<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 5.50.4134.600" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Wonderful List,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Now and again our farm cats leave us a gift on the
doormat (a couple of mice laid out neatly the other day) and I am so grateful
for the spirit and generosity of sharing stories, dramas and precious
insights of the heart from so many people and cultures, that I also have to do
something appreciative.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I had the great opportunity to run an Open Space
Technology event on the theme of how to create a new partnership of local
government and voluntary agencies for community planning in an area of Scotland.
I had some profoundly valuable advice about the planning from UK colleagues in
the Partnership for Whole Systems Transformation, especially from Romy, detailed
everything that could be planned from every perspective I could think of
and went ahead. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Where you, O List, came in was in
sustaining my confidence in responding to real client anxieties, and in holding
to space open to welcome unpredicable happenings, especially over timing. There
were lots of limitations (very tight budget, only 5 hours, fragmented wall
space, etc.) but the first success was visioning the future partnership. This
released so much positive energy that the space opened beautifully and in no
time people were posting up issues for the market place. And the conversations
went on....and on..... and on! We were soon 45 minutes behind our
available time. When I gently asked the groups how much more time they needed,
one of them remarked "This is <U>our</U> conversation and we can tell him to go
away!" That was really the best comment of the day for me. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The surprise came at the end, after reports (they
were great) had been 'dotted' and nascent Action Groups had reported back with
clarity and feeling on their key issues to take forward, and we were in the
closing circle. I invited people to say any last things - and there was complete
and utter silence! But a fulfilled silence; they had said everything
they wanted to say in their groups. You were all there, like angels on my
shoulder, helping me to appreciate the meaning of that silence. Any action
would have spoilt it. I felt good about simply closing the event (the Harrison
closure?) - and there was a spontaneous burst of applause. We ended only 10
minutes behind the intended schedule!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This was no more than every day, common or garden,
plain vanilla open space, one of thousands, in an obscure and dingy part of the
planet; it should not take up list space. And yet it was a window to a whole
universe of hope.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>David</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>David Adams<BR>Adams Associates<BR>Meadowhead, by
Cleish, Kinross, UK, KY13 0LP<BR>Tel: 44 (0) 1577 850330<BR>Fax: 44 (0) 1577
850285<BR>Mobile: 0797 1092167<BR>Email: <A
href="mailto:Solutions@adamsassociates.co.uk">Solutions@adamsassociates.co.uk</A><BR>Web
site: <A
href="http://www.adamsassociates.co.uk">http://www.adamsassociates.co.uk</A></FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>David Adams<BR>Adams Associates<BR>Meadowhead, by
Cleish, Kinross, UK, KY13 0LP<BR>Tel: 44 (0) 1577 850330<BR>Fax: 44 (0) 1577
850285<BR>Mobile: 0797 1092167<BR>Email: <A
href="mailto:Solutions@adamsassociates.co.uk">Solutions@adamsassociates.co.uk</A><BR>Web
site: <A
href="http://www.adamsassociates.co.uk">http://www.adamsassociates.co.uk</A></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>