<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="2">Brendan--<BR>
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More often than not, the leader who opens the space does a good job of clarifying the question in their opening remarks. But I did encounter this issue when I worked with two organizations, one that provides support to foster children and foster parents, and one that works with adoptions. They were concerned about the difficulties faced by children who have been in foster homes when they reach the legal age (18) and are no longer eligible for foster care. They convened an Open Space on this subject, and invited the public to join them.<BR>
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Participants included staff members from both organizations and from state social service agencies who work with these issues every day, and also individuals who work in related fields, teachers, foster parents, and others who were interested but not experienced in this area.<BR>
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Unfortunately, the director of only one organization was involved in the planning--the other group sent a very capable woman to represent them on the design team. I asked both directors to speak in the opening. The night before the meeting, the director I had been working with called to say that the other director wanted us to provide her with an overhead projector and screen for her remarks. We recognized that there were some facts which might be needed, and decided to ask her to put them in a handout, and to speak informally in the circle.<BR>
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When the meeting opened in the morning, the director stood in the circle and read her handouts--every word, all the statistics. Not an inspiring start. The second director, who had recently adopted two young children, stepped into the center and told a short and very moving story about her children which illustrated how easily foster children, who often are moved from home to home, can have gaps in their education.<BR>
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A friend of mine is fond of saying that "Open Space is very resilient," and that proved true that day. After a rather long opening, groups quickly got to work. The outcomes of the day's discussions included several proposals for new programs to meet the needs of children "graduating" out of foster care, and a number of volunteers to help make them happen. Two significant new programs became reality, and several issues from the discussion became part of the groups' lobbying efforts.<BR>
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Another approach to providing needed information was offered by another client. Her meeting involved a move to a new building, and her staff brought architectural drawings, floor plans and models to help people envision the space they would be working with. She also offered, in her opening remarks, that if any breakout group had questions and needed information, they could come and get her, or any member of the Transition Team, to come and join their discussion. Personally, I think I like this approach better, but both ways worked out well in terms of results.<BR>
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My personal bias is to move into Open Space as quickly as possible, and to make sure, in the invitation phase, that the question is well thought out and that relevant resource people are invited. I'm interested to hear how other have handled this issue.<BR>
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Joelle<BR>
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