<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi Lisa,<div><br></div><div>Welcome!<br><div><br></div><div>You are facing one of the dilemmas of the OS facilitator. I think everyone has tried to wear both hats at once at some point. My experience and the experience of many others is that it is a real stretch. Holding space is a more energetic process than it looks from the outside. I believe that you demonstrate leadership by putting your agenda on hold and by opening and holding space for what needs to emerge for the group. When you dedicate yourself to that role in service to the good of the group, that gift resonates in very powerful ways.</div><div><br></div><div>I would choose to invite the whole system into the room. I think you will have much juicier conversations. And if an elephant shows up in the room, everyone is there to deal with it. There are a lot of reasons why inviting the largest group possible is important. Strategically, i think that you risk alienating further the vanguard people as you put it and reinforce an us/them dynamic that already seems to be present. </div><div><br></div><div>I encourage you to open as big a space as you can. You have had the benefit of two learnings with dearest Queen Lisa (which is more than most of us had when we first started), so you will do just fine. It is wonderful that you have shown up here and asked your questions. That you thought to ask them suggests to me that you already know the answers. Trust your intuition. Listen to your heart. </div><div><br></div><div>Let us know what you decide to do and how it went.</div><div>Cheers,</div><div>Wendy</div><div><br><div><div>On 9-Feb-09, at 8:05 PM, Lisa Floyd wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div class="hmmessage" style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; ">Hello, everyone,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>I'm a new swimmer in this pool -- 1st time in the pool, actually.<br>I've had the pleasure of two OS Facilitator trainings with Lisa Heft this year.<br>I'm not a facilitator by trade, occupation, habit, or experience....but:<br> <br>I have a community of friends with a common goal and some guidelines and action plans on how best to pursue that goal.<br>As always there are some in the vanguard of the process and some (of us) that are lingering back not feeling much attraction to the tasks at hand, not participating much, but want to participate actively in some other (not yet explored or offered) ways.<br>Those in the vanguard are on 'tilt' over-time, and are scheduled to burn-out soon, so they don't have the time -- nor the pace -- to keep holding our hands...we need to get ourselves motivated and active.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>I've invited some of the laggers to get together to see what we can do to support the collective effort -- for about 4 hours this Thursday (State holiday) or this weekend depending on most convenient date -- for 3 purely selfish reasons:<br><br>1) I want to dialoge with the other laggers to get myself motivated in some direction or activity -- not just a social-whine time.<br>2) I want to introdue O.S. to the community.<br>3) I want to practice some O.S. to the extent that I might be able to, as a raw beginner.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>Last week -- before consulting you -- I sent out a personal invitation with motive and purpose to about 12 people, and offered a choice of 3 dates within this week to see which day would be best. I'm hoping to get maybe 4-12 participants. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>I cast it as an informal O.S. experiment and a fun, productive use of our time.<br>Most know that I'd like to try this (OS) method as they've heard me advocate it as a change from the common facilitator-centered, agenda-driven, arm-twisting mtg.)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>So, so far, I'm the "client" and the self-designated "facilitator"....<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br><strong>So, my questions are:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong><br>Obviously, I'd like to participate in the converstions, dialogues.<br><strong>Must I remain faithful to a facilitator roll? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong><br>Or can I open the space then put on my "participant" hat until the closing circle, making it clear in the intro that I'm doing that and it is not "orthodox" OS?<br> <br><strong>I'm conflicted that I did not reach out to the whole community</strong>, i.e. the enthusiasts & the people I don't really know, for this mtg. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>I basically invited those who seem to have similar needs as me.<br>Is that okay this time? ("It's my party and I'll invite who I want to", mentality.)<br> <br>[Background & rationale:<br>The enthusiasts are already overwhelmed with their work; that's why they need us, too. I only invited those 'silent' folks with whom I sense common feelings and reasons for not enthusiastically following the lead of those who are already off & running with an action plan. We stragglers don't necessarily have common action ideas or abilities, so there is still a wee bit of diversity in the group of invitees. It's certain that we don't want to create an alternative initiative, either. We are very familiar with the goals and plans of action now in process and the stretched resources and sacrifices of those doing the work, and we would like to be useful in our own ways.] <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>So my invitation left out the vanguard folks. (They've led the agenda-driven meetings with much enthusiasm which hasn't lit some of us up so far -- yawn.) <br> <br>By leaving them out, I thought we stragglers could get some confidence in our own thoughts -- in an open space -- to practice our own voices for the next community reflection/planning mtg, or to invite the enthusiasts to a future mtg. of us stragglers. Afterall, we need the enthusiasts' input at some point in order to support them successfully. Or, one could hope, that seeing the stragglers step up with renewed enthusiasm, good ideas, and participation might provide motive to use O.S. as<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>the</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>format for the next reflection/planning meeting.<br> <br>Pitfalls, counter-arguments, or encouragement, anyone?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>(I should confirm a date by tomorrow and maybe know my role by then, eh?)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br> <br>Thanks ahead of time,<br>lisafloyd<br>Santa Rosa, CA, USA<br> <br>-*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br>=*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*==*<br><br><br><br><br><hr>See how Windows connects the people, information, and fun that are part of your life.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/msnnkwxp1020093175mrt/direct/01/" target="_new">See Now</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>* * ==========================================================<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu">oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu</a>:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html">http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist">http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist</a></div></span></blockquote></div><br><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Wendy Farmer-O'Neil</div><div>CEO Prospera Consulting</div><div><a href="mailto:wendy@xe.net">wendy@xe.net</a></div><div>1-800-713-2351</div><div><br></div><div>The moment of change is the only poem. -- Adrienne Rich</div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></div></div></body></html>*
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