<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">WOW Suzanne - this is an AWESOME GIFT to the OS community - and to the planet...<div><br><div>I have received a very rich 'present' from clicking that sample video link - listening to the clearly articulated excitement and inspiration from the Mayor - and then being hooked into visiting another talking screen, and another, and another, and another.....and now my afternoon plan has been totally disrupted and rescheduled - all because I made one wee click...</div><div>Ah well, such is life....whatever happens....:)</div><div><br></div><div>I will go off to consider how to act from the infusion of energy that has totally 'wrecked' my Friday afternoon....</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you for the holy disturbance of Creative New Jersey</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers</div><div>Brendan</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On 17/06/2011, at 12:50 PM, Suzanne Daigle wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">Hi again everyone!<br><br>The New Jersey event held on June 14th and 15th was absolutely amazing. <br><br>For once, I don't feel I can describe what happened in New Jersey. It is beyond words. And somehow I feel that the success, intensity and excitement of this event belongs to all of you in this worldwide community. I know that what happened in New Jersey happens in so many places all around the world. I feel so grateful and connected to all of you in the process of doing this work. <br>
<br>To hear people describe how they feel when they are in open space engaged in topics that they are passionate about defies words. I will never tire of hearing them describe their experiences.<br><br>The stats can only give one sliver of description of what happened at this 2-day event: 150 diverse people in attendance, many on a wait list, 73 topics posted; 50+ summary reports and they're still coming in; hundreds of photos, lots of tweets, about 25 or more video interviews and a book of proceedings of nearly 110 pages. All of this in 2 short (or long) days. Many volunteers, a dedicated committee, the best partner ever (Chuni Li) plus many others (most of all the participants!) created the magic. <br>
<br>Rather than me describing more, I invite you to check these sample videos <br><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0BWV6Vf-E">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0BWV6Vf-E</a><br><br>and<br><br><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFq6NYWb7mg&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFq6NYWb7mg&feature=related</a>.<br>
<br>If you search You Tube and type the key words <u>creativenewjersey</u>, you will find 20 or 25 more interviews with people talking about "Revitalizing New Jersey through Innovation and Creativity". Sprinkled here and there, you will also hear how they felt about Open Space.<br>
<br>You can also check the event website <a href="http://creativenj.org/">http://creativenj.org/</a> which gives another flavor of what happened.<br><br>Sleep deprived these past few days, I could not help but share my awe and gratitude with you before catching a few winks. I will also confide that it was tough not facilitating this event, letting the client take on this role that I love so much. I had provided him with some behind the scenes coaching. In the end, it felt like the right thing to do. Today he kindly sent me a note that said: "<span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">I now understand
why you were a little regretful about not facilitating. It was great fun
and a real high to see it all happen so brilliantly. It could be very
addictive."</span> In my mind's eye, I smile remembering the people lined up by his side to announce their topics and later seeing him pick up coffee cups and arranging the chairs in the circles for evening news and closing circle. I believe we may well have another facilitator in our midst. Life will never quite be the same for him as indeed it has never been quite the same for me and many of you.<br>
<br>Thank you dear friends for being there always, wherever you are on this planet, as I once again share with you how I feel and what I have lived these past few days. <br><br>Suzanne <br><br><br><br><br><br>
<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br> <br><br><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><div> <br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Jun 12, 2011 at 5:10 PM, Suzanne Daigle <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sdaigle4@gmail.com" target="_blank">sdaigle4@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Dear OS friends and colleagues:<br>
<br clear="all">
</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">So many times during this project, I
have wanted to write to you to share the exuberance, the challenges, the
questioning, the commitment and the awe, pride and admiration I have felt for
everyone involved in the two-day Creative New Jersey Open Space event scheduled
to take place on June 14<sup>th</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup> of this week. <a href="http://creativenj.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue"><br>
<br>
</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Check out the site <a href="http://creativenj.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">http://creativenj.org/</span></a>
and to witness what’s happening live this week. You can even twitter if you’d
like. Just don't forget to include #creativenj if you do tweet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">For Chuni Li and me, co-facilitators
on this Open Space project with Creative New Jersey, our work began a little
over two months ago. For the organizing host team, the Vision had started about
18 months ago.</span></p><div style="line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">A compelling white paper described
the burning platform of a state (like most across the country) facing enormous
economic, social, cultural, educational and environmental challenges. It spoke
of a proud history of innovation, creativity and success. Their</span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">goal was a Call to Action to spark a
movement that recognizes, fosters and sustains creativity and innovation as
catalysts for a vital, prosperous and sustainable New Jersey. </span></p><div style="line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">After an Open Space simulation,
introduced as part of our pre-work, the organizing committee agreed to go with
an OS process. Then began the work of creating an invitation which led to
the theme question: “How can Creativity and Innovation Revitalize New Jersey?”
Excitement was building with the committee though not without a certain degree
of anxiety wondering how we would attract a group of 150 diverse individuals to
commit two full days in mid-June. A weekly meeting schedule by conference
call was established with the Host Team taking the lead on most of the pre-work
assignments. With each passing week, the energy and enthusiasm kept building.
Chuni and I became resources, assisting and guiding with the intention of not
only helping them have a successful event but also transferring knowledge about
Open Space, the mechanics and the depth of this self-organizing leadership
process.</span></p><div style="line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Mid-stream, we also decided to call
upon Gerry Kirk, from the Scrum Community, an avid supporter of Open Space,
asking him to lead us on the technology side. Chuni became his right arm
person, avid to learn and do. A host website with many simple tools was quickly
created. Again the mission was about transferring the learning to the New
Jersey team of volunteers. Now a few days before the event, the conversations
are happening on line; many participants have already posted their profiles and
we know that the site will be a welcoming place for blogs, live twitters,
summary reports and short videos to capture impressions and highlights during
the event. It will also serve as an important vehicle to continue the
conversations afterwards and to share ideas and engage action and to invite more
people to join.</span></p><div style="line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Initially the intent was that I
would facilitate the event but in the course of our preparations, a request
came asking if we would agree to have Larry Capo, one of the leads on this
project, facilitate. For a split second I hesitated but then quickly
agreed that yes, this was the way to go. Now as I listen to Larry counseling
others on our weekly conference calls saying “whatever happens, happens”,
“letting go is what we need to do ” or quoting a passage in Harrison’s Open
Space Technology book, I know without a shadow of a doubt that this was the
right decision and that in a different and very invisible way, I too will be
holding space with him, working at the newsroom. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Today, a diverse group of nearly 170
people have confirmed from business and industry, education, arts and culture,
science and technology, government, communities, medical and pharmaceuticals,
faith based, media and others. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">As I reflect on what has happened
these past few months, I can almost hear Harrison’s voice to us the
facilitators of Open Space saying “one less thing to do” is one more thing the
clients can do for themselves. Chuni and I have contributed in a
different way, wrestling at times as it was not always easy watching our
clients struggle and work as hard as they have. In the end, as we look
forward to our upcoming event, I feel and hear the pride and ownership of what
has been achieved to date and I can only imagine how wonderful and great it
will be when we get to the end of the closing circle “when it’s over,
it’s over”. Of course, we will know that it’s really just the
beginning … of a transformative change to revitalize New Jersey.</span></p><div style="line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">There are no words to express the
joy at the emergent collaboration of working with this wonderful team. Wish us
all luck and please hold the space for us and with us. Thank you Harrison
for your wise counsel and support along the way; Lisa Heft for your expert
guidance on the simulation and pre-work; and Diane Gibeault, my teacher and
friend, for the opportunity to ponder deeply together and to exchange ideas in
Ottawa last week and over the phone.</span></p><div style="line-height: normal; "><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> </span><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Suzanne (with Chuni Li)</span></p>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Suzanne Daigle<br>NuFocus Strategic Group<br>7159 Victoria Circle<br>University Park, FL 34201<br>FL <a href="tel:941-359-8877" value="+19413598877" target="_blank">941-359-8877</a>; <br>CT <a href="tel:203-722-2009" value="+12037222009" target="_blank">203-722-2009</a><br>
<a href="http://www.nufocusgroup.com/" target="_blank">www.nufocusgroup.com</a><br>
<a href="mailto:s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com" target="_blank">s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com</a><br>twitter @suzannedaigle<br><br>
</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Suzanne Daigle<br>NuFocus Strategic Group<br>7159 Victoria Circle<br>University Park, FL 34201<br>FL <a href="tel:941-359-8877" value="+19413598877" target="_blank">941-359-8877</a>; <br>
CT <a href="tel:203-722-2009" value="+12037222009" target="_blank">203-722-2009</a><br><a href="http://www.nufocusgroup.com/" target="_blank">www.nufocusgroup.com</a><br>
<a href="mailto:s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com" target="_blank">s.daigle@nufocusgroup.com</a><br>twitter @suzannedaigle<br><br>
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