br>
>to honour what was and to support emergence of the new (which would
be <br>
>another great opportunity for open space!!)<br>
><br>
>Staying out of the way was difficult. I don't smoke either.
This was a time <br>
>where I felt very drawn to get involved, intervene. Instead I focused
my <br>
>energy on being fully present and totally invisible ( I have not been
able <br>
>to replicate the achievement with my family!) I busied myself
doing <br>
>something that I learned at Harrison's training several years <br>
>back.....picking up the coffee cups, preparing the table to receive
the <br>
>buffet...in general, tending to the environment. It was a great
lesson for <br>
>me about the effectiveness of just holding space to enable the group
to do <br>
>what it needed to do and the energy that that doing
"nothing" consumes.<br>
><br>
>I heard 6 months later that they group was progressing well with its'
<br>
>dignified death. The person I talked to said that the group had
feared that <br>
>they would not do what they needed to do and were very impressed that
the OS <br>
>process created the conditions that let them achieve the end.
It certainly <br>
>felt a little odd to me that death was a positive outcome for the
<br>
>organization. I am used to that in dealing with human beings in
my nursing <br>
>practice, but no so with my OD practice.<br>
><br>
>I am glad to here you are proceeding with open space. Good
luck.<br>
><br>
>Michelle<br>
><br>
>Michelle Cooper, RN, MScN<br>
>The Cooper Group Consultants<br>
>200 Crestview Avenue<br>
>Ancaster, Ontario<br>
>Canada L9G1E2 <br>
>Telephone - (905) 648- 4633<br>
>Fax -
(905) 648-1763<br>
>E-mail
coopgrp@interlynx.net<br>
><br>
><br>
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