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<TITLE>Another newbie excited about Open Space</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>I just joined the list serve this evening after a long day of researching and reading about Open Space. It is reassuring to see that their are real people out there really doing this. I'm moved by the generosity of all I read about open space and the generosity I see in only the first few posts I've received on this list serve.<BR>
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This summer I used Open Space for the first time within an organization I am a part of. We used it as our staff orientation for a two week summer arts program for high school students. We have a relatively stable staff that have been coming together to create this project for many many years. Everyone is artists and passionate about this work. For years though our orientation left us a bit drained and remembering what annoyed us about each other. This year with big changes imposed on the project and determined to have a good time if nothing else, I introduced everyone to the concept of open space and we spent the day engaged in the most passionate conversation, silliness and fun we've ever had together. Plus we all took care of ourselves taking breaks (I got a bunch of work done in the office) going down town for ice cream, catching up with each other. Together we not only generated more and better ideas than ever before, we fell in love with each other again and proceeded to have the very best program ever. I wasn't going to write all this but I just couldn't help sharing my testimonial.<BR>
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I'm committed in my life at the moment to exploring and deepening my understanding of effortlessness. Just allowing my life to unfold with out trying to manipulate it into something. I just got called to do a facilitation for a local faith organization and after meeting with them and hearing about the conflicts their community is in, the sense of frustration they are experiencing, their need to make specific decisions soon, I heard myself suggesting open space effortlessly! And they immediately were so excited about it. So now I am about to facilitate as on outsider my first open space meetings. I'm excited and nervous and particularly concerned about how to ensure that certain decisions get made in a collaborative, constructive, thoughtful way. Right now we have half day meetings scheduled about a month apart. I'm hoping to make the meeting times a little longer on each day and thinking that at the end of the first day I'll invite people to continue or initiate new conversations to have between our meetings. Then at the second meeting (when I hope lots more members will come who did not attend the first meeting) I have to decide how to incorporate specific decision making into the day or trust decisions will emerge? yikes? Maybe I should just wait and see how meeting number one goes and what emerges before worrying about how a convergence type process will take place. <BR>
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Sorry to go on so long...it is a sign of my excitement. Maybe my questions will become more specific as I move through this process.<BR>
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Jasmine Lamb<BR>
PO Box 274<BR>
Montpelier, VT<BR>
05601<BR>
jasmineopal@verizon.net<BR>
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"I get up every morning determined to change the world and to have <BR>
one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult"<BR>
--E.B. White<BR>
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