i'm encouraged by and encouraging of this, mark. thanks for sharing the question. <br><br>this, to me, is the next step of the "facilitator" learning to disappear. it seems to me that we'll ultimately have more and more open space if/when/as people/leaders learn to do this from within, not abandoning their position as leader, but refining a pulsation between directing or actively guiding, on the one hand, and inviting and hosting on the other. <br>
<br>i think your sense of several being able to share the role, or support each other in it, is helpful as well. but i would encourage a faster pulsation than daily. consider a second law: the law of two roles. or maybe the law of two minds. one mind inviting, hosting, holding and the other mind still nominally in charge, at the top, as director. somatically, this can be understood as pelvis (literally holding a space for everything stacked on top) and brain (seeing, visioning, choosing and directing). the whole thing mediated by heart in the middle. so you can find your way between the two roles you've identified by following heart, same as navigating learning and contributing as participant using law of two feet. so the practice is to refine your pulsation between the two, until they look and feel like the same "being".<br>
<br>two cautions, or mileposts really, on the way...<br><br>first, while you're pulsing back and forth, i find it's easy to get lost. yes, sometimes that means getting caught up in conversation, letting attention focus locally and forgetting about the larger space, maybe forgetting to ring the bells for evening news, for instance. it's helpful to have partners to remind you, or to ring them for you. in the same way, it is also possible to accidentally not be fully present in a breakout session, to be not fully local, and in that state, be offering views of the world that nobody else sees or can understand, cuz they don't have this larger view of space. the caution isn't about not sharing, but about recognizing that it's possible to do, possible to try to be in a breakout session but bringing experiences that are totally foreign to those who are apparently your colleagues and partners in the group. this not an unfamiliar situation for leaders who regularly have more information, a wider view, that those in the "trenches" in an organizaiton. <br>
<br>the second caution or noting here is less obvious, or peculiar to straddling the facilitation/participation divide in open space. i don't think fr. brian will mind if i tell a story about osonos in oz to illustrate. he was facilitator and host, but also a member of the community. he ran a great event, facilitated the whole thing "by the book". there was somebody there, however, who had not had firsthand experience with our approach. she also knew that brian was a priest. when she had a difficult time with how things were going in open space, and discomforts do naturally arise for participants at various and random moments, her experience with "priest" allowed her to dump responsibility for difficulties on "how the facilitator is", what he's doing, how he's run things, etc. all of that story she was making was nonesense and after a long talk, she understood that her difficulty came from what he wasn't and didn't do. it was the openess of the space, the press of responsibility and reality that was making her squirm. so it was the combination of *her* newness in open space and her (in this case rather thin) connection to brian that allowed her to make up a story that was getting in her way. so if you have colleagues new to this experience and you are still known as some sort of 'leader' or just some sort of guy to these folks, they might be confused by what is open space, what is you, what is you as leader and what you as facilitator, and so on. in the end, this is just a noticing that such confusion is possible. there is nothing to "do" about it, other than know it's there and possible. if you notice it along the way in your meeting, and maybe it'll be there or maybe it won't, then all the clarity you will bring to the process from the very beginning, is all you will or can or should bring to that moment. just be as clean in both roles as you can, and as clear about what is you and what is reality of org/world, and it's all still open space, or not. <br>
<br>good luck! i hope you'll find this is a great and fun practice, and come back and tell some of the internal story of how it goes for you...<br><br>m<br><br><br> <br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 8:07 AM, Jack Martin Leith <<a href="mailto:jack@jackmartinleith.com">jack@jackmartinleith.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><div>Harrison, those are some of the wisest words I've ever read. Thank you!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Jack<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">2008/5/21 Harrison Owen <<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net" target="_blank">hhowen@verizon.net</a>>:<div><div></div><div class="Wj3C7c"><br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div style="" vlink="blue" link="blue" lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Marc – I have done what you are proposing (actively participate in a gathering I facilitate) on multiple occasions and have never encountered any problems, and I rather think you will have a similar experience. I would never suggest that you try such a thing if it were your first experience facilitating an Open Space, but that is obviously not the case. </span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">The art of Holding Space is of course critical and because it is so different from what most people have come to understand "facilitation" to mean – it is just too easy for the first time facilitator to get sucked into the action and forget to mind the store. But with experience, at least in my experience, you can keep that old intuitive sense alive and functioning even when actively engaged in a conversation of passionate concern to you. As I think about it, this is probably where we all hope to end up anyhow. At some level every conversation is an Open Space, and the more open the space, the better the conversation. And a really great conversation has a powerful (passionate) focus while still being open to everything else that is going on in the environment.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Approaching the same thoughts from a slightly different point of view, I find that when a group really begins to groove/cook/work – space holding is a community activity. In fact, enabling a group to reach a point where it will effectively "hold its own space," might well be the Holy Grail of OST.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">So anyhow, I would think that rather than a problem, you have a real opportunity to enhance your own capacity as facilitator by moving into that marvelously "zeny" place where you are simultaneously attached and non-attached – passionately concerned about an issue and always free to move beyond. And if you want to share this opportunity with your colleagues (different people opening space every day) that would work for me, or at least it always has.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Have fun!</span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Harrison</span></font></p>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Harrison Owen</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">7808 River Falls Drive</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Potomac, Maryland 20854</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Phone </span></font><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">301-365-2093</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Skype hhowen</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Open Space Training</span></font><font color="red"><span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" target="_blank"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.openspaceworld.com</span></font></a> </span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Open Space Institute</span></font><font color="red"><span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" target="_blank"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.openspaceworld.org</span></font></a></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">Personal website</span></font><font color="red"><span style="color: red;"> <a href="http://www.ho-image.com/" target="_blank"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.ho-image.com</span></font></a> </span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;">OSLIST</span></font><font color="red" face="Arial"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;">: 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" target="_blank"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;">www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font></a></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<div></div>
<div>
<p><font color="red" face="Arial" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;">-----Original Message-----<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> OSLIST [mailto:<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Behalf Of </span></b>Marc Steinlin (I-P-K)<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, May 20, 2008 1:18 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Going underground as facilitator</span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dear OS list members,</span></font></p>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I have been following this list for almost two years now and have enjoyed many of your conversations, learnings, ideas and inspirational thoughts! Many thanks for all that valuable insight and encouragement!</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I myself over the last 2 years have organised/ facilitated approx. 20 OS all over the world (from Switzerland to South Africa, from Indonesia to Ethiopia), some as large as 70 participants (unfortunately I never had the opportunity for a larger group - would love to try that!), some as small as 5 persons - and I (as well as the participants!) enjoy it greatly each time!</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We, the KM4Dev (a global community of practice on Knowledge Management for Development; <a href="http://www.km4dev.org/" target="_blank">http://www.km4dev.org</a>) have decided to run this year's annual meeting over 2.5 days entirely as an OS. We are about four persons who have already facilitated OS and are preparing the facilitation of the event.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">However, all of the four of us are also greatly interested in the topics which will be discussed, it's certain that we also want to propose topics for groups to work on. Therefore my question:</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Is it possible, that a facilitator opens the Open Space, but once the market place starts, she/ he will transform into a regular participant and mingle with the rest? I always attached great importance to "holding space" - I have never been doing anything actively, I have done my best to get out of the way, however I have been there, almost invisible, but still...</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Do you have any experience or advice on whether the facilitator can give up her/ his role and become a normal participant until to the closing circle?</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Alternatively, do you have any thoughts about rotating faciliators: person A doing it on the first day, B on the second day, so that we all have the opportunity to participate in the discussions with our own topics? I guess none of us would want to limit her/ himself for the full duration to just holding space...</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Your experience is much appreciated!</span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">-marc</span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><img border="0" height="55" width="173"></span></font><span><span style="word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="word-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></font></span></span></p>
<span style="word-spacing: 0px;">
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;"><br><br><span>IngeniousPeoplesKnowledge</span></span></font></p></div><span style="word-spacing: 0px;">
<div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><span style="word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Marc Steinlin</span></font></span></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;"><a href="mailto:marc.steinlin@i-p-k.ch" target="_blank">marc.steinlin@i-p-k.ch</a></span></font></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Skype: marcsteinlin</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">PO Box 27494</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Rhine Road</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Sea Point</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">8050 Cape Town</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Republic of South Africa</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Mobile: +27 (76) 222 81 12</span></font></span></p></div></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Zweierstrasse 50</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">CH-8004 Zürich</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Switzerland</span></font></span></p></div>
<div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">Mobile: +41 (78) 850 42 32</span></font></span></p></div></div></div></span>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></font></p></div></span>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="Arial Narrow" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;"><a href="http://www.i-p-k.ch/" target="_blank">http://www.i-p-k.ch</a></span></font></span></p>
</div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"><br><br></span></font><span></span></p>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="#408000" face="Webdings" size="5"><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: rgb(64, 128, 0); font-family: Webdings;">P</span></font><font color="#408000" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: rgb(64, 128, 0); font-family: Helvetica;"> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Help save paper - do you really need to print this email ?</span></b></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font color="black" face="Helvetica" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black; font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></font></p></div>
<div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span><font color="black" face="'Times New Roman'" size="1"><span style="font-size: 6pt; color: black;">'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.' <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Margaret Mead</span></i></span></font></span></p>
</div></div>
<p style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p></div></div></div></div></div>* * ========================================================== <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a> ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu" target="_blank">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a> * * ========================================================== <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a> ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu" target="_blank">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a></blockquote>
</div></div></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="Ih2E3d">Jack Martin Leith<br>Bristol, United Kingdom<br>Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)<br>Skype: jackmartinleith<br>email: <a href="mailto:jack@jackmartinleith.com" target="_blank">jack@jackmartinleith.com</a><br>
</div><a href="http://www.jackmartinleith.com" target="_blank">www.jackmartinleith.com</a>
*
*
==========================================================
<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of <a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu" target="_blank">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:
<a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a>
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist" target="_blank">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br> <br>Michael Herman<br>Michael Herman Associates<br><br><a href="http://www.michaelherman.com">http://www.michaelherman.com</a><br><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org">http://www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org">http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org</a><br><br>312-280-7838 (mobile)
*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist