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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=340211916-06042003>Hi
Brendan</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=340211916-06042003>It´s
good to hear you out here! I hope everything is fine "down-west under".
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial><SPAN
class=340211916-06042003>Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience! I like
your idea with silent reflection, talking with a peer and then reopen the space.
I have started to try out the reopening space and I like it too.
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=340211916-06042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=340211916-06042003>Last
tuesday when I let a group of 250 participants reflect on the four directions of
the medicin wheel, just before closing. We didn´t have much time but anyway, I
invited them to share their thoughts with another for one minute and then I
called the bells and asked if anyone would like to share with the group. We did
this for the leadership, vision, community and management, and it worked nicely.
Quite noisy during that minute but it seemed to work really good. When I have a
bit more time at the end of my next OST I will let them reflect for themselves
too.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=340211916-06042003>Take
care!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=340211916-06042003>Regards</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=340211916-06042003>Thomas
Herrmann</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=340211916-06042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=340211916-06042003></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Ursprungligt meddelande-----<BR><B>Från:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>För
</B>BrendanMcKeague<BR><B>Skickat:</B> den 6 april 2003 16:25<BR><B>Till:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Ämne:</B> 2 Day OS - reflection
(longish)<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>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></DD></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></FONT></I><BR>* *
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