Dear all,<br><br>Open Space is something that gives live to the sessions, it gives opportunity for participants to talk into the issue that they feel people should be talking to. I cannot believe it has been around 6 years, I was introduced to Open Space, whenever I facilitate it, I still feel that there are always more to learn. <br>
<br>We should focus more on preparation to make the open space the candid space. It starts with the conceptualizing the space, invitations, agenda wall and group spaces where people can feel relaxed and non threatened. The another challenge in my part is making people move from one group to other especially high profile people and politicians who are very much eager to give speeches from high base podium, it is hard for them to share the equal spaces with participants. In this case, I generally have pre discussions with these people so that there are few voices against the space. <br>
<br>I think I have also repeated this earlier, in areas where there are multiple languages then people feel comfortable with the local language. In this case, we need to pair up with the people who speak their local language and the person should act as the major facilitator as the language does play great role.<br>
<br>Sharing your space is competitive world, another challenge for facilitators. However, I feel that there is no harm if there are more open space facilitators, we are knowledge spreaders so we should not hide our wing of knowledge, we should let it go. Wherever I go and facilitate I usually try to work with group of co facilitators so that they are also equipped to do my work on their own. <br>
<br>We should be smart enough to have alternative plans depending on the mood of participants. As the facilitator, we should be a good mood reader and should be flexible enough to make changes so that people feel comfortable in their space. There are also incidents where I have to shorten time slots so that people can discuss on more topics or vice versa. <br>
<br>We should not be boring people with lots of orientation on methodology. However, the principles of circle while opening the space has been very helpful in igniting the space. In our community, we generally sit in circle, like in winter there is a fire in center and people sit in circles. So, relating the circle with community practice also help in generating ownership to the circle of space. <br>
<br>I can go on and on;) hope I have not bored you all,<br><br>take care,<br><br>Shikha <br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 5/7/09, <b class="gmail_sendername">Michael Wood</b> <<a href="mailto:mjwood@admin.uwa.edu.au">mjwood@admin.uwa.edu.au</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div link="blue" vlink="blue" style="" lang="EN-AU">
<div>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">David</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Good question you’ve raised.</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">I echo what Lisa has said and add the
following:</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="1" type="1">
<li style="color: navy;"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Recommend
you to F. Capra’s book, “The Hidden Connections – a science
for sustainable living” which is a very readable invitation to shift
our thinking from competition to collaboration (using the ecological
paradigm). I have personally wrestled with this, and some of the
competition psych dynamics which Jack refers to. I am now finding that the
more I give away (including equipping and empowering other OS
facilitators), the more keeps coming in. Capra’s observation is that
what is good for the entire ecosystem is also good for the individual
components.</span></font></li>
</ol>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="2" type="1">
<li style="color: navy;"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">if
you can link up (by which I mean face to face) with a few other OS
facilitators who share the above philosophy, then that can be very
mutually supportive. We have a great emerging network on that front in Western Australia.</span></font></li>
</ol>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="3" type="1">
<li style="color: navy;"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Given
it seems you are willing to travel – try to get along to the next
World Open Space on Open Space (WOSONO) in Taiwan.</span></font></li>
</ol>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="4" type="1">
<li style="color: navy;"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Attending
a training program in OS, particularly with someone who has attended a
WOSONOS, can be useful. This can offer more than learning the “technicalities”
– it can help deepen one’s own integration of the “spirit”
of Open Space (which is related, I think, to what Harrison
said about how comfortable we feel about doing less and less!)</span></font></li>
</ol>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<ol style="margin-top: 0cm;" start="5" type="1">
<li style="color: navy;"><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">In
terms of attending an OS with another experienced facilitator. Two
benefits: a) watching/experiencing/picking up the “vibe” of
how other people Open Space (for example, one of the best learnings I got
from the last WOSONOS was simply watching Lisa open the space) b) as in
point 4 above, learning what it feels like to do nothing.</span></font></li>
</ol>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Hope this helps</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Michael Wood</span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Perth</span></font><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"></span></font></p>
<p><font color="navy" size="2" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;" align="center"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;" lang="EN-US">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%">
</span></font></div>
<p><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold;" lang="EN-US">From:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;" lang="EN-US">
OSLIST [mailto:<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Behalf Of </span></b>Lisa Heft<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, 5 May 2009 10:59 PM<span class="q"><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
</span><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: Begining in OS</span></font><span lang="EN-US"></span></p>
</div><div><span class="e" id="q_12118fb0c6f232be_3">
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">...and that's how we are all delightfully different.</span></font></p>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jack, I honor how you feel and see things.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And yet I do see them differently.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I see abundance instead
of competition. </span></font></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote style="margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I see inviting others to
help me in events that I facilitate as an opportunity for wonderful help,
greater service to the client and a colleague who is rich with observations and
insights.<br>
Plus the extra added value of helping a colleague grow into the field and gain
more experience. And I see it as my 'pay it forward' for having received
such rich learning and opportunities from my diversely experienced colleagues.</span></font></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote style="margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I see their putting these
jobs on their resumes (for example, 'Newsroom Coordinator' as an essential role
assisting an organization in utilizing their own documentation for their
continued growth and learning) as a real job with real responsibility required,
whether or not they were paid or pro bono consultants on that job.</span></font></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote style="margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I ask all clients if I
can bring someone along to assist and ask them if they have funding for this.
Often they do. If not, I try to find funding from my own resources. If I do not
have resources it is often seen as an unpaid collaboration for the benefit of
learning.</span></font></p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote style="margin-left: 30pt; margin-right: 0cm;">
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I find that offering learning opportunities for colleagues helps
strengthen our work and our field.</span></font></p>
</blockquote>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I invite some of you on this list to share with us your experiences of
being invited to help on Open Space events as you were / have been emerging
into this field and this practice.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I invite others of you to share your experiences of bringing a newly
emerging facilitator into a job of yours.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Tell us the (mutual) benefits and the learning - even your stories of
when it has not been a good idea for the client, participants, or for you.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I think we have a learning opportunity here. </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Thanks to David and Jack for tickling these thoughts in my head and
opening up the learning opportunity.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I look forward to hearing others' thoughts on this.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A warm hello from a gray Berkeley
California morning,</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lisa</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
<span style="word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="word-spacing: 0px;">
<div>
<div style="">
<div style="">
<div>
<div>
<p><span><b><font color="blue" size="2" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: blue; font-weight: bold;">Lisa Heft</span></font></b></span><font color="black" size="1" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font color="black" size="1" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;">Consultant,
Facilitator, Educator</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><span><b><font color="blue" size="1" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: blue; font-weight: bold;">Opening Space</span></font></b></span><font color="black" size="1" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font color="black" size="1" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font color="black" size="1" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"><a href="http://www.openingspace.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.openingspace.net</a></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font color="black" size="1" face="Trebuchet MS"><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; color: black;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<blockquote style="margin-top: 5pt; margin-bottom: 5pt;" type="cite">
<div>
<p><font color="black" size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"></span></font></p></div></blockquote></div></span> Jack Martin Leith
wrote:</span>
</div>
</span></div></div><div><span class="e" id="q_12118fb0c6f232be_5">
<ul type="disc">
<li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What the client is really paying for is the
consulting work and the design and organisation of the event. Facilitating
the event is the easy bit that happens at the end. So to
get maximum value from working with an experienced practitioner
you'd really need to be involved in the entire project.</span></font></li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul type="disc">
<li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">How do I explain your presence to the client?</span></font></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul type="disc">
<li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What would your role be on the day, aside from
helping get the space ready? Once the agenda is created and the sessions
are up and running, there's very little for the facilitator to do.</span></font></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul type="disc">
<li><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I'll probably get shot down in flames for saying
this, but what the hell: Here in the UK, OS consulting
is a crowded marketplace. Do I really want
to help make it even more crowded?</span></font></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I mentioned that last point because I suspect that
the "training a new competitor" issue is often there, if
unconscious, when an OS consultant is asked "Can I be an
extra pair of hands?" and it's best that you're aware of it. Although the
Open Space community is very supportive, and I do whatever I can to share
knowledge and help others, the reality is that we're operating in a very
competitive environment. I've competed with friends and collaborators for OS
work on several occasions.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></font></p>
</div>
</span></div></div>
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