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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi there</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Here is an item about taking Open Space/Cafe
conversational processes into the boardroom of an international company in
the context of a KM (Knowledge Management - a lovely oxymoron?)
Leaders Forum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>See <A
href="http://www.bl.com.au/km/kmlf.htm">http://www.bl.com.au/km/kmlf.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(There is an exquisite freudian typo in the notice
- which may have been corrected by the time you see this. If you _can_ see
the fun of it, well and good. If you can not, no worries! Whatever happens
.... contributes to the story line).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>You may find this item of interest from diverse
perspectives. Among these are that:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>. Here is an opportunity to take OST/Cafe
conversational processes into a domain that has probably not had much
exposure to them, yet. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>. A boardroom of a major consultancy company
is to be transformed for a few hours into a cafe. When I requested a Cafe
layout for the event the convenor </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>noted 'You do appreciate that small tables are
difficult to find in a corporate setting.' I responded 'Maybe this is part
of the problem!' </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>. I find a Cafe (Open Space a la carte) format
appropriate in some circumstances. For sitting at small tables - maximum of 6
people, eyeball to eyeball - and with attractive decor to contribute to the
ambience quickly leads to an intimacy and an inclusiveness among total
strangers. And having paper table cloths on which to record gives people plenty
of scope to be creative. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One person (a senior manager) recently spent almost
the whole of a 3 hour Passion Cafe drawing; she did not seem able to stop!
Birgitt has recently contributed wonderfully imaginative ideas for setting up
the conditions for this kind of recording to happen and to capture the
outcomes with digitat camera. </DIV>
<P><FONT face=Arial size=2>A feature of Cafe processes is that they are designed
specifically to address, and stay with, _questions_.(<A
href="http://www.theworldcafe.com">www.theworldcafe.com</A>). Seemingly physical
arrangement, such as small tables, as well as OST principles and
L2F, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>can contribute to the deep
structure underpinning such a gathering. </FONT></P>
<P>I will add that, when facilitating a Cafe in a venue in which it
is logistically feasible, we start in a circle. I _always_ invite
people to put the tables aside and come into a closing circle. </P>
<P>Good to converse, warmly</P>
<P>Alan </P>
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