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<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue style='word-wrap: break-word;-webkit-nbsp-mode: space;
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space'>Such wise words on a topic that has generated so much insight.<br/>I felt myself seeped in what has been described and discussed. This community of learning and sharing is the best!<br/>Suzanne heading back to Florida after 2.5 wonderful days of Wave Rider surfing in Orillia, Canada!<p>Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry</p><hr/><div><b>From: </b> Harrison Owen <hhowen@verizon.net>
</div><div><b>Date: </b>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:53:12 -0500</div><div><b>To: </b><OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU></div><div><b>Subject: </b>Re: Facilitation disasters - your stories please</div><div><br/></div>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>Absolutely Annamarie! It is all about
choosing. A friend told me – never sell Open Space. It is like teaching a
pig to sing. Sounds terrible, and annoys the pig. I think so. </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'>ALSO – There really isn’t any
sale to be made or choice, for that matter. The nasty truth is that the whole
cosmos is self-organizing (Open Space) – and so the fundamental choice
was made just about 13.7 million years ago. We do, however, have the choice
about how well we “do” it. Or more extremely – whether we
want to maintain the delusion that we are actually in control, and if not us,
then surely somebody. Ah – the great aching simplicity of the days when
we actually knew what we were doing, and did what we knew…</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>
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<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: To subscribe,
unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: </span></font><font
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<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>Annamarie Pluhar<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Sunday, November 15, 2009
7:13 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> Re: Facilitation
disasters - your stories please</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>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Such an interesting conversation that you have started
Robyn. </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>My own experience was (gulp!) 15 years ago. My life
has taken twists and turns away from group facilitation - the fact that I'm on
the list now has everything to do with a current contract/assignment.
Before meeting the client - knowing what they were looking for
"empowering the people" "new ideas"
"enthusiasm" and "excitement" I thought that sounds like
OS. Turns out those are just words.. they only want want is safe and
familiar and what they did last year. </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>15 years ago, I was facilitating a two-day annual
retreat for a smallish company. Day two was to have been OS. It was
started OK, but the owner of the company hijacked the process (I can't remember
the exact words) - he invited (he's the boss so invited...) everyone to go on a
hike with him on a trail. When I was invited to go, I said "no"
on the grounds that I wasn't sure everyone was there and some might be looking
for the group. I was told that they ended up having a very good conversation
on top of the mountain. </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>I think that the contracting process is the most
important. what I'm holding to is that the client has to choose OS rather than
it being recommended... </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span class=apple-style-span><font
size=1 color="#4449ff" face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:7.0pt;
color:#4449FF'>Annamarie Pluhar</span></font></span> </p>
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orphans: 2;widows: 2;word-spacing:0px'><span style='orphans: 2;widows: 2;
-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: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='orphans: 2;
widows: 2;-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: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='orphans: 2;
widows: 2;-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: 0px;word-spacing:0px'><span style='-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px;-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;orphans: 2;widows: 2;word-spacing:0px'><span
style='-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px;-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
orphans: 2;widows: 2;word-spacing:0px'><span style='-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px;-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;orphans: 2;widows: 2;word-spacing:0px'><span
style='-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px;-webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;
orphans: 2;widows: 2;word-spacing:0px'>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font
size=1 color="#392beb" face="Copperplate Gothic Bold"><span style='font-size:
8.0pt;font-family:"Copperplate Gothic Bold";color:#392BEB;font-weight:bold'>Pluhar
Consulting</span></font></b></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 color="#392beb"
face="'Copperplate Gothic Light'"><span style='font-size:6.5pt;font-family:
"\0027Copperplate Gothic Light\0027";color:#392BEB'>Results through effective
group process</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span class=apple-style-span><i><font
size=1 color=black face="Lucida Calligraphy"><span style='font-size:7.0pt;
font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:black;font-style:italic'>802.451.1941</span></font></i></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span class=apple-style-span><i><font
size=1 color=black face="Lucida Calligraphy"><span style='font-size:7.0pt;
font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:black;font-style:italic'>802.579.5975
(cell)</span></font></i></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</span></span></span></span>
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face=Arial><span style='font-size:7.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'></span> </span></font></p>
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face=Arial><span style='font-size:7.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'></span> </span></font></p>
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face=Arial><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'></span> </span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>On Nov 14, 2009, at 7:44 PM, Robyn Williams wrote:</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
<br>
</span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>Hi folks<br>
<br>
On Friday I was facilitating a 2 hour workshop primarily using Open Space<br>
principles as requested, and as I would have suggested anyway given the task<br>
in hand. My own 2 feet did the walking less than halfway through when the<br>
'person in charge', who I'd not met before, interrupted the process,<br>
criticised me, and gave me directions (in public) and not for the first<br>
time. The agenda items were being announced, and her direction was that all<br>
the issues should be dealt as a whole group and indicated that I should<br>
facilitate that. I said no, thanked them for their time, wished them well<br>
for the rest of the session, and left.<br>
<br>
Given the short duration and the task at hand, this had been a long-winded<br>
arrangement which resulted in more questions than answers. Arranged by a<br>
delegated person without authority, I wasn't able to ascertain who was<br>
really 'in charge' (I was told that it was a group project, ie all team<br>
leaders) or get agreement for a meeting to clarify expectations. The day<br>
before the workshop I contacted the Director of the department, had a<br>
pleasing chat, and arranged to meet before the session. That session was<br>
cancelled later in the day, and a shorter session was re-convened for<br>
another time (when critical people could be available). Sure bells were<br>
ringing but I started to think that I was being overly consultative. I mean<br>
what could go wrong in 2 hrs? Right? <br>
<br>
On the way home I reflected on how it had unfolded and my part and felt that<br>
I'd done as well as I could do under the circumstances despite my<br>
inner-critic suggesting that walking out was pretty extreme and surely I<br>
could have done better. Needless to say I've learned lessons from this and<br>
have damage control ahead of me this week (sigh).<br>
<br>
So what would you do, or have you done, when your role is undermined?<br>
And how did you reach closure with the client/s?<br>
<br>
<br>
Best wishes, Robyn<br>
Fremantle Western Australia<br>
<br>
PS WA colleagues - anyone available to debrief this with me?<br>
<br>
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