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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Ringing Bells for sessions…</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>I guess I can understand why you might be
tempted in a short Open Space with short sessions, but even then my feeling is
that is a temptation to be resisted. Part of this is the whole question of
participants really taking responsibility for what they care about –
including the consequences of either not caring or caring in a different way.
But the real reason is a deep feeling on my part that the essential task of the
facilitator is to create the optimal conditions under which the self-organizing
system (the group of participants) can function most effectively. It is NOT
about keeping things “on time,” except for the start, and maybe the
ending. For whatever it is worth, I always make best effort to start “on
time” – not that it always works out that way.</span></font><font
color=red face=Wingdings><span style='font-family:Wingdings;color:red'>J</span></font><font
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'> And when it
comes to the ending, I feel the obligation to at least point out to folks that
the official closing time has arrived so that those who have some necessity to
leave (planes to catch etc) can do so. But in between beginning and ending it
is all open space, or should I say open time?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>My learnings have been that self-organizing
systems quickly generate their own sense of time, which has little to do with
the passage of hands over a clock face, and everything to do with the flow or
activity. Every group will perceive this somewhat differently, and who am I to
say what is a long time or short time. Point is -- it is “their time,”
determined by their own sense of need, accomplishment and ultimately the flow
of their engagement. I can never know how long people will require for a
particular conversation, and I think we have all been surprised how much can
actually be accomplished in a few moments when things are really flowing.
Inserting “arbitrary” time breaks interrupts that flow. “Arbitrary”
in the sense that they are determined by an external timetable (our schedule)
as opposed to the emergent and internal sense of time which the group creates
for itself. To me this is “organizing a self-organizing system,”
which in addition to being an oxymoron, usually turns out badly or at least awkwardly.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Harrison</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Harrison Owen</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>7808 River Falls Drive</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Potomac,
Maryland 20854</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Phone </span></font><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>301-365-2093</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Skype hhowen</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Open Space Training</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.openspaceworld.com</span></font></a>
</span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Open Space Institute</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.openspaceworld.org</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Personal website</span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'> <a href="http://www.ho-image.com/"><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'>www.ho-image.com</span></font></a> </span></font></p>
<p align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>OSLIST</span></font><font
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:red'>: To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: </span></font><font
color=red><span style='color:red'><a
href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'>www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font></a></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> OSLIST
[mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On
Behalf Of </span></b>Peggy Holman<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Sunday, January 13, 2008
12:23 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Thoughts on a Town Crier</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Has anyone noticed more milling about before people
move into sessions over the last few years? I'd been noticing enough of a
trend this way that I always intend to explicitly tell people that there won't
be anyone telling them when to move, that it is up to them to follow their own
rhythms and interests. I haven't quite internalized this yet, so I
usually forget. Anyway, I think I may have figured out what is going on.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>I just did an OS for a friend for a group of about
50. He uses OS a lot but wanted to be able to really participate in this
one. He told me that he was a little surprised when the
first round of breakout sessions was starting that I didn't tell people it was
time to get started. He came to me when the first round
after lunch were scheduled to start and asked me wasn't I going to ring a bell
and let people know? I basically told him that I never did that.
The participants were adults and could figure it out for themselves. He
was floored and a little upset. He said he always lets people know.
And then it dawned on me: there are more and more people who have
experienced OS. Perhaps there are many practitioners doing what Jon does
- telling people when it is time to start the next session. I realized
that since most of these folks came at Jon's invitation, they were probably
enculturated to responding to a bell. </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>So I took what seemed a middle ground to me and rang a
bell, saying, "It's 1:30 and all's well." I figured a town
crier was a minimalist thing to do -- providing information without
attachment to how people used it.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>I then spoke more with Jon because I wanted to
understand his perspective. He said that to him, what is posted, like the
session start times, are part of the commons and when he is holding the
space, that is part of his contract with the group, to give them the
information. He doesn't care what they do once they hear it. So, it
strikes me that Town Crier is a good description of what he does.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Given the trend I mentioned, I suspect Jon isn't
the only one doing something like this. I'd love to hear other thoughts
on providing information that marks the passage of time.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>from sunny (for a change) Seattle,</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Peggy</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>________________________________<br>
Peggy Holman<br>
The Open Circle Company<br>
15347 SE 49th Place<br>
Bellevue, WA 98006<br>
(425) 746-6274 </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.opencirclecompany.com">www.opencirclecompany.com</a></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
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>
</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
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</span></font></p>
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