<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.2314.1000" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=290394002-05032000>My contribution to
the idea of someone coming forward to close the space and how to avoid walking
out follows as a story. Comments in brackets are my editorial
comments:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=290394002-05032000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=290394002-05032000>Once upon a time
(don't you just love a story that starts 'once upon a time')
Anyway--</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=290394002-05032000>Once upon a time
there was a mother mouse (those of you who have taken training with Harrison or
who have read the books know the mouse is the symbol for community and an
important element of open space). One day she said to her children "today we
must go out because we have to find some food (nourish ourselves :-)). But we
must be very careful because there is a CAT, a big CAT who would like to eat us.
So stay close to me and don't make any noise." So they ventured outside. They
saw a nice morsel of cheese right by the garbage can (passion and responsibility
show up here). Just as they approached the cheese, a big CAT jumped in front of
them (seems like a space invader to me). He had big yellow eyes and big fangy
teeth, with one ear up and one ear down. Just as he pulled out his claws and was
about to pounce on them, the mother mouse pulled herself up to her full height
and said to the cat: "Bark, bark, bark, woof, woof, woof!" At which point the
cat was so freaked out it ran away. The mother mouse then turned to her children
and said, "now my children, you know the importance of learning another
language".</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=290394002-05032000>For me, I can't
imagine walking out in my job as facilitator. Mostly, as an external
facilitator, if I walk out the risks I take for me are loss of income and
possibly reputation in some quarters. And we could say that the people of the
organization could also use their two feet, and they can. I recognize that they
have much to risk if they stay in a really controlling place. I also
realize they have much much to risk---their livlihood by likely loss of job,
problems in families, default on mortgage payments etc. if they use their law of
two feet by walking out of the Open Space. Different ones of them might over
time (or quickly) decide to seek other employment. But in the minute of the
drama of the CEO or whomever shutting down the space, it is too "life
threatening" for some people to use the law of two feet. I would however,
formally and with ceremony "officially" close the space to make the transition
from one to the other clear, I would be so controlling in that moment in time
that even a fierce CEO could not stop me. My job as I see it would be to
make sure all know that the space is closing and that I who opened it am the
closer of it, to signify the end of my commitment with them as the space holder.
I would then either leave or stay, depending on a number of factors. I would not
walk out without doing a closing.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=290394002-05032000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=290394002-05032000>And if I was an
internal facilitator, I would take a great risk in doing this. I would likely
lose my job, not just my contract.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=290394002-05032000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=290394002-05032000>Birgitt</SPAN></FONT></DIV></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>Birgitt Williams</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>Make Genuine Contact!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>Dalar Associates: organizational
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>effectiveness consultants</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>Striving for Success? Ready to exceed
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>your expectations?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>Contact us for consulting services,
</FONT><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>training, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>conference and meeting facilitation,
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2>and keynote speaking.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face="Arial Black" size=2><A
href="http://www.openspacetechnology.com/">www.openspacetechnology.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>