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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Paul, awesome! There were several
conversations in Florida that rather than talking about
"flattening" our hierarchies in organizations - what we need is
circling. Circle culture. Thanks for such an awesome story.<br>
<br>
Looking forward to the notes on Guerilla Action & Stealth Open
Space - Jon!<br>
<br>
From Florida with Love,<br>
Harold<br>
<br>
On 5/20/13 1:07 AM, Jon Harvey wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CABEXAm=EWxNU-H4Cdb30Yh8M0-y=GFEtwm4vrJFKHBehQCCVMw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<p dir="ltr">And thus the #ukosonos begins. Looking forward to
seeing everyone at Lauderdale House v soon. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Just thought of running a session on guerilla action
& stealth open space. Will anyone join me? </p>
<p dir="ltr">So, got tea, coffee, milk & food to share. Come
Paul, come all to our UK reprise of #WOSONOS in North London </p>
<p dir="ltr">Great greetings to all in Florida as you wend your
way homewards. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Atb</p>
<p dir="ltr">Jon<br>
</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On 20 May 2013 07:54, "paul levy" <<a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="mailto:paul@cats3000.net">paul@cats3000.net</a>>
wrote:<br type="attribution">
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<p dir="ltr">I remember a conference where the audience took
over - at least for a while. It was a revolution that left
the top table (the ones who had the bottles of mineral water
and the little flowers in vases) paralysed with perplexity.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A formal presentation using a lot of
bullet-pointed Power Point had just stopped for five minutes
of questions and answers - the fifth presentation in a row
without a break.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Garish neon lights blared down from the ceiling
in a room with no natural light.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes, you are correct - I said "revolution". Now,
that it an interesting word. We talk of a revolution of the
people. We also talk of a revolution of the planets.
Revolution hints at a circle.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, everyone was sitting in rows, as in a
traditional classroom, facing the top table that was in a
row facing the classroom style audience.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The speaker stood at a lectern facing the
audience as well.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The chairperson invited questions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And then it happened. Someone in the audience
raised their hand and was invited to pose their question.
And pose it she did. But not in the direction of the top
table. She sort of turned to her side and posed it to her
row. She was interested, you see, in what other people
thought of the issue underlying her question. Had other
people had the same experience? Did they have any solutions.
She seemed to pose it along her row and then to the rows
behind her, as her arm swept around her and backwards in a
kind of inclusive gesture. She finished her question and
then someone near the back started to answer it. Soon,
another person, nearer the front added a useful thought and
then a small whispering conversation began in a corner
between three people who were resonating with the original
question.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It lasted for about four minutes and, at one
point, the whole room were now looking, not at the top
table, but inwards, towards a rough central point in the
rows.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The circle was forming, even in rows of seats!</p>
<p dir="ltr">And the circle was powerful. Fora while those who
were supposed to be "at the top" at the top table were
flummoxed, silent, mere onlookers on the outside of a
forming community circle.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It was a vibrant four minutes. Then the chair
person raised his voice and attempted to restore "order". He
never quite got it back! For at least a while afterwards,
when questions were asked they are posed by the questioner
into the centre of the room, rather than directed to the
front.</p>
<p dir="ltr">An in that four minutes a lot of ground was
covered. The buzz continued into the coffee break and the
top table was left, orphaned, without a clear role. The
people wanted to talk to each other, to form a circle, to
dialogue, to self-organise their own conversation.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And this had happened: Space had opened.</p>
<p dir="ltr">And this was happening: Space was opening.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What I loved about witnessing this was realising
the power of the circle. The circle wants to form - it is
the natural form for people in social setting settings. I
believe the circle is always there, in archetype, whenever
human beings come together; it kind of hangs there, as
potential, above the group. It seizes the chance to realise
in real, especially when there is a top table and a bunch of
rows of seats. All it needs is the impulse to self-organise;
and that occurs with a gesture. It is the gesture usually of
one person made, not in a way that reinforces the linear
hierarchy - the top table - but the gesture that addresses
itself to the central point of the natural circle. Then the
attention of all turns towards it and a circle is formed -
even when there are rows of seats.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Space opens in a circle. And circles open space.
Of course, it is often better to start with a circle of
chairs, but even when that is not so, just direct your
comments into the mess, into the heart of the community, and
watch that circle form.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Written on the way to our Open Space on Open
Space in London, on May 20th 2013.</p>
<br>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Harold Shinsato<br>
<a href="mailto:harold@shinsato.com">harold@shinsato.com</a><br>
<a href="http://shinsato.com">http://shinsato.com</a><br>
twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/hajush">@hajush</a></div>
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