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<DIV><STRONG>Brendan:</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>I love your story and I love how you refused, gently but
unmistakably, to be drawn out of your role of holding the space and refused to
allow the space to be closed even a bit, handing back responsibility to the open
spacers. Well done!</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Regards</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Esther</STRONG></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: blue 2px solid"><FONT
style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>G'day
folks<BR><BR>I had a rich open space experience a couple of weeks ago - with
a group of<BR>departmental managers on a 'corporate planning
conference', at a most<BR>beautiful five-star resort hotel overlooking the
deep blue Indian Ocean<BR>about three hours drive south of Perth - the
environment was superb, the<BR>food great, the weather wonderful...and the
Margaret River wineries<BR>beckoning in the background...<BR><BR>We spent the
first morning with managers outlining their 2005 'departmental<BR>business
plans' to each other in conventional power point displays,<BR>followed by an
afternoon change of format and emphasis - a session of AI<BR>interviews and
creative expressions - very well received and fully engaging<BR>- they went
off on a wineries tour and I went for a siesta....all was well<BR>with the
world on day one....<BR><BR>Next morning, a day's open space on 'Creating an
outstanding team together<BR>in 2005 - issues and opportunities?' - got off to
a sound start - there<BR>were eleven people and they stayed together for topic
one - I went off to<BR>the lobby for a quiet sit and a coffee....then one of
the managers came<BR>over and sat down beside me, with a look of serious
concern on her face:<BR><BR>"I don't know if anyone else has told you yet but
the real problem here is<BR>the State Manager (the sponsor), he's only new and
his management style, or<BR>lack of any, is what is ruining everything - in
fact we're all looking for<BR>new jobs or transfers elsewhere - I
thought you should know..."<BR><BR>Centre and breathe, breathe and centre,
hold space and welcome all....<BR><BR>"Mmmm - how interesting - and what
would you like to do about that?"<BR><BR>"Well - you're the facilitator - and
I don't think anyone here will be<BR>brave enough to say this in public - we
are all frightened of the<BR>repercussions..."<BR><BR>"Mmmm - so, you don't
think the real hot issue will get brought up here today?"<BR><BR>"No - it
doesn't seem like it - no-one has put it up there and I think<BR>we're all too
scared to raise it"<BR><BR>'Mmmm - and if you choose not to raise it, then it
will stay where it is -<BR>a bit like a 'dead dingo' under the
table..."<BR><BR>"Well, I suppose so - but then this is going to be a very
artificial process"<BR><BR>"Mmmm - well, I guess if you, or anyone else, are
not willing to raise it,<BR>then that's your choice and whatever happens will
happen..."<BR><BR>"Well that's true (with a quizzical expression - may have
been 'murderous'<BR>) but why have we come all the way down here to leave out
the really<BR>important issue that we're all concerned
about?"<BR><BR>"Mmmmmmmm (more disguised centering and breathing) - great
question - why<BR>indeed? I'm sure you'll work out what you want to do about
it...."<BR><BR>"Well - that's not much help really - I think I'll go and join
the group -<BR>they actually seem to be discussing something quite
intensely..."<BR><BR>"Mm (less c&b now required) - sounds like a
good move - enjoy your morning"<BR><BR>followed by a couple of substantial,
quiet "Mmmmm's" and the coffee....<BR><BR>Couple of issues for me - the desire
of the manager to seek an alliance<BR>with the 'outsider' - putting me in the
picture was the way in and my need<BR>to be 'en guarde' - I guess that's what
we get paid for in this<BR>'counter-cultural' facilitation role<BR><BR>The
manager's need to externalise something that was going on internally
at<BR>that moment - and she chose me - for whatever reason to express this -
I<BR>was partially 'active listening' (open to whatever she had to say)
and<BR>partially 'blocking' (holding my boundaries and centre) - in a wee
moment<BR>of tension...afterwards I felt relieved and comfortable - I didn't
think I<BR>had compromised the essence of the process and yet had given her
some space<BR>to declare that which she was unable to contain within herself
any<BR>longer....rich learning indeed!<BR><BR>By the way - the third topic
that morning - on 'self-managing teams' -<BR>brought out a lot of previously
unannounced issues around differing styles<BR>of management and led into some
wonderfully rich and heated conversation<BR>about the new managers style and
how it conflicted with the previous<BR>incumbent's style that had been more
'command and control' - and they were<BR>used to that and liked it -
they didn't want to change - this was<BR>accompanied by a lot of hot air and
release of steam/tension...emotions and<BR>passions were
abundant...<BR><BR>They did get to the hot issue for sure....the State Manager
told me later<BR>how delighted he was - the issue had come out through the
group - and had<BR>not been imposed by him - the OS works its mysterious magic
yet again!<BR><BR>Thanks for
'listening'<BR>Brendan<BR><BR>*<BR>*<BR>==========================================================<BR>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<BR>------------------------------<BR>To
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<DIV></DIV><STRONG><FONT size=4></FONT></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face="Palatino Linotype" color=#400080 size=4 FAMILY="SERIF"
PTSIZE="14"><B>Esther Ewing<BR>The Change Alliance<BR>330 East 38th St., Suite
53K<BR>New York, NY 10016, USA<BR>Telephone: 212-661-6024, Fax:
866-296-6712<BR><BR>Assisting organizations to build capability<BR><A
href="http://www.changealliance.com/">www.changealliance.com</A></FONT><FONT
lang=0 face="Palatino Linotype" color=#400080 size=4 FAMILY="SERIF"
PTSIZE="14"><U><BR></U>Certified Panoramic Feedback Distributor (360
instrument)<BR><A
href="http://www.panoramicfeedback.com/">www.panoramicfeedback.com</A></FONT><FONT
lang=0 face="Palatino Linotype" color=#400080 size=4 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="14">
<BR>Certified Kolbe Distributor: <A
href="http://www.kolbe.com/">www.kolbe.com</A></FONT><FONT lang=0
face="Palatino Linotype" color=#400080 size=4 FAMILY="SERIF" PTSIZE="14">
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