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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A href="mailto:stp@online.be" title=stp@online.be>Francis Gastmans</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU"
title=OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 31, 2000 12:08
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Feelings and Thoughts on OSonOS
Berlin</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi Francis,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thank you for your open hearted thoughts and
feelings. I agree with much of what you said. I have a few comments to
it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><BR><FONT size=2>Feelings and Thoughts on OSonOS Berlin<BR>I am very
thankfull I could be in Berlin. It was a great experience for me. But this
doesn't mean I always had a fine feeling during the Open Space. There were
many moments I felt puzzled. Things that happened also gave me thoughts on
what I felt was good and what I experienced as obstacles to a real Open Space.
1. <BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>B. Give also food for the Spirit, for example: some
spirit-thoughts on the wall, or real art, or poetry, or tables with a
landscape made of flowers and leaves, or a silence-room for meditation (as
counterpart of a video-room), ...<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A room for meditation ina large event like
this and even in asmaller setting, a great idea.></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>2.<BR>I had the feeling of a well organised event. No it was
more, I had the feeling of an over-organised event. For me there was too
much control. There was also too much "talking" and much too less "asking"
from the part of the organisers. It all made it not enough open for me.<BR>My
lessons:<BR>A. "Keep it simple!", "Less is more"<BR>B. Do not organise what
need not to be. Dare to let things be unorganised.<BR>C. Don't try to be
perfect, don't try to organise the one and only good Open Space, don't try to
organise the Open Space other Open Spacers talk about. <BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>< I like that, be where the energy is. Follow the
process. I normally plan down to the very minute and detail. that gives me a
security and something to hold on to, and then I can let go when something
else wants to happen The art of improvisation is especially needed when you
work with school children in Open SPace.> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><BR></FONT><FONT size=2>4.<BR>I experienced little Open
Space in the small groups. At home and at school we didn't learn to listen
carefully, we learned to debate, to discuss, to fight for our opinion. We are
not grown up with an open mind and an open heart, as adults we still have to
learn it. Open Space gives us the opportunity to leave old habits and to open
ourselves for the others. But it is difficult. When we meet eachother
our old habits tend to come in the meeting.<BR>Another observation: people
talked and talked, just a few persons asked, gave me an inspiring question. I
somethimes had the feeling that some of the participants liked to hear
themselves talking. For me this attidude closes the mind, closes the circle. A
good question opens the mind.<BR>My lessons: <BR>A. Together with the Law of
the Two Feet maybe its necessary to tell the Law of the Two Ears: the more you
listen the more important words are exchanged, the less you listen (= the more
you talk) the less important words are exchanged. ..."The Spirit will come to
you by listening not by talking" ... "Questions are more open than
answers"<BR>B. When I organise an OS, shall I tell people about a few pitfalls
or shall I leave it all open to the dynamics of the group?<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>< When I do Open SPace I usually tell people
of what makes up a good dialogue,(different from discussion) that is: start
with a round, use the talking stick (which I place in the middle of the circle
together with these rules of thumb), listen with 100% attention to the one who
is talking, share the time, donīt gossip, talk in I-statements (at least in
Sweden we tend to use the impersonal word one or man, when we actually talk
about ourselves). and end with a round to have the subject and process
completed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I have wondered about this, if it is to impose
things on people, knowing that Harrison have taken away all that is
unnecessary. THese are of course recommendations, I really stress that it is
voluntary but recommend people to try them if they want to achieve another
quality in their circle and that it should be a joint decision. Just sitting
in a circle, doesnīt necessarily change peoples pattern of domination or
passive behaviour.></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><BR>In each room there was a box with the right tools to
write. Excellent. There were no tools, no instruments, no materials to draw,
to paint, to model, ... to express in a more creative way. Our northern
cultures are so fixed on <U>words</U>. And I am one of the northern side of
the earth.<BR>My lessons:<BR>A. As a facilitator I shall also give
instruments, materials, ... for creative expressions.<BR>B. Next time as a
participant I shall try to use less words an to use more my hands, my feet, my
body ... for creating images, express tales, touch people, ..<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><My feeling has been for some time that this
is a very mental process, and that I could add to the outcome and peoples
participation and joy if I supported other ways of expression, like painting,
poetry, music, movements, drama , body sculptures etc. and I would like to
integrate this into Open Space, without imposing things on people. But with
just one day I donīt see how it is possible. You can put crayons there and
tell people it is wondeful and that it adds to the deeper understanding of
whats going on with pictures and symbols of the theme or process. And for some
people it is easier to express things in pictures.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>When I work with creative expressions like this
in other situations, they are usually the result fo playful warmup exercises.
This is something that I am working on.></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><BR><FONT face=Arial><I like your idea of the Law of two
ears and like to add, that there must be a reason why we were created with two
ears, but only one mouth.></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>So I suggest: first listen to the wise man/woman in
yourself, feel what he/she tells you and then act accordenly. Your feet are
the servants of your wise man/woman. Stay in close contact with your own wise
man/woman and try to have contact with the wise man/woman of the other
participants.<BR>Let it all happen more slowly! Open Space is not a race to
meet as many people as possible in a short time, but to meet that one or two
persons that are the right people for you at this moment ... and then do what
you have to do.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>With appreciation</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Agneta Falk</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><BR>Francis Gastmans<BR>STP<BR>Spiraal Training en
Procesbegeleiding<BR>Spillemansstraat 18 - 2140 Borgerhout<BR>Tel.
0032/(0)3 235 39 99 Fax 0032/(0)3 271 19 27 E-mail
stp@online.be<BR><BR>Amateurs practice until they can get it right;
professionals practice until they can't get it
wrong.<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>