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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Marei wrote:</span></font><font size=2
face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'> So
if I believed in the idea of space invaders (which for me is a theoratical
construction I don't like very much - who decides when space is invaded and
when not?)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'>The simple answer
to your question is that the participants decide. And they do and they will. The
function of the facilitator (or at least my function when facilitating) is to
keep the space open so that a decision can be made. This can be interesting, if
only because the Space Invaders in my experience are mostly interested in
closing the space down. Things become particularly interesting if the Space
Invader, by whatever name, happens to be the President of the Company. Suddenly
it occurs to him or her that things are getting out of control – and in
words of some sort he/she says, “Folks, It’s my way or the highway.”
Space closed.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'>Such an action
(and I have only seen it happen once or twice) eliminates all possibility of
discussion, decision – and of course Open Space. As the facilitator, this
puts me in a very curious spot. I have come (and committed to) open space.
Unless the Space Invader shows up in the first moments (which I have never
seen), certain promises have been made implicitly and explicitly. You (the
participants) are important. What you think is important. Your issues are
important – all of that has been communicated to the participants. And I
have been very central in that communication. If nothing else it now becomes a
matter of my integrity, to say nothing of the integrity of the Open Space. So
what to do?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'>It really is not
my meeting. And so if everybody just wants to sit there and be miserable –
that is obviously their choice, and they will make it. I see it as my
responsibility to open the space up sufficiently so that a choice can be made,
and simultaneously, everybody can recognize that they are making a choice –
even if they sit there and do nothing. How to do that will vary with the
situation.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'>Harrison</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>Harrison Owen</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>7808 River Falls Drive</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>Potomac, Maryland 20845</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>Phone 301-365-2093</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'></X-SIGSEP><font
size=3 color=red face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:red'><!--StartFragment --><X-SIGSEP>Open Space Training <a
href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora=autourl>www.openspaceworld.com</a>
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
color=red face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:red'>Open
Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org" eudora=autourl>www.openspaceworld.org</a></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
color=red face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:red'>Personal
website <a href="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm"
eudora=autourl>http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</a></span></font><font
color=blue><span style='color:blue'><br>
<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a></span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center'><font
size=3 color=red face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:red'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
archives Visit: <a
href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" eudora=autourl>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>OSLIST</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> [mailto:</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>OSLIST</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Marei Kiele<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, April 28, 2004
7:05 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> </span></font><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>OSLIST</span></font><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: Can we be space invaders
?? - similar experiences</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:
.5in'><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Courier New"'>Dear Gerard,</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>back
on the web after three weeks off I am overwhelmed by some 300 postings to be
read. And more and more are coming in each day. I started answering your mail
before I left but didn't have the chance to send it any more. Sorry for my
being late - but I decide to write late better than not at all - loving your
idea of sharing our mistakes, ups, our learnings ;-)</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Opposite
to Harrison I agree with you. So if I believed in the idea of space invaders
(which for me is a theoratical construction I don't like very much - who
decides when space is invaded and when not?) I'd say you did invade - I guess
already by asking the question. Questions open. But on the other hand they lead
(in german we have this saying: "Wer fragt, der führt" = "who is
asking is leading"). And should not the participants of an open space be
their own leaders?</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>You
wrote:</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>"If
there would be a good reason for this to happen, what would that reason be
??"</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>and
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>"Why
invading the space was the only thing this facilitator could do ?"</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>One
of the many possible good reasons (and of course there was one) could have been
that the facilitator felt so connected with the pain or the fear he witnessed
that he couldn't wait till they found their own problem-serving-strategy. And
as you said: He was totally convinced to serve the system.</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Thank
you for sharing. I like your two questions very much and find them very helpful
for accepting what I or others are doing.</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Will
you be solving the riddle one day?</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>With
love,</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Marei</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>PS:
I tried to escape without my own share - but opened up this posting before
sending it out. Here it comes:</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Facilitating
a prepatory-meeting some weeks ago I tried to convince the planing-commitee to
invite additional people by saying "I as a facilitator would
include...". First I thought this was only because of my being attached to
the outcome and my fearing the group might be to small for finding out the
suitable theme. And later I took a deeper look into myself and discovered a
second reason: I had prefered doing something else on the date we fixed and by
including these new people the date would have been defered. And I didn't want
to let go of my other plans without being sure the prep-meeting was going to be
sucessful.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>Fortunately
they stayed to their own intention, we meet in a small group on the agreed-upon
date and had a wonderful meeting (with conflict inside the group showing up and
all the timetable going down the tubes me doing nothing but witnessing...). </span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New"'>In
the end it's been a great experience and learning-opportunity for me. And the
group was satisfied with my work, too.</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 color="#0000a0" face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:#0000A0'>Anybody else out there with similar
experiences?</span></font><br>
<br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>Marei</span></font><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>"Harrison Owen"
<hhowen@comcast.net> schrieb:</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> I guess I see your action less as
"invading the space" than as "opening the</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> space." The significant thing
to me is that you posed a question ("What is</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> the most important topic we have
forgotten?"). In my experience, questions</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> open space. Statements close it. We
see this happening every time we open</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> space with something like --
"What are the issues and opportunities (fill in</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> the blank)?" I think the
atmosphere would be radically different were we to</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> begin with a statement. And then
when you "let go the arms of the chair" You</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> offered a choice -- again another
question.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> I see my major role as facilitator
in terms of keeping the space open, even</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> when that becomes quite
uncomfortable. Ordinarily this can be done without</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> saying a word -- just be present
and open yourself. I don't have a clue how</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> this works, but I have seen it
happen again and again. The folks get stuck,</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> and I just sit there. I suppose
they are expecting that I will "fix it" --</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> but I just hang in there as a
witness to the unasked question(s). Most times</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> I don't even know what the question
is -- most particularly when the</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> operative language is one I don't
understand. But there do come times when</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> some more overt word or action
seems to be called for -- but only after</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> being a silent witness for longer
than you can bare. It is a dangerous call,</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> for it is quite likely that things
are going on beneath the surface in ways</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> that you (I) will never understand.
God forbid that you jump in with an</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> answer (statement) just as the
folks are figuring it all out for themselves.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> But with a question, there are
choices, and if you have misperceived the</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> situation I find that the folks
just smile at your lack of cultural</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> awareness. Humbling for sure, but
not fatal.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Harrison</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Harrison Owen</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> 7808 River Falls Drive</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Potomac, Maryland 20845</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Phone 301-365-2093</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Open Space Training
www.openspaceworld.com</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Open Space Institute
www.openspaceworld.org</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Personal website
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change
your options, view the archives Visit:</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>>
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> -----Original Message-----</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> From: OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Gerard</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Muller</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 5:47
AM</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Subject: Can we be space invaders
??</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> In one of the Open Spaces I
facilitated seven years ago I featured as a</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> space invader.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> It took me a long time to begin to
look at it that way, so here it is.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> The client was a national
association, the issue an internal conflict -</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> basically concerning the interface
between the national Board of the</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> organization and the regional ones.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> The chairman opened and clearly
stated the issue, ending with something</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> like:</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> "I am convinced that if we do
not solve this issue together, our</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> organization could die.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Help us resolve it
"</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> And everyone involved was there.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Plenty of topics on the agenda.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Not a single one directly related
to the central issue - as far as I</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> could see.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> After half an hour, the first
participant came and complained "The most</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> important topic is not on</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> the agenda !". So I suggested
he might put it there. "No, I am not the</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> right person to do this".</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Number 2, 3 and 4 came. Same story.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> To number five I said "you are
the fifth who tells me you need this</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> topic but that you are not the
right person to put it there, I wonder</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> why ?".</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> More followed.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> By lunch time, the situation was
unchanged.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Instead of continuing to do what I
was doing, I made a sign posted where</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> all would pass by when returning
from lunch saying "What is the most</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> important topic we have forgotten
?".</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Right after lunch, someone posted
the missing topic (at the time I</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> thought I had "helped",
little did I know).</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Everybody had soon left all other
discussions and 70 participants were</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> talking in a room I never had
though could contain so many people.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Something important was clearly
going on there.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> But it was the closing circle that
really got me.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> The first person said "I am
quite willing to say what I have to say, but</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> only if the National Board promises
to take me seriously"</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> The second one said "I will
speak, but only if everyone else promises to</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> speak"</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> I could not help myself. I felt all
that had been achieved was at risk</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> of going down the drain again.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> So I forgot to hold on to the
armrests of my chair and invaded the</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> space.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> "This morning your chairman
asked your help to solve a problem. If you</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> choose to continue this way, you
might be back where you started from.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Or you could choose to do something
else".</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> I sat down again. It seemed like
140 angry eyes looked at me. There was</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> a silence.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Then, there was a constructive
closing.</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> I really like the principle
"Whatever happens......" .</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> I have come to develop a habit that
if something happens which really</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> should not have (given my
expectations, statistics, what have you) to</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> ask myself "If there would be
a good reason for this to happen, what</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> would that reason be ??</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> So what is your guestimate as to
why invading the space was the only</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> thing this facilitator could do ?</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Similar experiences ?</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Greetings from Svenmark,</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Gerard Muller</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Open Space Institute Denmark</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> Phone (+45) 21269621</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> gm@openspace.dk</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> </span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=black face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>> *</span></font><br>
<br>
</p>
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