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<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>I smile.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Tree wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in'><i style='mso-bidi-font-style:
normal'><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-style:italic;mso-bidi-font-style:normal'><the fact that you mentioned
that you are going to be 'pitching' OS to a (prospective?) client made me think
of a conversation I had with Lisa Heft, <span class=SpellE>aka</span> Access
Queen, while standing in line to take a shower at a small conference last
spring. Lisa was effervescing, as she is wont to do, and she said with a lovely
giggle and a twinkle in her eye that she sometimes felt like telling clients
and/or prospective clients that only her most evolved, most sophisticated, most
cutting-edge clients used OS.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Open
space, she opined dramatically, is not for everyone only the most forward thinking.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I paraphrase Lisa and I am probably <span
class=SpellE>smooshing</span> in a comment or two from Christina Whitney
Sanchez who was also ahead of me in that shower line.><o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Can you just picture me, Tree, Christine and Claudia Haack taking a
shower at a small conference?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Can you imagine a small conference with one workshop being just a big
shower?<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>I mean, you get all your
best ideas in the shower, don’t you?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Actually, we were standing around all with towels on our heads, I
think, as we were ‘hanging out’ in the bathroom (even more
interesting, eh?) at our lovely <span class=SpellE>homestay</span> while we
attended the “Turtles” gathering last year.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span class=GramE>4 girls looking very
glamorous in our bathrobes and head wraps.</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>That’s another whole workshop – fashion tips with towels.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Yep, Ms. Tree, that’s what I do indeed tell people– that I only
get to work with visionaries, for those are the people who invite Open Space
into their organizations or communities – who realize that when they let
go of control and invite self-organization, it unleashes wisdom and spirit and
better outcomes.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>I do say that the times Open Space has not worked…have been when it
has been the wrong tool for the job.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>Or when it was ill-designed, for example when someone used OS in a very
short timeframe without thinking or knowing that if it was very high conflict
work people really need two days (this is often true no matter what the method).<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><span class=GramE>So again – bad choice
of tools or design.</span><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Or when
someone did not *<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>trust the process</span></b>*
(our ‘mantra’) and decided they had to come in and intervene or
throw another process in there right in the middle to ‘fix’ for
people. <span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>Or when (once again, a
design and tools choice issue) when someone designed (for example) action
planning in the OS when really it was only the core team that was interested in
this as an outcome -- but the participants really came just for (and were well served
by) networking and community building.<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Most of these things are the same whether for OS or for other methods
we use – careful attention to pre-work, realistic choice of methods,
design of the time, invitation to all the people who can affect, are served by,
use or might be impacted by the situation/problem/solution.<span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span>When it’s the right tool for what
you need to do…when you do the pre-work, design and invitation
thoughtfully and thoroughly…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Amazing <span class=SpellE>amazing</span> <span class=SpellE>amazing</span>…as
you well know…<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>…but then, I effervesce… ;o)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Cheers, Lisa<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>___________________________<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>L i s a<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>H e f t<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>Consultant, Facilitator, Educator<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>O p e n i n g<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>S p a c e<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>2325 Oregon<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>Berkeley, California<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>94705-1106<span style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
</span>USA<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>+01 510 548-8449<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>lisaheft@openingspace.net<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'>www.openingspace.net <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;mso-no-proof:yes'><span style='mso-spacerun:yes'> </span><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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