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continues</title></head><body>
<div>Thank you, Suzanne, loved your story. Still no task too
big. May there be many more "nows" expanded.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Greetings from Taiwan.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Gail</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>At the very beginning, the recovered
"Miss Fix it" that I was with "No task too big" from the
corporate world, becoming an Open Space facilitator seemed like a
climb to Mount Everest. This weekend supported by so many friends
(Christine Whitney Sanchez, Harold Shinsato, Lisa Heft, Larry
Peterson, Diane Gibeault, Harrison of course, Alan Stewart, Juan Luis
Walker and so many others), I felt I peaked at a Base Camp level with
an absolutely wonderful team: members of the Scrum Technology
community and their many allies. Indeed I have facilitated many Open
Space events but this one in Phoenix AZ was truly unique and
special.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>For this two day event, there was
community before we even met. (The true spirit of pre-work as Ms Heft
would call it). Weeks before, topics were flying on the internet
around this theme of "Scrum beyond Software" on blogs, on twitter,
on facebook and everywhere. Dreams were starting to crystallize,
anticipation was building and the spirit of welcome was in the
air.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>I'll admit that I was somewhat
trepidatious in this chaotic, "who's doing what" shared
leadership, self-organizing world with my new techie friends. I
breathed in and breathed out, knowing that what they have done to
change the world in technology, in community, as free agents and free
spirits to make this global world a smaller place, through technology
change and large system change, well I knew they had something
precious to share with the rest of the world. And share they did.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>From California to Serbia, Canada to the
Eastern US, from the Mid-West to the Far-West, they came. The banner
and welcome signs became works of art, the chairs quickly arranged in
circle, everything was ready the night before. Comfortably settled in
this incredible place called "Gangplank", certainly worth reading
about (<a href="http://gangplankhq.com/">http://gangplankhq.com/</a> )
that could not have been better chosen for all its principles and
values which parallel so much of who we are in Open Space, the
conversations began. Quickly participants bounded to the center, many
still infused with the Orlando event last March that Harrison hosted.
The topics just kept coming, too many to really count because it
really didn't matter. It was the passion behind the words that
mattered most.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>What I realized in that instant is that
when there is a spirit of welcome, a diverse group, people who are
there because they want to be there, a sense of urgency because the
world needs this and a complex topic that sparks and ignites, well
indeed magic or real life happens. People quickly shed their facades,
threw caution to the wind, and they got to work. In my opening
remarks, I talked about nervous energy (for those who had never sat in
a circle like this in Open Space) and pent-up energy (for those who
just wanted to get on with it so pressing were the topics they wanted
to discuss) suggesting that these were the perfect ingredients for
innovation and creativity. I invited all to pause, to look around that
giant circle as if seated in the Arizona desert to see who was there
and to leave room from within for the 4 principles and the Law of 2
feet to do their thing. Leave some space to be surprised, I said, and
let go of pre-determined expectations. These principles and this law,
would be some of the precious take-aways to be used in our life beyond
this event.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>No sooner were those words spoken than my
job was done. I truly became invisible (with a slight tad of sadness
I'll admit) knowing that passion and responsibility had found their
place and there was truly nothing left to do. Yes in some cases, there
were concerns: were people documenting their reports, were we
capturing the names of all the participantsŠand I chose to simply
smile knowing that I could not interrupt the intense conversations
(butterflies, bumble bees and participants) as it would perhaps crash
the one magical moment where individuals were connecting and creating
something greater than I could imagine. I had no doubt that everything
would be alright, that responsibility would combine with passion and
that action would naturally emerge which it did and will.</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>So I stood back and quietly watched the
intense expressions, the energy bouncing off the walls (exhausting at
times), the charged discussions, the markers flying on the flip chart
sheets, the smart phone video cameras capturing the action in the
moment, the live stream twitter comments enticing folks outside the
room to respond. It was exciting; it was exhilarating! Anyone
interested, have a peak (blogs and live stream) <a
href="http://phoenix.scrumgathering.org/"
>http://phoenix.scrumgathering.org/</a><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>And then at some point, I shed my
facilitator role too and had a few wonderful and life changing
conversations with a few butterflies.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>As we closed the circle after two days
asking people to say not what they thought but rather to describe how
they "felt" about what had happened, I knew then just as I had
experienced it at the Wave Rider event in Toronto and also at WOSonOS
in Taiwan that these moments would never happen again. This is it and
this is now! Certainly what happened in those two days borrowing from
the title of one of Harrison's books is that for those two days in
Phoenix, we were "Expanding our Now" and I, for one, will be
forever grateful to have had a small part in making this happen with
others. My love affair with Open Space continues.<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>Suzanne<br>
--<br>
Suzanne Daigle<br>
NuFocus Strategic Group<br>
7159 Victoria Circle<br>
University Park, FL 34201<br>
FL 941-359-8877;<br>
CT 203-722-2009<br>
<a href="http://www.nufocusgroup.com">www.nufocusgroup.com</a><br>
<a
href="mailto:s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com">s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com</a><br
>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite>* *
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<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Gail West<br>
ICA<br>
3F, No. 12, Lane 5, Tien Mou West Road<br>
Taipei, Taiwan 111<br>
8862) 2871-3150<br>
SKYPE gwestica</div>
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