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At 08:32 AM 1/12/2003 -0500, Doug. Germann wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>How would you explain or
demonstrate OST to a Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions or<br>
other service club luncheon meeting?<br><br>
I have been invited to bring to a local Rotary club word of an OS on
the<br>
topic "Doing Something About Senior Healthcare and Well-Being."
It will be<br>
an invitation to them to come and take part. I will have 15-20 minutes
to<br>
make my presentation.<br><br>
A couple of weeks ago someone on the list suggested that we can
demonstrate<br>
OST by giving people a sample opening, complete with flip chart paper
and<br>
markers and having them announce their topics. That intrigues me, a
lot.</blockquote><br>
I know that others may disagree, but I find that
"demonstrating" Open Space, particularly in a very short period
of time, to be less than useful. There is no question you can go through
The Motions -- but then it turns out to be just that -- Going through the
Motions". We know that Open Space runs on peoples's passion and
responsibility, and if neither are there, not much happens. So at
the end of a brief demonstration the usual reaction I have encountered is
-- Is that all there is? And of course, without passion and
responsibility (and time to express both) that is all there is. And it is
not much.<br><br>
An effective alternative, and one that I have used often, is built around
the USWEST video which portrays a high stakes, intense, conflicted, and
"successful" Open Space with real folks doing real things. Even
in the cold medium of video, the passion comes through, and you can see
the responsibility happening. The video consists of a number of
interviews with the same group of folks over the course of the 2 and 1/2
day event along with a voice-over by yours truly describing the process
and background. And the whole thing is very short -- 13 minutes. My
format is simplicity itself. A few comments up front about, "This is
Open Space. It is very hard to describe, so I won't try. Just watch this
video. And when the video is over, I take questions. Seems to work every
time.<br><br>
Peg Holman <peggy@opencirclecompany.com> can get you a copy of the
video for a small fee. I think this might be an essential tool for
anybody who feels called upon to spread the word about Open Space, for
whatever reason.<br><br>
Harrison<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<div align="center">Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-365-2093<br>
Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
<br>
Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
Personal website <a href="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF">http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</a><br><br>
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