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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'>Christy Wrote:</span></font><font
color="#000099" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:#000099'> What, if anything, do you say/do/think when someone says to
you, "oh, I've been to an Open Space Technology meeting before, and I
didn't like it, and wouldn't want to do it again," and upon gentle inquiry
you discover that what they were told was "Open Space" was not really
so very open? And/or that something was missing (for example, session summaries
weren't posted or shared or compiled in a timely way, or at all)? And
especially when the spaces in question were held by really wonderful people
(definitely possessing "good heads and good hearts") whom you like
very much?<br>
<br>
</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'>Christy I can definitely see the tenderness
of the situation. I’ve been there once or twice. The first part seems
pretty easy – which I have dealt with by saying something like, “I
am not sure why XX did it the way they did – but ordinarily I ….(fill
in the blanks).” Then we come to the diplomatic part – but maybe
the most essential. One of the basic principles for me in our Open Space
Community is that we share what we learn. Most times it seems that we can share
the good times and the good new ideas and insights (Open Space always works for
most people </span></font><font color=red face=Wingdings><span
style='font-family:Wingdings;color:red'>J</span></font><font color=red
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'>). Then we have situations
such as you are talking about. A little difficult for sure, but the learning
possibilities are really great. You might say something like …”I
was talking to one of your participants and she/he said that ____ didn’t
quite work for them. What do you suppose we could learn from that? And how
could we do it better? Seems to me that puts the whole conversation in a win/win
mode. You learn something, your friend learns something -- and then if you
share the insights – we all learn something.</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'>I have found that deep learning always
takes place at the points of anomaly or mal-function, -- those instances when
something happened that should not have taken place. Or -- didn’t happen
when it should have. All of a sudden I am aware of “difference.”
And difference for me is the cutting edge of learning. When everything works as
expected, just like usual – that is wonderful, but I don’t think we
learn very much or at least no learning that makes a difference.</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'>And of course, learning is always painful
to some degree. I mean real learning – because assimilating difference
can be rather a pain. When it becomes clear that the old comfortable pattern,
idea, way of being just won’t make it any more, letting go has its cost.
And sometimes it is very painful. Let’s suppose that your friend was
basically a control freak in disguise (we all are to some extent). She/he said
all the right words, but at the end of the day, the need to be “in charge”
was just overwhelming. And it showed. And the space closed, and the folks were
unhappy. </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'>Bringing that sort of thing to the surface
can really be hard. But the “up” side is immense. Perhaps she/he
really wanted to let go, but wasn’t able to. You could help. Or maybe
he/she really thought she/he should be in charge, in which case Open Space is
definitely not the proper cup of tea. Well you get the idea.</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'>Harrison</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>
<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 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 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 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 20854</span></font></p>
<p 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 </span></font><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>301-365-2093</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Skype hhowen</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Open Space Training</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.openspaceworld.com</span></font></a>
</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Open Space Institute</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.openspaceworld.org</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Personal website</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.ho-image.com/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.ho-image.com</span></font></a> </span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>OSLIST</span></font><font
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'>: To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: </span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'><a
href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'>www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font></a></span></font></p>
</div>
<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 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> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Christy Lee-Engel<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, January 27, 2006
11:30 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> How do you respond to
unsatisfying experiences of "open" space?</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-left:.5in'><font size=3 color="#000099"
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:#000099'>Hello dear open space friends,<br>
<br>
What, if anything, do you say/do/think when someone says to you, "oh, I've
been to an Open Space Technology meeting before, and I didn't like it, and
wouldn't want to do it again," <br>
<br>
and upon gentle inquiry you discover that what they were told was "Open
Space" was not really so very open? And/or that something was missing (for
example, session summaries weren't posted or shared or compiled in a timely
way, or at all)? <br>
<br>
And especially when the spaces in question were held by really wonderful people
(definitely possessing "good heads and good hearts") whom you like
very much?<br>
<br>
thank you,<br>
Christy Lee-Engel<br>
Seattle <br>
</span></font>-- <br>
weblog: <a href="http://lifecultivatinglife.blogspot.com">http://lifecultivatinglife.blogspot.com</a>
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