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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>From Anne Stadler</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=annestad@home.com href="mailto:annestad@home.com">anne stadler</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=pholman@msn.com href="mailto:pholman@msn.com">Peggy
Holman</A> ; <A title=oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu
href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">Open Space Listserv</A> ; <A
title=fvhull@whidbey.com href="mailto:fvhull@whidbey.com">Vivienne Hull</A> ; <A
title=fritz@whidbey.com href="mailto:fritz@whidbey.com">fritz@whidbey.com</A>
</DIV>
<DIV><B>Cc:</B> <A title=pdonaldson@qwest.net
href="mailto:pdonaldson@qwest.net">Peter Donaldson</A> ; <A
title=gabriel@bigmindmedia.com href="mailto:gabriel@bigmindmedia.com">Gabriel
Shirley</A> ; <A title=cheftom@tableau.inc
href="mailto:cheftom@tableau.inc">cheftom@tableau.inc</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Friday, February 23, 2001 6:21 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: Opening nutrient spaces</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>I am convinced that the care taken in preparing the space by the
OS convenors is crucial! For initiating Spirited Work, we four Convenors
meditated together. We asked what is the highest purpose we are serving in
bringing SW into the world? We shared those insights in an atmosphere of
appreciation for what each of us is bringing. "On behalf of", "guided" and
"upholding" were words which came to us. THEN, we did our practical
planning. <BR><BR>TO do this, for our first time meeting as the four SW
Convenors, we sat in the middle of the space we were to meet in. And we
truly understood that we were only the present-day humans in a place which was
rich with ancestors, animals, history, nature. We have acknowledged this
as we open our space for each yearly cycle, and for each face to face season.
<BR><BR>If I remember, for our first few planning meetings, we also asked what
is my greatest fear? so that was in the room as well. We have always
totally respected and been comfortable with whatever each of us is able to
offer. And we have asked that we each only do what each one truly loves and
wants to take responsibility for. <BR> I remember, our first
session in 1999, Fritz did a lot of housekeeping, cause he'd never done OS
before. I kept sseeing him sweepng the floor and picking things up.
And Vivienne was really sick with the flu, so she did her logistics work
of getting people organized for beds and housing, then, modeled her "warrior"
energy by staying home in bed!!! That was a GREAT message for all of us!
<BR><BR>I have loved my own and my fellow Copnvenors' growth in this
environment! WE have grown hugely! <BR> AND the
Collective has grown in wisdom, maturity, and livliness--even though there are
different people coming together face to face each session and each year.
(People sign up for the whole year, but each session some can't come,
there are new people, people bring their kids or family members, so the cast of
characters is different--even though there is a core of same people which has
NOT become any kind of elite. A number of our "stewards" are new people
this year who came as Peggy did for the first time in January.)<BR><BR>Before
each seasonal gathering, the Convenors always meet ahead of time, sit together
and do our attunement, then do our practical work together. When the
weekend is over, before we leave for home, we reflect on what we've learned; and
at the next seasonal gathering we do the same meditation and attunement to begin
with, then do our practical planning. We also try to do that each time
with the people who have stepped up to "steward" SW with us--so our practical
meetings start with an attunement around what is the highest purpose we are
serving?--or someone reads a piece of poetry or an inspirational piece that's at
hand.<BR> <BR>If we have conflicts, or confusion, someone usually says "We
are doing this for the highest good. Let's stop a minute and ask what
needs to happen now?" Or someone suggests we meditate.<BR><BR>DO we always
attune face to face? <BR> We even do that by e-mail when a
project is initiated in e-mail space: For our SW on Iona Womens gathering,
we four Convenors (Vivienne, Liz Campbell, Susan Brayton and I) did a meditation
at home on the question: what is the highest purpose our Iona gathering is
serving? And then we shared our meditation on line BEFORE we did any
specific practical planning.<BR><BR>I am also very clear that I must do this
personally when I open space for anyone. So, I take the time for such a
personal practice as part of my "usual" preparation. And I do it
consistenly during the open space. <BR><BR>And I am clear I must, even in the
most mundane circumstances, begin peoples' work together by asking people to
reflect on what is our highest aspiration for what we are doing together asking
each person to speak it aloud so that we can appreciate the rich nutrient
environment we collectively are bringing into being.<BR><BR>I think our four
Convenors have truly been clear and humble about being learners, and about
not-knowing. And we've been diligent about applying Open Space Law
and principles to all our efforts to create a permeable, welcoming community of
practice. We walk our talk. Period. <BR> And we have
welcomed the gifts of others. In fact, we really have created a
"gift-exchange". Part of the reason it IS that is that we share costs--nobody
makes a profit. And we notice and welcome "The Stranger" and/or whoever
steps up to offer leadership (whoever comes is the right people,
etc.)<BR> We now have six Convenors: Gabriel Shirley of
BigMindMedia (our on-line environment) and Tom French (our Chef and food person
extraordinaire) have joined us. And we have an increasing number of
Stewards (18 I think?), taking on responsibility for the material well-being of
our learning community.<BR> We have continually conducted a
meta-conversation on line and together to learn from what we are experiencing.
This is archived, as well as live today on BigMindMedia.<BR><BR>So there
are my reflections on what we've done to create a nutrient-rich
environment.<BR><BR>Thanks for asking dear Peg-o-rooney!! I have had a
lovely experience reflecting on this. <BR><BR>Love, anne<BR>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>One more thought:<BR><BR>In my view, what one does in opening space is
create the template for a pattern to emerge. OPENing space (inner or
outer) is exactly that. Then one notices what pattern is emerging, and
amplifies what has heart and meaning/juice-- to grow the healthiest plant.
(what has heart and meaning is not "positive"--it simply is juicy and
irrepresible!!) that's my take on it. That's why the learniing is so
rich--because it is based on experience--not on theorising or "thinking about"
something. That's WHY it is so important to do the pre-work...and not to
forget to do it, or to omit it because one did it "last year", etc.<BR><BR>(I
was just reviewing my jottings from 1993 on--and I am totally amazed to see the
theoretical framework I posited for growing human self-organizing collectives,
and how it has played out in practice. And for me it has been all these
years of exploring in real life, how my hypotheses plays out. Maybe I am
actually ready to write something!!)<BR><BR>MORE IMPORTANT: why couldn't
your "most experienced OS practicioner" meeting be held as part of Spirited
Work, at Whidbey Institute, with SW participants and a few others such as
Frances McCue and the Hugo House gang invited? SW practicioners, Hugo
House, and Antioch GMP (at least Don Comstock and Mark Hower) have been
practicing opening space in organizations, and growing open space organizations,
for at least three years. We have learned a lot. So the cross
pollination could be hugely fruitful!!! <BR><BR>And as I may have suggested
earlier-- maybe you would want to open a site on our SW website for THIS
conversation (with ALL your folks) just as Charlie Kouns has opened a site for
an exploration about "Conscious Executive"???? Wouldn't that be possible,
Gabriel??<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR><B>From: </B>"Peggy Holman"
<pholman@msn.com><BR><B>Date: </B>Fri, 23 Feb 2001 17:32:32
-0800<BR><B>To: </B>"Open Space Listserv"
<oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu><BR><B>Cc: </B>"Anne Stadler"
<annestad@home.com>, "Peter Donaldson"
<pdonaldson@qwest.net><BR><B>Subject: </B>Opening nutrient
spaces<BR><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE><TT>Thank you for the great reflections on illusions and leading
change. Having<BR>read such wonderful thinking about that subject,
thought I'd bring up a<BR>completely different issue I've been mulling
lately.<BR><BR>It has to do with the ways in which the pre-work for opening a
space affects<BR>what takes place during and after. I have a specific
situation that raised<BR>a general question for me. I'll offer
both.<BR><BR>The general question is what affects the nature of the space that
is opened?<BR><BR>A little background<BR>Preparing for an OS runs the spectrum
for me. I've had great OS's that<BR>began with a short conversation with
one person in which the theme was<BR>formed in minutes: "the issues and
opportunities for x". At the other end<BR>of the spectrum, the theme is
developed by a group that is a microcosm of<BR>the people involved and weeks
of deep reflection are used to frame the theme<BR>and the aspirations for what
is possible.<BR><BR>Harrison has said that a space opens the moment the
conversation about it<BR>begins. He also says OS always works. I
believe both of these to be true.<BR>What may vary is the quality of the
space. I think perhaps the quality of a<BR>space may be a bit like
tasting a wine. For most of us, it's tough to tell<BR>the quality
because our palettes simply aren't trained enough. The more I<BR>do OS,
the more I do notice there are big differences in the spirit of
the<BR>space.<BR><BR>So what makes the difference? And what role does
the preparation for<BR>opening the space play in this
difference?<BR><BR><BR>The specific situation that prompts the question<BR>I
am involved in convening a group of experienced OS practitioners with
the<BR>idea of creating an ongoing learning community. (You'll hear more
on this<BR>very soon.) There are two different approaches that have been
suggested for<BR>getting started. One is simple: pick a date and place
and issue the<BR>invitation. No convener or a co-convenor.
Or rather, everyone is a<BR>convenor. If there is energy for more,
it will happen.<BR><BR>The other end of the spectrum is based on observing
what is happening with<BR>something called Spirited Work. In essence,
it's a<BR>learning community that gathers 4 times a year -- once a season --
to<BR>examine "Spirited Work". The group meets in Open Space and uses
the 4<BR>archetypes (Warrior, Healer, Visionary, Teacher) from Angeles
Arrien's The<BR>Fourfold Way as it's framework. This was originally
convened by 4 people<BR>who gave quite a bit of thought to what they were
doing, what it meant to<BR>them and what their aspirations for it were.
They've begun their third year<BR>and this is the finest space I've ever
been part of! The group is a mix of<BR>folks who have been involved
since the beginning and some who are just<BR>experiencing OS for the first
time. The questions are rich, the<BR>conversations deep, the energy of
the space quite profoundly rich in spirit.<BR>It is also a permeable space as
this group has really come to understand<BR>that we live in OS all the time.
This quarterly gathering is simply part of<BR>a larger flow.<BR><BR>My
instinct is part of what has shaped the quality of this space is the
care<BR>that was taken in creating it by the 4 original holders of the space.
They<BR>went into it hoping to create something nutrient and infused
that quality<BR>from the beginning. I think there is also something
about having 4<BR>co-convenors made a difference. The space started
multi-faceted and<BR>collaborative.<BR><BR>So, as I contemplate beginning
something that has the potential for ongoing<BR>life, these two approaches
might lead to very different spaces. Or not.<BR>What do you
think?<BR><BR>Peggy<BR><BR><BR>P.S. I've copied Anne Stadler and Peter
Donaldson since they are among the<BR>4 co-convenors of Spirited Work, so
wanted them in this
question.<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>_________________________<BR>Peggy Holman<BR>The
Open Circle Company<BR>15347 SE 49th Place<BR>Bellevue, WA
98006<BR>425.746.6274<BR>425.865.8168
(fax)<BR><BR><BR></TT></BLOCKQUOTE><TT><BR></TT></BODY></HTML>