over time, i've gone from hosting programs, to teaching a practice, to
working with people to make facilitation decisions -- so that by the time they get
into open space as the facilitator, that's just a continuation of a decision-making process we started together. i want them to know how to think
differently about what their options are in every moment of their
facilitating, how to keep inviting responsibility and keep disappearing. <br><br>in the beginning, i hosted harrison in chicago and we often called it 'training.' like you say, lisa, it's what people understood at the time. it was half a dozen storytelling sessions led by harrison with big chunks of open space, three separate "events," that i facilitated in teh middle. i liked that the third of these was an all-day event and we invited "outsiders" (not in the training) to come for just that one day. that gave them a taste of os, and it gave those who'd been with us for two days a chance to begin to retell harrison's stories with their own twist -- and to start making open space plans for themselves. <br>
<br>after that i ran 2- and 3-day programs with oslist friends and colleagues around the world, which we called "practice workshops" and "practice retreats." the more connected participants were to each other, and the more "real" situations in which that they wanted to open space, the better it seemed to go. the emphasis was on the "open space as a practice in invitation," the program had two or three big chunks of open space, and participants were invited to work out plans (invite, invite lists, logistics and documentation) for specific events. we always addressed both sides of inviting: how to do inviting and how to be inviting as a leader or facilitator in open space.<br>
<br>for the last several years, i've done almost exclusively one-on-one coaching, or partnering, working through decisions with people facilitating their first os (or just a more complex situation than they've seen before). it's still about practice, but more specific. i'm mostly listening to people's situations, talking through options, considering merits and implications of those options, explaining my recommendations or biases, but then they always make their own choices. i insist on working with real situations, so there's real pressure to make those choices for the best. i think that helps people focus on the options and remember the roads not taken, for next time they have to choose. then they get real consequences, feedback, results -- which we also talk through, afterward. <br>
<br>so that's how i'm thinking about what we do as os facilitators, what i think might make us different: we make decisions moment to moment (now?), responding to whatever happens, whatever is, rather than following or trying to always fight our way back to the pre-set plan or pre-determined result. we keep trying to disappear, to get out of the way, to let others do more, and to make their own choices, about whatever is. <br>
<br>m<br><br><br><br><br><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.ronanparktrail.com">http://www.ronanparktrail.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org">http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org</a><br><a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org">http://www.openspaceworld.org</a><br><br>312-280-7838 (mobile)<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 5:25 PM, Lisa Heft <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
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<div><div><font color="#0000ff" size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><div><font color="#811107" size="1"><span style="font-size: 9px;"><i><font color="#000000"><span style="font-style: normal;"><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">Always a good conversation, this one.</span></font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br>
</span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">My experience is that some people can learn from the book, others best learn experientially (doing and being, and by interacting with others), others learn through the sharing and telling of stories, and so on.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of our ways of 'teaching' Open Space involve all of these. </span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);">
<font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of our workshops focus specifically on the inner work of holding space, some of us teach the logistics and 'nuts-and-bolts', some explore elements of invitation and inclusion, some do not.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just like anything you may be interested in spending some money on - it's a great thing to investigate - to find out if the contents and workshop style fit one's needs, expectations, desired outcomes and learning styles.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">I figure it's all good if the learner wants to do it, if it is made accessible to the learner, and if nobody implies that you need to go to anybody's training in order to be able to do Open Space. </span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">I myself do not call it a training except when using that universally-understood word will best communicate. I call my workshops Open Space Learning Workshops - because we are always learning, from one another.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">I feel that -implying- that one needs to earn a certificate in order to be able to do Open Space reduces universal access and inclusion. </span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">It would mean that you have to get somewhere specific, pay something specific and somehow be measured or approved or complete something in order to facilitate Open Space.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">However I have found that in some cultures and countries people really need to show official-looking paperwork and documentation. In those cases, upon request, I will create a custom-made certificate for someone with whatever they feel is useful on there. More like a certificate of having taken a course than a certificate of mastery, for example. Because I feel that Open Space - like life - is lifelong learning - learning from each other at all levels rather than a 'mastery' situation.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">I also feel strongly that anyone who wishes to come to a workshop to learn Open Space should be able to, regardless of level of income - it's the access thing.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">So for my own workshops I offer several levels of pricing including a pay-whatever-is-the-most-that-you-can price set by the learner. I also locate the workshops where there are public transit options, super-low-cost accommodation, and more - so learners with lower financial abilities can feel as much ease coming to a learning experience as the others.</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">What do others do?</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lisa</span></font></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(155, 44, 1);"><i><font color="#000000"><span style="font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><br>
</span></font></i></div></span></font></span></font></i></span></font></div></span></b></span></font></div><div><font size="4"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><font color="#0000ff">Lisa Heft</font></b></span></font></div>
<div>Consultant, Facilitator, Educator</div><div><font size="3"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><font color="#0000ff">Opening Space</font></b></span></font></div><div><a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net" target="_blank">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a></div>
<div><a href="http://www.openingspace.net" target="_blank">www.openingspace.net</a></div><div><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10px;"><i><br></i></span></font></div><div><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10px;"><i><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 11px; font-style: normal;"><font color="#0000ff" size="2"><span style="font-size: 10px;"><i><div style="margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 68, 254);">
<span><i>Ask me about the <span style="color: rgb(46, 123, 25);">Open Space Learning Workshops</span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span><i> </i></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i>-<span> </span>October 15-18, 2010 - Medellin, Colombia and December 15-17, 2010 - San Francisco</i></span></span></i></span></div>
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