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G'day folks <br><br>
I have a need.....to share this beautiful experience with you<br><br>
My client - a Govt dept with whom I have been working for two years -
invited me to facilitate a two-day OS gathering for all its workers -
about 100 good folks working with people with disabilities in the
community. All the orthodox ingredients for a successful OS were present
- <br>
great venue - large, spacious function centre overlooking the beautiful
Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, 100 eager souls, the director and
management team behind the process, brilliant weather, great food and a
plethora of passion upon which to open a scrumptious space...and it was
just fantastic - an experience to lift the spirit of all present - at
least that what it felt like in the Closing Circle...<br><br>
We had the first day's reports printed overnight and distributed on
everyone's chairs as they arrived second morning - fascinating to feel
their surprise (even tho they had been told this was going to happen -
don't think they really believed it would), their excitement and their
focus on reading - it was intense for the first half-hour - then the
morning news and few new conversations - there were only four and
five topics posted for 100 people for each of the two sessions and
everyone participated intently (seemed to me) in each one - as though
they had really named the most important issues for the
group....<br><br>
What I did differently from previous experiences? Two major changes come
to mind: <br><br>
1<x-tab> </x-tab>I had an
'apprentice' alongside me - (is this is an appropriate term) a trainee
who had participated in an training programme last year and who took on a
role of the logistical support - helping at the Mkt Place, News Board,
computers, liaising with the venue staff....this left me completely free
to hold the space for everyone else (including the trainee) and devote
most of my energy to this...I was very loose and relaxed
throughout<br><br>
2<x-tab> </x-tab>As well as form
of convergence, I re-opened the space and it worked wonderfully - using
the suggestion of Michael Pannwitz ..thanks<br><br>
After lunch we had a time for reading all the conversations on the News
Board and a 'red-dot prioritising process' that highlighted the top
five-six issues for the group - we left them there on the wall
recognising them as the areas that the gathering felt most passionate
about at this time - then I plugged into mmp's suggested process,
something like this...
<dl>
<dd><font size=2>Gathered together in the cirlce once again<br><br>
<dd><i>"Please put your books down....what you have worked on and
written up is prelude for action...it is like a backdrop for the things
you might want to do...before you start possible planning take <b>7
minutes</b> to reflect just on your own what all the things you have
experienced and worked on mean to you personally, for your work, your
family, your neighborhood....to assist your reflection here are some pens
and paper to jot down some notes, just for yourself ...after six minutes
I will sound the temple bells...some of you can do this kind of
reflection with the greatest din going on others require
silence..." </i>
<dd>There was complete silence and it felt intense - some folks eyes
closed, others gazing out across the river towards the city skyline,
others writing at various pace...(many people referred to the peace and
the power of this time during the Closing Circle)
<dd>After six minutes I sounded the temple bells in the faintest way I
know how to and people come back into the presence...
<dd>Then I continued like this:
<dd><i>"Now that you have reflected, here is one more chance to use
the resources and treasures in this group. Find someone, this might be
the person sitting next to you or someone across that you haven't really
met yet but wanted to contact all along....and use that persons
questions, insights and wisdom to more clearly understand what you have
reflected on and then let yourself be used by your partner...I will sound
the bells after ten minutes..."</i>
<dd>Within 10 seconds everyone was talking, laughing...pretty noisily in
contrast to the intense silence just before this step..one person walked
right across the space to speak the person sitting next to me, saying:
"I don't really know you - how about we share on this?" -
beautiful.<br><br>
<dd><i>"Ok, now that you have worked all day yesterday, produced a
book of proceedings, read and discussed it all and have reflected alone
and with at least one other person what this all means to you the time
has come to see what ideas have hands and feet and head and heart. If
there is something you feel you need to act on just jot it down put your
name to it and post it. And don't forget: The Law of Two Feet is still in
force...so if you find that you are neither learning nor
contributing...."<br><br>
</i>
<dd>People then got up, rather slowly - announced their project and
posted it on the walls around the circle. It took about 10 minutes for
all posts to be up and then I continued:
<dd><i>"This is the time to go walk to the project you are eager to
act on and see who else gathers there and find out what the next step is.
This is not the time for a new discussion or a complete strategic plan,
just the concrete next step you want to take. You have 20 minutes...we
also posted a sheet you can fill in with the name of the project, who all
participates, what the next step is, when a meeting might be and who
takes on the role of the contact person. These sheets will all be sent to
you as "Next steps" in a few days along with the other reports
from today's conversations."
<dd>We then gathered again to listen to the brief reports from each of
the five groups that has formed and, after a short stretch break began
the closing circle which was awesome....<br><br></i>
</dl>Time-line for Day II went something like this<br><br>
9 - 930am <x-tab> </x-tab>Gathering
and reading reports <br>
930 - 1000<x-tab> </x-tab>Morning
News<br>
1000 - 1100<x-tab> </x-tab>Conversation
<br>
1100 - 1130<x-tab> </x-tab>Morning Tea<br>
1130 -
1230<x-tab> </x-tab>Conversation<br>
1230 - 130<x-tab> </x-tab>Lunch<br>
130 - 200 <x-tab> </x-tab>Reading,
dotting and prioritising reports<br>
200 - 230<x-tab> </x-tab>Quiet
reflection and partner share<br>
230 - 315 <x-tab> </x-tab>Action
Planning<br>
315 -
340<x-tab> </x-tab>Afternoon tea
(this is Australia) <br>
340 - 400<x-tab> </x-tab>Report
back<br>
400 - 500<x-tab> </x-tab>Closing
Circle <br><br>
<i>And so ended a wonderful open space.....thanks to all who contributed
to the space opening within me<br><br>
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