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Hi folks - Happy New Year - I circulated this story to those who attended
the OSonOSinOZ and it was suggested that I put it on the wider List - so
here you are....<br><br>
Its about a 'wee' Open Space that I was doing as part of an Enspirited
Workplace Retreat organised by the Senior Management Centre in
association with the Australian Institute of Managment here in Perth, WA
a few weekends ago...here's the story<br><br>
A first of its kind here in WA - a two day conference (Thurs-Friday)
followed by a two day live-in retreat (Sat-Sunday) The conference
was reported to be very successful - although numbers were disappointing
for organisers - attracting 60 participants - needing 70 to break even.
<br>
I wasn't able to be at the conference part - all of the twenty four
participants in the retreat had been to the conference as well and
were absolutely floating on air at the Saturday morning - they had been
fed by lots of inspirational stories delivered by key leaders from local
business areas - mostly about successful 'spirit in the
workplace'....<br><br>
The planners had then organised for the retreat to follow much of the
same pattern - I was not on the planning group - and had been asked
to facilitate the second half of the second day of the retreat in OS - ie
Sunday afternoon 1 - 5pm. I had expressed concern that there would be too
much input and not much time to 'retreat' and process the responses -
still, "participants needed value for money and would not expect to
pay considerable dollars just to sit around and talk or walk or
sleep or meditate..." <br><br>
Saturday went well for folks with presentations on: Personal Mastery in
the Workplace, Ethical Case Studies Using Practical Philosophy,
Mindfulness in the Workplace (meditation skills), Implementing
Organisational Transformation Using the Integral Framework (Ken Wilbur's
model), Yoga....<br><br>
Saturday evening was wonderful with a 'ceilidh' - Irish style - and very
Open Space-ish - everyone was invited to share their talents in whatever
way they wished- so we had songs, jokes, stories, poetry, dances, musical
instruments and even a 'communal choral presentation' reflecting the main
elements of the day (this had been composed by a certain Irishman and
three other participants to the tune of a local well known Australian
folk tune - Click Go the Shears)<br><br>
Sunday morning was pretty full-on again with interactive workshops on
Leadership - the Art of Seeing, Who Are You Really?, The Emerging Big
Story: Its Impact on Individual and Corporate Spirituality, Creating
Spirit in a Local Health Care System....<br><br>
So - by the time post-lunch Open Space came along, I'm wondering if you
can guess how the group was feeling.... absolutely so...!!!!<br><br>
Many of their minds (those that could still function) had begun to wander
to the two-hour journey home, kids, school and work tomorrow, missing
partners etc....<br><br>
Anyway, they all wanted to stay long enough to see how Open Space worked
- I opened the space (on the theme: "opportunities for creating an
enspirited workplace") with two x one-hour time slots available and
time for convergence - three 'tired' conversations went up - a quarter of
the group left after the opening and the others went to the first session
of conversations, one of which was a continuation of one of the morning
sessions - at the end of this a further quarter left and the remainder
9taking up the Two Feet) suggested we have the closing circle and go home
- so be it and that is what happened!<br><br>
The closing circle was good and allowed people to articulate their
responses to the whole four days - finishing on a good feeling with one
of the organisers actually saying that we should have put the Open Space
in on the first morning of the retreat and that is what we will do next
year!<br><br>
So - there you have it folks - I must admit to feeling that I had 'opened
the space to close it' - anyway - that in itself is valid - there
certainly was little energy for further creative spirit to emerge - their
minds were wandering so their bodies went too. I'm optimistic that those
who experienced it got a feel for what OS is about - and there will
always be next year...<br><br>
Peace to all<br>
Brendan<br><br>
<br>
<font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#008080"><b><i>Brendan
McKeague<br>
Facilitator<br>
</b></font><font face="Comic Sans MS">25 Halley Street<br>
Innaloo , WA 6018<br>
<b>AUSTRALIA<br>
</i></b></font><font face="Comic Sans MS" size=2>Home (08)
9244 3885 <br>
Work (08) 9244 8090<br>
Mobile 042 944 8090<br>
Email<x-tab> </x-tab>mckeague@iprimus.com.au <br><br>
</font><font face="Comic Sans MS" color="#0000FF"><b><i>We must become
the change we want to see in the world<br>
</b></font><font face="Comic Sans MS" size=2 color="#0000FF"><x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab><x-tab> </x-tab>Mahatma
Gandhi</font></i></body>
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