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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It has been a while since I have "spoken up"
here. I continue to be a lurker as I spend a fair amount of time on family
and other activities.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What has lead to my "showing up" is an interesting
question from a client...one we both found as amusing as we did
curious.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This past year she began working for the Ohio
Coalition On Sexual Assault. One thing they have done for many years is
host an annual conference based on the traditional "expert" workshop
model. As we all know from the lore of open space and direct experience,
their evaluations consistently said that the workshops were fine, but the real
valuable part of the conference took place between formal sessions. In
addition, there were always many complaints about the food and room
conditions...not matter how good or bad the conditions really
were.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>At her suggestion the organization decided, with
considerable trepidation, to hold this year's conference entirely in open
space. The evaluations were outstanding...all of the predictable feedback
when people are provided a setting within which to express passion and exercise
responsibility.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>But here is the curiosity...despite rooms that
really were consistently too cold or too hot or too noisy and food that was
tasty, but not as portable as it was supposed to be, there were no complaints
about food or rooms! She said that she has been planning and conducting
meetings and conferences for many years and has never had so few comments on
rooms and food. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Her questions, which I offered to pass on to the
list, is "When people take responsibility for their work and find that they are
spending their time doing what they need to do, does that lead to such focus
that the rest of the conditions don't matter? Do people accept
responsibility for making choices within the space and, therefore, factor food
or room conditions into the decision to stay or use their two feet? Or was
this group an anomaly and this is just one of those moments that happens for
reasons we will never know?"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Was denken sie?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Shalom,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Chris Kloth<BR>ChangeWorks of the Heartland<BR>250
South Virginialee Road<BR>Columbus, OH 43209-2052<BR>Phone: +1
614.239.1336<BR>Fax: +1 614.239.1336<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:kloth@got2change.com">kloth@got2change.com</A><BR>URL: <A
href="http://www.got2change.com">www.got2change.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Think globally, act locally.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>
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