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<P><FONT size=2><SPAN class=069465719-28042004>I</SPAN>s that where they get the
term poop deck?<SPAN class=069465719-28042004> </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=2><SPAN class=069465719-28042004><grin>
Judi</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Christine Whitney
Sanchez<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 28, 2004 3:22 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Can we be space invaders
?? - similar experiences<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080>Dear Marei,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080>I
especially appreciate you sharing your own self-reflective process. My
own hidden agendas have often come to light when I realize that I've been
encouraging the sponsor(s) to invite a "more inclusive" group.
More is not always better. Whoever comes...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080>Open Space work has certainly gone a long way to keeping me
honest about my own biases. Reminds me of a bit of trivia I just
received about one of our favorite English/American
expressions:</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#008080></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18px">In the 16th
and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship. <BR>It was also
before commercial fertilizer's invention, so large shipments of manure
were common.<BR><BR>It was shipped dry, because in that form it weighed a lot
less than when wet, but once water at sea hit it, it not only became heavier,
but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is methane
gas.<BR><BR>As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what
could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first
time someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!<BR><BR>Several ships
were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was
happening.<BR><BR>After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with
the term "Ship High In Transit" on them which meant for the sailors to stow it
high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold
would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of
methane.<BR><BR>Thus evolved the term "S.H.I.T," which has come down through
the centuries and is in use to this very day.</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 18px"></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=640155717-28042004><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18px"><SPAN
class=718230617-28042004><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=#008080 size=3>Might
this also speak to what we all need to do with our shit - ship high (be
transparent - reveal your own stuff) in transit (as we journey to new lands
together :-) ?</FONT><SPAN class=406580717-28042004><FONT
face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT color=#008080><FONT
size=3><BR></FONT></FONT></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Viner Hand ITC"
color=#008080><EM><STRONG>Christine</STRONG></EM></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT
color=#008080>Christine Whitney Sanchez<BR><FONT color=#800080>Triune Milagro,
LTD</FONT><BR>2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue<BR>Phoenix, AZ
85048-8990<BR>milagro27@cox.net<BR>480.759.0262
phone<BR>480.759.0403 fax<BR></FONT>VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
</FONT></FONT><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><A
href="http://www.triunemilagro.com/">www.triunemilagro.com</A>
</FONT></FONT></P>
<P><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT size=2><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><FONT
color=#800080><EM>Invoking the wisdom and capacity of the human spirit!
</EM></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Marei
Kiele<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 28, 2004 4:05 AM<BR><B>To:</B>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Can we be space
invaders ?? - similar experiences<BR><BR></FONT></DIV><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Dear Gerard,</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>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 ;-)</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>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?</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>You
wrote:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>"If there would be a good
reason for this to happen, what would that reason be ??"</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>and </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2>"Why invading the space was the only thing this facilitator could do
?"</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>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.</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>Thank you for sharing. I like your two questions
very much and find them very helpful for accepting what I or others are
doing.</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>Will you be solving the
riddle one day?</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>With
love,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>Marei</FONT><BR><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" size=2>PS: I tried to escape without my own share - but
opened up this posting before sending it out. Here it
comes:</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>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.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>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...). </FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" size=2>In the end
it's been a great experience and learning-opportunity for me. And the group
was satisfied with my work, too.</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#0000a0 size=2>Anybody else out there with similar
experiences?</FONT><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>Marei</FONT><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>"Harrison Owen" <hhowen@comcast.net>
schrieb:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I
guess I see your action less as "invading the space" than as "opening
the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> space." The
significant thing to me is that you posed a question ("What
is</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> the most
important topic we have forgotten?"). In my experience,
questions</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> open
space. Statements close it. We see this happening every time we
open</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> space with
something like -- "What are the issues and opportunities (fill
in</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> the blank)?"
I think the atmosphere would be radically different were we
to</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> begin with a
statement. And then when you "let go the arms of the chair"
You</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> offered a
choice -- again another question.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> I see my major role as facilitator in terms of keeping the space
open, even</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> when
that becomes quite uncomfortable. Ordinarily this can be done
without</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> saying
a word -- just be present and open yourself. I don't have a clue
how</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> this works,
but I have seen it happen again and again. The folks get
stuck,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> and I
just sit there. I suppose they are expecting that I will "fix it"
--</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> but I just
hang in there as a witness to the unasked question(s). Most
times</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I don't
even know what the question is -- most particularly when the</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> operative language is one I
don't understand. But there do come times when</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> some more overt word or action
seems to be called for -- but only after</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> being a silent witness for longer than you can
bare. It is a dangerous call,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> for it is quite likely that things are going on
beneath the surface in ways</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> that you (I) will never understand. God forbid that you jump in
with an</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> answer
(statement) just as the folks are figuring it all out for
themselves.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> But
with a question, there are choices, and if you have misperceived
the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> situation I
find that the folks just smile at your lack of cultural</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> awareness. Humbling for sure,
but not fatal.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Harrison</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Harrison
Owen</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> 7808 River
Falls Drive</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Potomac, Maryland 20845</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> Phone 301-365-2093</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Open Space Training
www.openspaceworld.com</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Personal website
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives Visit:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>>
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> -----Original
Message-----</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Gerard</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Muller</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Sent:
Thursday, April 01, 2004 5:47 AM</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Subject: Can we be space
invaders ??</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> In one of the
Open Spaces I facilitated seven years ago I featured as a</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> space invader.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> It took me a long time to begin
to look at it that way, so here it is.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> The client was a national association, the issue an internal
conflict -</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
basically concerning the interface between the national Board of
the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
organization and the regional ones.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> The chairman opened and clearly stated the issue, ending with
something</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
like:</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> "I am
convinced that if we do not solve this issue together, our</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> organization could
die.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
Help us resolve it "</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> And everyone involved was there.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Plenty of topics on the
agenda.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Not a
single one directly related to the central issue - as far as
I</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> could
see.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> After half an
hour, the first participant came and complained "The most</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> important topic is not
on</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> the agenda
!". So I suggested he might put it there. "No, I am not the</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> right person to do
this".</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Number 2, 3
and 4 came. Same story.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> To number five I said "you are the fifth who tells me you need
this</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> topic but
that you are not the right person to put it there, I wonder</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> why ?".</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> More followed.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> By lunch time, the situation
was unchanged.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Instead of
continuing to do what I was doing, I made a sign posted
where</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> all would
pass by when returning from lunch saying "What is the most</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> important topic we have
forgotten ?".</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Right after
lunch, someone posted the missing topic (at the time I</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> thought I had "helped", little
did I know).</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Everybody had
soon left all other discussions and 70 participants were</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> talking in a room I never had
though could contain so many people.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> Something important was clearly going on
there.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> But it was the
closing circle that really got me.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> The first person said "I am quite willing to say
what I have to say, but</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> only if the National Board promises to take me
seriously"</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> The
second one said "I will speak, but only if everyone else promises
to</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
speak"</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I could not
help myself. I felt all that had been achieved was at risk</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> of going down the drain
again.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> So I
forgot to hold on to the armrests of my chair and invaded
the</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
space.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> "This morning
your chairman asked your help to solve a problem. If you</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> choose to continue this way,
you might be back where you started from.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> Or you could choose to do something
else".</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I sat down
again. It seemed like 140 angry eyes looked at me. There was</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> a silence.</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Then, there was a constructive
closing.</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> I really like
the principle "Whatever happens......" .</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> I have come to develop a habit that if something
happens which really</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> should not have (given my expectations, statistics, what have
you) to</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> ask
myself "If there would be a good reason for this to happen,
what</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> would that
reason be ??</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> So what is
your guestimate as to why invading the space was the only</FONT><BR><FONT
face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> thing this facilitator could do
?</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Similar
experiences ?</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Greetings from
Svenmark,</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>>
</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Gerard
Muller</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000 size=2>> Open
Space Institute Denmark</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> Phone (+45) 21269621</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> gm@openspace.dk</FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New"
color=#000000 size=2>> </FONT><BR><FONT face="Courier New" color=#000000
size=2>> *</FONT><BR><BR><BR>* *
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