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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Thank you all for this wonderful conversation. What is
arising for me as I sit with your questions and comments, is that underlying
all of our passionate choices is the intention of opening more space wherever
we are. I know that is always my intention and I trust and have faith that it
is yours also. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Sometimes this opening of space looks like world café or appreciative
inquiry, because that’s the widest, edgiest space that the sponsor can conceive
of. Sometimes it’s a progression of ever more open processes until the
group trusts me and itself enough to leap into OST (I’m always humbled
and blown away by leaders who move through huge fear and/or organizational
resistance and say “Go for it!”). And sometimes it means holding
the open space event in my heart and keeping that space open for months or
years until the sponsoring group wants OST. All of the time, however, I am fostering
a deeper understanding and familiarity with OS principles and practices and
demonstrating the benefits. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>And I have had plenty of resistance to the circle. I work
a lot with social service agencies and when they walk into a room set up in a
circle, they don’t look surprised, they roll their eyes and say, “Oh
no! Not another process! What are you going to do to us?” And at the
end of the day they thank me for NOT doing anything to them. ARGGGHHHH!
Hence the reason for my conviction that OS is one of the only truly ethical
processes around—it doesn’t steal power from people. It’s
not about me, the Grand Facilitator!!! Thank God/dess/Spirit/your word here!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>So, thank you Kaliya, for sharing how you have grown and
fostered open space practice in your community—I resonate with your
pragmatism. Your approach is not something I had considered before and it has
helped me to stretch my thinking. You obviously had a determination to
introduce your community to the benefits of OS and you made the principles and
practices work for you rather than becoming a servant to the technicalities of
the process itself. It’s really invigorating to encounter someone who
has chosen to make positive use out of circumstances that most of us view as a
challenge. As <st1:place w:st="on">Harrison</st1:place> keeps reminding us—it
always works—and your experience widens the horizon of what that means. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>And isn’t one definition of mastery: knowing when to
break the rules? ;-)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>The question I’ll be sitting with now is: If the
artist’s/host’s presence is embodying the essence of OS, what is
the minimum of form required for it to still work? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Wendy<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Wendy Farmer-O'Neil</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Prospera Communications & Consulting Services</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>250.713.2351/1.800.713.2351</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>weblog: www.wordgravity.blogspot.com</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>No virus found in this outgoing message.<BR>
Checked by AVG Free Edition.<BR>
Version: 7.5.484 / Virus Database: 269.12.2/966 - Release Date: 8/22/2007 9:05 AM<BR>
</FONT> </P>
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