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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=030320815-06092000>Harrison
wrote:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=030320815-06092000>Goodness --- you
certainly ask the hard ones!!!! I guess for me, real open space is safe enough
so that people can really talk about what they care about, and start on the
process of taking useful action. Safe Space requires that they have the time too
-- for a complex, conflicted issue, there has to be time to work. But it can't
be too safe -- there is a risk, life is a risk. And here is where passion is
important. I guess a useful criteria is that the space is safe enough for
passion to show up. How''s
that?<BR>********************************************************************************************************************************************<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite" cite><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial
size=2><SPAN class=030320815-06092000></SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=030320815-06092000>Harrison, </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=030320815-06092000>on
that notion of safe space. I wonder if you could say a few more words about
that. I very much appreciated your contribution with the conversation on
grief cycle. And I wonder if you might just have more of a go at this
one on "what is open space" and in relation to the notion of "safe
space". </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=030320815-06092000></SPAN></FONT> <FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial
size=2><SPAN class=030320815-06092000>I'll get this going the next step with my
offering that I don't think we are not about "safe space" when we
facilitate Open Space Technology nor even space that is safe enough for passion
to make an appearance. Or maybe we do, just for the time of the event, and not
beyond. And it is the "before" the event and the "after" the event that may in
fact not be safe, and in fact there might be a reduction in "safety" as a result
of the event. Within an organization where there is lots of conflict
(passion too) going on, on a daily basis, when we go in to to facilitate an Open
Space Technology meeting, I have witnessed situations where, despite the happy
and warm hearted closing circle, in the months following the Open Space
Technology event, there are firings, people quit, and the level of
disatisfaction and upheaval is huge. People look back on the Open Space
Technology event as the catalyst. In each and every case, when I follow up with
people to find out if they would rather that we had not done the Open Space
Technology meeting, the answer is always, always that it was good that we did
it. The conclusion is that the truth that was really there anyway has come to
the surface. It is one of the gifts of Open Space Technology that given enough
time and space, the stuff that no one likes to talk about, the "dead moose under
the table" comes to the surface to be talked about. And despite the pain and
lack of feeling of safety and confronting demons and bedevilments, my experience
with people over time is that they are glad to finally have things "on the
table" so that they can actually make life decisions from that point. Life
decisions, in my personal experience, are never easy. Sometimes I make my life
decisions because I feel safe enough to do so. And sometimes I make my life
decisions because I fear the losing of my life if I do not--and in these cases I
do not feel safe in my starting point. I have seen the parallel in Open Space
Technology, when there is a lot of conflict. It surfaces but I am not sure this
is because we have established a space that is SAFE. I agree that it is OPEN,
whatever that may mean. And passion rises if it is powerful, whether space is
safe or not, or safe enough for passion or not. Or something like
that.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=030320815-06092000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=030320815-06092000>Note:
below my signature, I've included a posting that I did long ago about "the Dead
Moose Society" just for anyone who is not aware of this and might be interested
in the notion. Folks from other countries have used animals other than "moose"
which is very Canadian.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=030320815-06092000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=030320815-06092000>Kindest regards,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=030320815-06092000>Birgitt</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </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,
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<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>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2><FONT face="Garamond ITC T,Arial Narrow" size=5>
<P>OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY</P></FONT><FONT face="Garamond ITC T,Arial Narrow"
size=5>
<P>Dead Moose Society</P></FONT><FONT face="Garamond ITC T,Arial Narrow"><B>
<P>You are invited to join The Dead Moose Society</P></B></FONT><FONT
face="Garamond ITC T,Arial Narrow" size=3>
<P>Beware all of you in the world of Open Space. Another entity has formed and
we are extending an invitation to all of you to participate. At an Opening the
Space event in February 1997 in Ontario, Canada, we discussed the importance
of living our <B>truth</B>, with good heads, good hearts, and extending care
and compassion out into the world. We then talked about the hazards associated
with living this way. What happens when collusion (co-illusion) is named? What
happens when a truth that everyone knows about but no one ever talks about
(except for parking lot gossip) is named? What happens when Space is Opened
and truth surfaces?</P>
<P>At first glance, the answer would seem that the air gets cleared and life
goes on better that before. Our collective experience has told us that this is
not so. It is more common that the truth teller comes to harm, is targeted for
harm somehow. Or Open Space itself is called into question, with people being
so angry about the <B>truth</B> having come out, that they end up being angry
at the Open Space process that they say "it didn’t work, look at what
resulted."</P>
<P>So . . . we identified that all of this was like having a dead moose under
the table. Everyone knows it’s there, it smells, maybe has gathered flies, is
sickening, but no one wants to say the obvious. And we decided that Open Space
is to be honored for putting "<B>the dead moose on the table</B>" so that it
can be identified and appropriately dealt with.</P>
<P>And thus we formed the Dead Moose Society as an adjunct to the Open Space
Institutes and all good Open Space work everywhere. The purpose of the Dead
Moose Society is to get the Dead Moose on the table wherever we can, and to
support each other in efforts to do so. The principles that will govern our
Society are:</P>
<P>Harrison Owen’s four principles for Open Space:</P>
<P>1. Whoever comes is the right people</P>
<P>2. Whenever it starts is the right time</P>
<P>3. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have</P>
<P>4. When it’s over, it’s over</P>
<P>As well as Angeles Arrien’s four laws of Spirit:</P>
<P>1. Show up and be present</P>
<P>2. Tell the truth</P>
<P>3. Follow what has heart and meaning</P>
<P>4. Let it go</P><B>
<P>The Invitation</P></B>
<P>Please form your own Dead Moose Society when needed (NOW isn’t such a bad
time) with whomever you can interest in this very important work. They must be
people who are willing to take risks, have courage, have vision, and enjoy
community. And be committed to living by the principles as above that
encourage us to be about our own truth also.</P><B>
<P>Location</P></B>
<P>The first meeting of this first group took place in a pub in Unionville,
Ontario on April 16<SUP>th</SUP>, 1997. That sets a possible tone for where
other Society meetings should be located - a good pub.</P><B>
<P>Fees</P></B>
<P>We would like to say there are none, but for those of you who try to live
your truth, and who have tried to name truth in an organization, you know the
price can be very high - nothing less than your soul sometimes.</P><B>
<P>Agenda</P></B>
<P>Whatever happens, playfulness is certainly essential. We all need to come
forward with the abundance mentality of giving and sharing. For us, some of
the agenda items of our first meeting included:</P>
<UL>
<LI>Where did the dead moose come from anyway?</LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI>The loudest burp</LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI>When moose(s) extend their mating call, do we try to mate with them?
</LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI>What is the plural of moose?</LI></UL>
<UL>
<LI>How do you spell carcass?</LI></UL>
<P>We brought fun items along - a moose caller, a moose puppet, a moose statue
- the list goes on and on. We formally signed a register and pretended like
"Roberts Rules of Order." To sign the register, we each took on a moose name.
So much hilarity happened that poor Robert’s Rules fell to the wayside, and we
actually got a lot done.</P>
<P>As you might guess, with the help of humor, the real Dead Moose stories
came out - very painful, very serious. We support one another to carry on with
bringing truth into the workplace. And because we are able to laugh, amidst
the tears, we are able to hold on to the space that Open Space and truth need
to bring healing into the organization.</P><B>
<P>Stay in touch</P></B>
<P>If you have a Dead Moose story to share or if you start your own "chapter"
of the Dead Moose Society, please let us know. Just for the record.</P>
<P></P>
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