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<TITLE>Re: My first time</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Hi Justin.<BR>
<BR>
Congratulations !<BR>
<BR>
I agree with the other comments that the gap between<BR>
expectations for the meeting process, and the actual <BR>
meeting process (OST) — was too large for your folks<BR>
to co-integrate emotionally and cognitively. <BR>
<BR>
In the past, I worked as a senior executive consultant<BR>
to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Having<BR>
recognized the “gap” in my corporate work, I provided<BR>
a cognitive bridge in how I presented OST structure.<BR>
<BR>
I issued formal invitations that satisfied what people<BR>
mostly expected to see. But I used OST as the internal<BR>
process that executed the”Agenda”.<BR>
<BR>
TITLE (Title of participating group OR “Subject”)<BR>
DATE (Planned date for the meeting)<BR>
TIME (Planned starting and ending times for the meeting)<BR>
LOCATION (Planned location for the meeting)<BR>
INVITEES (Names and contact information of participants)<BR>
PURPOSE (OST “Calling Question” tagline text )<BR>
<BR>
AGENDA * Welcoming Statement <BR>
* Opening Remarks — OST “Invitation” (context) text<BR>
* Roll Call of Voting Members<BR>
* Summary Reports by Members (OST “Check-in”)<BR>
* Issue Topics | Questions (OST “Create the Agenda”)<BR>
* Dialogue & Deliberation (OST “Market”)<BR>
— In small groups and in the Whole <BR>
* Determinations (OST “Convergence” in the Whole)<BR>
* Learning Review (OST “Closing Circle” in the Whole)<BR>
— “Reflection” in the Whole <BR>
— “Commitments” in the Whole <BR>
— “Process Check” in the Whole <BR>
<BR>
This approach seemed to satisfy the cultural needs and forms.<BR>
And yet it was a solid implementation of Open Space Technology.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Monotype Corsiva"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18.0px'><B><I>Mark R. Jones<BR>
</I></B></SPAN></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="#FF00FF"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Chief Executive Officer<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000080"><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Academy Engraved LET"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:16.0px'>The Sunyata Group<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Academy Engraved LET"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:16.0px'><FONT COLOR="#008000">The Integral Wellness Group<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></B><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
PO Box 58788<BR>
Renton, Washington<BR>
USA 98058-1788<BR>
Phone: 425-413-6000<BR>
e-Mail: mark.r.jones@sunyata.ws <BR>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<HR ALIGN=CENTER SIZE="3" WIDTH="95%"><B>From: </B>"Justin T. Sampson" <justin@krasama.com><BR>
<B>Reply-To: </B>OSLIST <OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Sun, 12 Nov 2006 00:05:43 -0800<BR>
<B>To: </B><OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU><BR>
<B>Subject: </B>My first time<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Monaco, Courier New"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10.0px'>Howdy,<BR>
<BR>
So I held my first Open Space today, as I mentioned earlier. It<BR>
was the regular monthly meeting of the Libertarian Party of San<BR>
Francisco, which I serve as Chair. It felt great! There was lots<BR>
of energy all the way through, people seemed engaged more than<BR>
usual, and some really important things were discussed that had<BR>
only been grumbled about before. Folks jumped right up when I<BR>
invited them to offer topics in the opening. The physical space<BR>
was really too cramped, but the group managed to split and<BR>
recombine and morph and move around the room over the course of<BR>
the meeting. I sensed a much greater commitment to action<BR>
following the meeting than this group usually has. And the energy<BR>
just kept going -- we usually meet formally 3-5pm and have a<BR>
social hour 5-6pm that actually fizzles out by 5:30, but this time<BR>
when I left at 6pm almost all of the 15+ attendees were still<BR>
there talking. In almost every respect that I care about as a<BR>
facilitator, this meeting was a great success...<BR>
<BR>
EXCEPT -- no one liked the process! There were no kind words, and<BR>
a few nasty ones -- "we need more structure and leadership", "the<BR>
format was horrible", "this was a bad idea."<BR>
<BR>
What's going on?<BR>
<BR>
Cheers,<BR>
Justin<BR>
<BR>
*<BR>
*<BR>
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