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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Greetings ~<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>It’s amazing how life keeps
supporting whatever lesson we’re working on.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>This morning I received this
message from a colleague who participated in one of my earliest <span
class=SpellE>OST’s</span> with a handful of tribal council folks from
several villages:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I was wondering if you might be
interested in the possiblity of doing some "</span></font><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Team</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> </span></font><st1:PlaceType><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Building</span></font></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>" type
training out in the villages. I haven't thought through how the training
would go, that would sort of be up to you. But I was thinking that
something like "team building" would be a very positive thing for
some of the tribal councils that I work with. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I discussed this possiblity with my
co-workers and they were all very supportive of the idea. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>If you think that you might be
interested in this type of thing, then maybe we could meet and talk more about the
details to see if it is possible.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Let me know what you think :)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>When I started reflecting on our first
experience together, I remembered that this had been a very difficult OST.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>The theme had something to do with
conflict resolution.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I did the opening
and then “got out of the way” so they could self-organize and learn
from and with each other.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I really
believe in the power of all that stuff.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>But the energy was flat.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Things just didn’t move.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>People seemed to simply be rehashing what had already been hashed
through before.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>No fresh insights
to speak of.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They clearly wanted
that spark of new insight and inspiration, but it just wasn’t happening.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>After a few hours of talking, they
wanted more help from me in understanding how they might do things
differently.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>They very clearly and
directly asked for more help from me.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I resisted participation, and
expressed confidence in their ability to find the answers they needed from
within themselves and within the group.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>They resisted my resistance.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>In the end, I talked with them a bit about what it means to collaborate,
to engage in mutual problem-solving that relies on and respects the input of
everyone.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>We talked about how
collaboration changes the dynamics of human interaction, and how that approach
might help.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>But it felt like too
little, too late.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Overall, I felt
out of sync with OST, and out of sync with them.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It wasn’t one of my brightest
moments.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>And now that I think about how it FELT when
they asked for my help, I realize I didn’t have that sense of them asking
me as an expert to solve their problems for them.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>It didn’t have that us-them
quality about it.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Rather, it felt
very real and authentic, like they were asking me as another human being to
share my knowledge and insight to help them find their way out of desperate
situations.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>(The situation in many
places in </span></font><st1:State><st1:place><font color=navy><span
style='color:navy'>Alaska</span></font></st1:place></st1:State><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'> is truly desperate.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span class=GramE>And tragic.</span><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Things are so unbalanced in some areas
that suicide rates, especially for young Native Alaska men, are among the
highest anywhere in the world.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And
that doesn’t count the countless “accidents” that result in
injury or death.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Many communities
are very small, perhaps several hundred people, so the impact of each person on
the community as a whole is magnified.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Everything and everyone deeply matters.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>And in addition to whatever else is
happening<span class=GramE>,</span> the community is typically engaged in deep
grieving over many kinds of losses from the recent and distant past.) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>And so I wonder what ideas any of you might
have about how to approach this request.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I’m interested in thoughts
about OST and also other approaches that might come to mind.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I appreciate any and all ideas ~<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>Julie<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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