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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greetings,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I look forward to sharing Open space experiences
with you all.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In years past when working at a conference centre
in the interior of British Columbia- Sorrento Centre- Open Space was used by
programmes that were sponsored at our centre. I was not directly involved but
was impressed with the results, the morale tone and the general method, as
I observed it from something of a distance.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Earlier this year, the idea of using Open Space
came up when I was invited to be a speaker/facilitator for a special 1 day youth
conference on the subject of leadership in the century ahead. I had been asked,
because I had been a speaker for a session in similar events in the past, but
now I was to be given responsibility for a full day's event.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This was a school setting- an international school
for 200 bright 16-18year olds called Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific
one of 10 colleges ( really senior schools) scattered around the world- <A
href="http://www.uwc.org">www.uwc.org</A> -and a school which has an
extremely busy academic and extracurricular programme. However, it creatively
gives full days for special topics and the style of day is up to the organizers-
students &//or faculty. This particular day that I was responsible for was
an annual day set aside by past faculty in honour of the founding director, as
he had always been keen on innovative educational methods.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Often these days- somewhat "change of pace" days
were set in the usual conference setting. And this year's was to be dedicated to
the subject of leadership. Hence, my invitation to
"speak"/"help"/"facilitate"!!??</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Initially, a meeting was called for interested
faculty and students about 6 weeks ahead of the given day. I happened to read
Harrison Owen' book on Open Space Technology just before this planning meeting
and although there were no examples in the book of Open Space being used in
school settings, I felt like offering the possibility to the planning group. The
reaction was interesting- a measure of skepticism but a bundle of enthusiasm. We
decided on that day to use Open Space and that I would act as facilitator, and
they as a working team at home base as I was away from the residential
school most of the time. I had taught at this college years before, and knew
some of the aspects of internal dynamics there, but I wanted some people closer
to the pulse to help create the right atmosphere before the big
day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I decided too that I needed a little personal
help (training) to do this job well. As I result, I consulted with a previous
colleague from Sorrento Centre days, who had both experienced and facilitated
Open Space a number of times and someone who I have great admiration for in the
general field of facilitation. I decided that I would contract two
one hour sessions with him by phone, one before the next planning meeting with
the home based team (set for exactly 3 weeks before the event) and another
just before the event itself. That proved most useful and I highly recommend
that way of being introduced to the process. I shared every single document that
I prepared for the day- all my "speeches"- Owen's recommended , suitably adapted
for the setting, + a PR strategy to suitably excite and puzzle the student and
faculty body before the event. I even prepared a special memo for the faculty to
forewarn them of the "different" process for the day, and to both give them
confidence that it would work and that it would not involve a lot of extra time
for anyone outside of that day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The special planning meeting involving 15 students
and 2 faculty ( for a community event of 225) went really well. I set it up
rather like an open space itself and introduced to the idea of the day that way-
with posters on the wall and a complete blank notice board. We did it right up
to the declaration of topics as we had given them some simple "homework" to
imagine possible topics that might get raised. This enabled them to catch some
early enthusiasm and hope, as well as provide an opportunity to discuss the
timing of the day, a special drama introduction we were planning, the actual
title of the day, the advance publicity strategy ( the Invitation) and the style
of compilation that we use at the end of the day. They broke into two teams ,
one for PR and the other for FINAL DOCUMENT preparation.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The decisions we made were:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The topic was to expressed in the form of
questions:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>HOW DO WE WANT TO BE LED? HOW
SHOULD WE LEAD?</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>(leadership in the years,
decade and century ahead)</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The PR group would put up some clipped sayings
about leadership over the next weeks and tease them with this title, announcing
the day. And they agreed that they would intersperse this with references to
Open Space Technology, especially a wide cross section of interesting case
studies from around the world. We talked of timing and location- just enough to
tease busy youngsters but also enough to raise both curiosity and hope for the
day. They were also working on a more traditional conference on </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>VISIONS OF PEACE FOR THE 21st
century</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>with many profound speakers and key
workshops and with many outsiders. We wanted this day to be a contrast and yet
to be real learning occasion.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>The idea of starting the day with
dramatic representations was fully confirmed. They were to be given a half hour
to share some vignettes that would start the day well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>All this advance planning went well as
did my second consultation. I then arrived 3 days before the event and met again
with the "planning" group- for last minute details.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>the main room that we had decided to use
for the event was to be the dining room, the only flat space that could easily
take us all. In many ways it is the campus centre- so we knew that we had to
transform significantly to give "fresh air" for the Open Space. We originally
though that we might do all the re-arranging in the morning but thank goodness
the drama group wanted one last rehearsal before the morning and the planning
group joined me in getting the room already the night before. we needed to use
ladders to get the signs up high. We also covered all existing notice boards to
shut out anything of the regular life. Even the meal routine was to be different
all day. People would initially must in the same dining room with a mixture of
muffins, sticky buns and "exotic" warm and cold drinks. they would see all
the OS signs and slowly take their seats- incidentally we could only fit 95
chairs in the an oblong circle around the room but decided that everyone
would sit around the chairs on the floors which worked excellently, except
for a slight crunch around the most public entrance. The drama started
impromtuously without warning and initially consisted of a few orders from a
secret mike. The whole episode set the tone well, and finally I was introduced
and got on with opening my first Space.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>That went really well. There was
excitement and enthusiasm and 53 workshops were created. I followed my friend's
advice and make very sure that there were no lingering undeclared topics - that
led to 7 more. There were two exceptions to the declared procedure. they did not
announce their names when declaring their topics- they did all know each other
and perhaps felt that unnecessary. I didn't push it. Opening the marketplace,
went well except their energy had them fairly well involved in that
process before I had really opened the marketplace. when I feebly
interrupted, one came to me and said cheekily "whenever it starts is the right
time". Everything flowed into the full marketplace well in the end, though they
decided not to sign for workshops- just to go. And that worked surprisingly
well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>I should say one thing about the timing
of the day- we had four break out times, including provision for lunch when and
where they wanted. In other words we did not have a lunch break as guidance had
suggested and I was nervous abut doing this but it worked excellently well. They
ate here and there as they wished. And I think that took breaks scattered
through the day. All the breakout sessions had only approximate starting times
and were each 1 1/2 hour in allotted duration. Quality of discussion was
excellent and introverts were elevated and extroverts toned down. And it must be
said that in this community of 225 from 80 countries and every conceivable race
there was no bias in race at all. That was exciting. Bumblebees and butterflies
were evident and in some cases having a fun time of it- but no bother for
sure.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Closure was special. I had introduce a
modified wall hanging sized home made medicine wheel in the morning as an icon
for the day, as it fit in with theme as well as process. At the closure I used a
modified talking stick ceremony ( with some concern with 225 energetic people),
a microphone with a cardboard sheath to decorate it as a talking stick. But the
cautionary remarks about timing meant that we completed that in 25 wonderful and
powerful moments. Onto the medicine wheel, now on the floor and following the
"Owen" advice, slightly modified, that worked well- followed by thank yous to
many, a turning about, some "liturgy" around going out into the other Open
Spaces - of their campus and eventually their world. = A FOREWARNING OF A FEAST
THAT EVENING BACK IN THAT TRANSFORMED SPACE-i.e.-back to normal.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Reporting back was excellent and in the
end 15 typed pages of promised proceedings were personally delivered to their
rooms that night, about 12 hours before expected.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Feedback on the day was
excellent.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>Since that day I have had two other
opportunities to Open Space- one for a rural planning group of 15 who were
starting a community Association- the other for a thinktank group of 10 planning
a brand new certificate course in Inter-Religious Relations. I'd be happy to
share details on those too. I don't want to dominate the discussions though
there are some interesting dimensions to each. Quite the contrast to the large
and youthful first go.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'm enjoying reading the various
contributions. I hope to get in closer touch with those in Vancouver and the
Pacific Northwest- and the first nations folk. I helped sponsor a wonderful
First Nations woman from Bella Bella who has now experienced her first Open
Space and was excited with it. She would make a great facilitator.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Marks & Margaret McAvity<BR>Site 50, Comp
16<BR>Galiano Island,<BR>BC, VON 1P0<BR>CANADA<BR>Tel 250-539-2881 (Gal)<BR>Tel
604-827-0305 (Van)<BR>Tel 250-539-0146 (mob)<BR><A
href="mailto:mcavity@jetstream.net">mcavity@jetstream.net</A> (us)<BR><A
href="mailto:mcavity@netinfo.ubc.ca">mcavity@netinfo.ubc.ca</A>
(Marg)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>