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<TITLE>Re: structural adjustments to bridge cognitive gaps(was "My first time")</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Hi Raffi (et al).<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><B>Regarding Form & Ritual . . .<BR>
</B></SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>My practice is to meet people — individually and collectively<BR>
— wherever they are. So whatever the level of consciousness<BR>
of the people, organization, or culture — my job is to make<BR>
the connection so that they feel heard, seen, and loved by<BR>
me. This means that in preparation for an event or meeting, <BR>
I try to study the “language”, symbols, and artifacts of the <BR>
people, organization, or culture — so that I can experience<BR>
sympathy, empathy, and compassion for them. Thus, I<BR>
increase my capacity to communicate with, understand, and<BR>
connect with them.<BR>
<BR>
My basic philosophy is simple instruction and simple form.<BR>
<BR>
My only and “<U>basic instruction</U>” to the DoD participants was <BR>
to fully take responsibility for what had heart and meaning to <BR>
them; and know that they were each responsible for the quality <BR>
of their participation, and the quality of their individual and <BR>
collective experience.<BR>
<BR>
If the physical space was set-up as a “circle” then I walked<BR>
the circle. If it was not set-up as a circle, then I just stood<BR>
in “Presence” as if I was walking the circle. In either case,<BR>
I would make sustained eye contact with each participant.<BR>
<BR>
For ringing the Silence in and out — if I had a bell handy,<BR>
I would use it. If not, I might use a crystal glass, or even<BR>
clap my hands or snap my fingers.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><B>Regarding Presence . . .<BR>
</B></SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>I always request explicit permission from the participants<BR>
to begin their engagement in the actual process, and for<BR>
me to participate with them on the learning journey. <BR>
<BR>
At one level, this means that I invite the naming of concerns<BR>
with the process, and individual and collective expectations. <BR>
Thus the people begin to feel “heard”, and usually name and<BR>
establish the individual and collective “success criteria” for <BR>
the event or meeting.<BR>
<BR>
On another level, I “hold time and space” and track the<BR>
meta-level dynamics and energy flows of the gathering —<BR>
intervening through inquiry when the <U>basic instruction<BR>
</U>is being forgotten.<BR>
<BR>
And when asked or required, I directly participate in the<BR>
explorations and deliberations of the gathering — with the<BR>
caveat that my primary duty is to hold time and space for<BR>
the “Whole”. <BR>
<BR>
So if I am invited to participate as an “embedded” participant<BR>
in the gathering, then I stay in the room(s).<BR>
<BR>
If I am “facilitating” the gathering, then I leave the room(s) <BR>
and scan for meta-level dynamics and energy flows.<BR>
<BR>
That is how things worked with the DoD.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN><FONT SIZE="4"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'><B>Regarding Check-In and Commitments . . .<BR>
</B></SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>The simplest “look” was the inquiry around what people concisely<BR>
needed to “be aware of” — both individually and collectively — <BR>
during the gathering.<BR>
<BR>
For “Check-In”, people typically would start-in by perceived order <BR>
of urgency, and would speak in pop-corn order until finished. <BR>
Sometimes, the impulse of the group was to explicitly go around <BR>
the “circle” order. Whatever people seemed called to is how I did it. <BR>
No preference. No talking stick (authority object). The insights that <BR>
were shared were documented in the minutes or report of the gathering. <BR>
<BR>
“Commitments” would be spoken of as individual and/or collective <BR>
“I wills”, and were recorded as “Action Items” of the meeting or gathering.<BR>
At the DoD, there was a cultural agreement that these commitments were<BR>
“binding”.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
I hope this helps !<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>Raffi Aftandelian <raffi@BK.RU><BR>
<B>Reply-To: </B>OSLIST <OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU><BR>
<B>Date: </B>Sun, 19 Nov 2006 03:40:52 -0700<BR>
<B>To: </B><OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU><BR>
<B>Subject: </B>structural adjustments to bridge cognitive gaps(was "My first time")<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="2"><FONT FACE="Monaco, Courier New"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:10.0px'>Hi Mark, (and hi all!)<BR>
<BR>
Your Department of Defense example was very helpful in demonstrating how an<BR>
OST invitation can be made culturally and cognitively accessible.<BR>
<BR>
In the case, Mark, I am curious about a number of things in your experience<BR>
with DoD:<BR>
<BR>
1. Form and ritual- Did you use temple bells at the opening? Could you<BR>
explain your choice to use or not use the bells? Did you walk the circle,<BR>
talk about butterflies and bumblebees in the opening?<BR>
<BR>
More directly, I am asking about whether in an ostensibly "stiff" corporate<BR>
culture, do you still ensure that the walk of the healer and the hero are<BR>
part of the opening even though that may bring on cognitive dissonance?<BR>
<BR>
2. Presence- In the DoD example did you leave the room after the opening or<BR>
at some other point for an extended period? (more potential for cognitive<BR>
dissonance).<BR>
<BR>
I guess all of these questions could be reframed as: Does you adapting the<BR>
structure of an OST invitation extend into making changes to its form to<BR>
make the meeting more cognitively accessible?<BR>
<BR>
3. The OST check-in and commitments. What does that look like? Is that<BR>
circle work using a talking stick?<BR>
<BR>
Thanks much!<BR>
raffi<BR>
_______________________________________<BR>
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 13:39:09 -0800<BR>
Reply-To: OSLIST <[log in to unmask]><BR>
Sender: OSLIST <[log in to unmask]><BR>
From: "Mark R. Jones" <[log in to unmask]><BR>
Subject: Re: My first time<BR>
In-Reply-To: <004601c70794$396bf880$0100a8c0@WINSTON><BR>
Content-type: multipart/alternative;<BR>
<BR>
Hi Winston. Over the years, a some of us that were conducting the<BR>
³living in Open Space² experiments began to invite OS participants<BR>
to a state of ³Presence² through ³Check-In² processes.<BR>
The ³Check-In² process is any intentional act of individual and<BR>
collective "attunement" that brings the participants into clarity and<BR>
harmony with what they perceive as the higher aspirations, expectations, and<BR>
needs of Self, Others, and The Whole + in the context of the OS gathering. I<BR>
typically start the ³Check-In² process with 2 4 minutes of<BR>
³Silence² + punctuated beginning and end by a bell. The<BR>
participants contemplate the ³Calling Question² and how what they<BR>
are currently experiencing in their lives informs their understanding of the<BR>
³Calling Question² and their participation in the OS. The insights<BR>
of the process are then publicly shared + either in the Whole, or in small<BR>
groups (typically diads). In a formal meeting setting, this means also<BR>
reporting any information that one has that has material and/or insightful<BR>
relevance to the Whole. The functional objective of the ³Check-In²<BR>
process is to provoke the participants to be aware of, and responsive to,<BR>
their own current states, intentions, and impacts, and the current states,<BR>
intentions, and impacts of the others participants. This is an action of<BR>
entraining ones own responses and receptivity to the responses and<BR>
receptivity of other people. In this context, it is a conscious decision to<BR>
regulate and possibly alter ones behaviors and communications in order to<BR>
achieve a greater sense of interconnection with others and a ³Shared<BR>
Purpose². Does this explanation provide sufficient clarification? Mark<BR>
R. Jones Chief Executive Officer The Sunyata Group The Integral Wellness Group<BR>
<BR>
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