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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Anisha – True I did say that there was no pre-work, which was true for that particular situation for several reasons. I was in the US and the sponsors were in the Middle East, and also the whole thing came together pretty fast. It is also true that the sponsors were very experienced with OS. So I guess I was stretching it a bit. But it is also true that my prework is fairly minimal, often not much more that asking them to read the book and ask whatever questions. Probably says more about me??<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Anyhow it would seem that you do have a fine kettle of fish! Of one thing I am very sure. Given your history with the group as well as the group’s history – don’t try to facilitate it yourself. Get someone else, preferably a female. Speaking just for myself I must say that being a solo male in the middle of a circle of angry females is more than a little daunting! I did it once for 500 women in a strongly feminist organization. We made it, but there were moments… <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>On the subject of a theme, I would go for something like, “What are the issues and opportunities for building an organization we would all like to be a part of?” Short, positive, with lots of space to talk about anything that people have on their minds. It could also be a nice sorting device – it might be that some of your membership just want to complain?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>And of course, don’t try to sell Open Space. Never really works. Just tell them what it is and what it does, and they will choose. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Camden, Maine 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>(summer) 207-763-3261<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="www.openspaceworld.com%20"><span style='color:blue'>www.openspaceworld.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="www.ho-image.com%20"><span style='color:blue'>www.ho-image.com</span></a> (Personal Website)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org"><span style='color:blue'>http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>anisha susanna<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, July 25, 2012 9:28 PM<br><b>To:</b> oslist@lists.openspacetech.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [OSList] Dealing with Conflicts<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Dear Marie Ann, Brendan, Christine, Craig, Harrison, Michael, Peggy, and all,<br><br>Marie Ann, I'm really grateful that you started this thread of conversation! I've been wondering for a while whether OS can be used in situations of high conflict between people who all consider themselves social/feminist activists but are in a seemingly intractable polar dynamic around a particularly sensitive issue - what one side has deemed "sexual assault" and the other has named "a one-off inappropriate behaviour" between friends. It began some three years ago, but things have gotten quite ugly as one side in particular has done quite a bit of mud slinging on the social media networks in recent months. <br><br>My questions are as follows:<br><br>i) Might I myself, together with a small group of individuals, be the sponsor of the event? I am really keen to get everyone in the room so we can actually have face to face conversations, but I am not sure that the women's organisation (of which I am an nominal member) that is currently being attacked, would be convinced of an OS process. Or should I speak to the management of this women's organisation and try and convince them of the value of getting everyone in the same space without necessarily needed a heavily facilitated process? Initially, I had suggested Dynamic Facilitation, which has some excellent processes for facilitating a group through high-conflict - but I can't think of anyone in Malaysia who might be able to do DF in this context. I think that many hold a fear that things will explode and get out of hand, and so the desire for a facilitator to maintain a well controlled "safe space."<br><br>ii) Brendan, you'd mentioned the importance of pre-work, and Harrison, you said, none was needed...I respect you both immensely, and perhaps both are true in different settings. In this case, previous offers for mediation have been rejected, on grounds that they did not have anything to do with the selection of the facilitator. What suggestions do you have for the wording of the invitation such that the fiercely angry side will also show up? I'd agree with HO that there are no need for additional guidelines on behaviour such as "deep listening" and so forth, because I think that the Law of Two Feet works well when its completely established as norm. Are there are any samples of invitations that have been sent out for OS style conflict resolution that someone in this list might be able to share? I'd be really happy to see them.<br><br>iii) I have been seen as associated with one side of this divide, and thus may not make the best person to Open Space in this context. We do have a small community of OS practitioners in Malaysia, and perhaps I could approach someone else to see if they might be willing to run the OS. However, I wondered if there were situations where someone in my position (who is seen as alligned and "friendly" to one side of the divide) has opened space in a situation of conflict? I seem to be one of the keenest to create space for engaging in direct conversations - I have faith that a solution can be found if we just were in touch with each others' humanity, and have those enemy images dissolve. But perhaps, that's too much personal investment involved to hold the space effectively, you reckon?<br><br>Thank you. Any insights and suggestions would be much appreciated.<br><br>Warm salaams,<br><br>Susanna<br><br clear=all>Susanna George<br>API Fellow 2011-12<br><a href="http://tinyurl.com/APIFellow2011-12" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/APIFellow2011-12</a><br><br>Consultant<br>Strengthening Team Processes Through Critical Conversations<br>+60 12 3723234 (Please send SMS on this number only)<br>+81 70 54522691 (To receive phone calls until 31 July 2012)<br><br><br><br><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>