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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=090084122-04122000>Alan,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=090084122-04122000>thank
you for this contribution.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=090084122-04122000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=090084122-04122000>I
wonder if you could please elaborate a little on the difference between how you
perceive conversational processes in relation to what is known as "Dialogue"
Process. I know from our conversations how strong an impact the world cafe has
made on you and would very much like you to elaborate on the difference of what
happens in the world cafe to what happens in an OST meeting. I think you have
done an analysis of all of this and it would be helpful to me to hear
it.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=090084122-04122000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=090084122-04122000>One of
my current explorations follows from the premise that it is the Sponsor who
opens the space and the facilitator who then can proceed with facilitating the
Open Space Technology meeting. I am convinced of the importance that the Sponsor
should have the opportunity prior to the Open Space Technology meeting to make
"informed consent" about saying "yes" to having an Open Space Technology meeting
in the organization. I work with a planning group for the event that preferably
includes the CEO and managers. If the CEO is not part of the group, I make
arrangements to see him/her separately. In the meetings, I do my best to create
enough information for "informed consent" by discussing both the form and the
essence of OST. This has gone well over the years, and this practice has often
resulted in a change of theme, clarification of the givens, change of amount of
time for the Open Space Technology meeting, or cancellation of the contract when
it is clear that the Sponsor is not wanting the outcomes from OST. My
current explorations concern my interest in looking at "informed consent"
from the Sponsor if we think of the Sponsor as the whole organization rather
than just the CEO or department head. This would require some type of
conversation about the OST meeting prior to the OST meeting through which the
participants have enough information to give informed consent to participating
in the OST meeting (different than just showing up in response to an
invitation). I am looking for best current ways to do this and am interested in
the world cafe, or Dialogue, or Appreciative Inquiry.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=090084122-04122000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=090084122-04122000>I am
well aware that an OST meeting can be successful without all of this preparatory
work if we measure success by the activity in the OST meeting and by the
comments in the closing circle. My personal passion for years has been with the
ongoing organization and the success of the OST meeting months or longer after
the meeting (and of course extending to the interesting dynamics of many OST
meetings in the same organization and the Open Space Organization). This
interest in "what happens Monday morning?" in the aftermath of the OST meeting
takes me to my current exploration.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=090084122-04122000></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=090084122-04122000>Thank
you so much,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=090084122-04122000>Birgitt</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma><FONT
size=2><SPAN class=090084122-04122000> </SPAN><BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Alan
Stewart<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, November 13, 2000 12:29 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Opening space in the big
end of town<BR><BR></DIV></FONT></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi there</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<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>
<P> </P>
<P> </P>
<P> </P></FONT>
<DIV> </DIV>
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