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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Catherine – I would be a little
careful with “witnesses,” especially if those
“witnesses” are what you might call “power figures.”
Several years ago I was called in to facilitate an Open Space which had been
arranged by somebody else. It seemed that the original facilitator had become
sick or something, and I was called in at the very last moment knowing little
more than the date and place. The purpose of the gathering was to re-energize
and re-direct a very large federal program, and the participants included the
federal managers as well as the non-federal people (citizens) who related
to that program either as grantees (they received funding from the program) or
as representatives of external (non-federal) organizations and associations
whose cooperation was essential for the program’s success. The
organizers, unbeknownst to me, had told all the Feds that they could be
present, but not say a word (witness) – all on the assumption that the
Federal silence would insure free and open discussion. The result was quite the
opposite. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>This was a two day program and all during
the first day I had the feeling that the whole group was simply going through
the motions and doing so in a very sluggish way – sort of like walking
through thick molasses. I didn’t have a clue what was going on, but I did
know that never before had I seen a group behave that way in Open Space. The
mystery remained for me until the last session of the day when I noticed one
group that was particularly dysfunctional. The subject was important and yet
when the convener would say a few words he would be greeted by total silence.
It turned out that most of the people in that group were Feds who had been
sworn to silence!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>That was an extreme situation, but the
other groups were not doing a lot better. After the evening news I overheard a
conversation that went something like this – Two non-federal people were
talking to each other and remarked that having the silent feds in their groups
really made them nervous because they seemed to be sitting there in silent
judgment. And when you tried to talk to them either they would not answer or
answered evasively. Big Brother was watching!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The situation improved radically on the
second day after I removed the gag from the feds – with the organizers’
permission. My learning in the whole things was simply this. There are <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>only</span></b> participants in Open Space. Some
people will say a lot, some very little, but each should feel free to
participate in their own way. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Subsequently in other situations I have found
that the problem you are anticipating just never really happens. I suppose that
if there was 75% professional cancer specialists and 25% patients you could
have difficulty, but if the vast majority are patients, and it is made very
clear that this is a “Patients Meeting” – no problem, just
Open Space.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Harrison</span></font></st1:place><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName> [mailto:<st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Catherine Pfaehler<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Monday, August 20, 2007 2:14
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> AW: The challenge of
"luminaries"</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Peggy, great question!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I am in a similar
situation preparing for an Open Space with cancer patients. The preparation
group has decided that a few health care professionals & experts will be
invited, but with the explicit task to be there as witnesses only. They will be
asked not to answer individual questions, as this would re-create the situation
they are all used to – experts speak, patients listen. This Open Space is
a patients forum with reversed roles, it belongs entirely to the patients.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Individual pre-talks are
most valuable to explain the situation to luminaries beforehand (the experts in
our case will even get a briefing in the morning). Plus, for journalists
especially, who might be used to observing situations from the outside AND Open
Space not being a spectator sport, it could be difficult for some to really
become part of the system and experience its assets first hand - because this
would mean they have to step out of the spectator role, and this could be a
role they might not all be aware of functioning in during most of the time of
their lives. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Also, some people who are
used to the traditional conference format where impulse speeches give input
before anything else happens, have difficulties to imagine how they could
possibly translate one of their speeches into a group workshop. Even if I
always mention, in relation to the law of 2 feet (and of self-responsibility, I
add), that when they look at the wall and find a topic missing, it might be
exactly them who should add it to the listed topics. This has happened to me
with a journalist in the HIV+ Open Space last year. The man then talked to me
and deposited his ideas with me. I later decided to bring his main question (a
real taboo topic) into the post-conference email-forum, and there it did
trigger quite a big discussion. (Of course he could / should have done this
himself, but I wasn’t sure if he was at all part of this mail-forum, so I
decided to bring it in.)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Catherine<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=EN-GB
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Catherine
Pfaehler Senn<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>lic.oec.HSG<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Open Space
Begleitung<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>Kellersriedweg
8<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>CH - 2503 Biel<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=2 color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";color:navy'>+41-(0)32 - 365
68 41<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=2 color=navy
face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:navy'>c.pfaehler@bluewin.ch</span></font></st1:PersonName><font
color=navy face="Comic Sans MS"><span lang=DE style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span lang=DE
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span lang=DE style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>Von:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span lang=DE style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Peggy Holman</st1:PersonName> [mailto:peggy@opencirclecompany.com] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Gesendet:</span></b> Sonntag, 19. August 2007
02:25<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Betreff:</span></b> The challenge of
"luminaries"</span></font><span lang=DE><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Along with Stephen Silha, I just completed an Open
Space with 150 journalists. Actually, it was a mix of mainstream
journalists, media educators and students, and citizen journalists. It is
the 5th gathering of the "system of journalism" that Stephen and I
have done in the last 2 years. It was also the largest. Along with
the size, it brought a new twist to our journalism work.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>We have developed a positive reputation and as a
result, attracted a handful of people considered expert in the changing landscape
of journalism. These "luminaries" are used to being on stage,
the ones others turn to as the experts. And, while ego may be a factor
for some of them, they truly do bring particularly valuable insights.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Following the conference, we head from one of them,
who was quite turned off by the whole experience. Here's an excerpt:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>> Instead I was at a New Age, "open
circle" conference where<br>
> the questions were as flat and meaningless as possible so no one would
feel<br>
> excluded. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Just so we don't dwell on this individual, a variation
of this luminary situation occurred with the Nexus for Change. In that
examploe, I spoke with one of the "luminaries" who had originally
planned on attending. She cancelled at the last moment because she just
didn't see a role for herself. She described herself as a high introvert
and without a role, felt she would not be comfortable there.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>So, here's my question: these folks (even the
ones with egos) have gifts to offer. What experiences have you had in
creating conditions where luminaries/elders/experts actually see a role for
themselves and make a productive contribution to an Open Space?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>(In retrospect, my current thought is to talk to them
beforehand and encourage them to post a session on a question they wish to
explore or, if they don't feel the others present are sophisticated
enough for their question (whether that is actually the case is an entirely
different question), at least post a session on a subject they believe
others would be interested in learning about from them.)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>curiously, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Peggy<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>________________________________<br>
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Peggy Holman</st1:PersonName><br>
The Open Circle Company<br>
15347 SE 49th Place<br>
Bellevue, WA 98006<br>
(425) 746-6274 <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.opencirclecompany.com">www.opencirclecompany.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
For the new edition of The Change Handbook, go to: <br>
<a href="http://www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook">www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=DE
style='font-size:12.0pt'>"An angel told me that the only way to step into
the fire and not get burnt, is to become <br>
the fire".<br>
-- Drew Dellinger<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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