<div dir="ltr"><i style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px"><font color="#0000ff">so, whats so unfortunate about teaching?</font></i><br><div>:-) Dear Michael,<i style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.800000190734863px"><font color="#0000ff"><br>
</font></i></div><div>Nothing, indeed...except that the demands are akin to a tsunami, and I will have a hard time persuading myself that it's a good time for an hour at the pub.</div><div>c.</div></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 4:24 PM, Michael M Pannwitz <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mmpannwitz@gmail.com" target="_blank">mmpannwitz@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Dear Chris W.,<br>
so, whats so unfortunate about teaching?<br>
cheers<br>
mmp<div class="im"><br>
<br>
On 10.08.2013 16:53, Chris Weaver wrote:<br>
<br>
</div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div class="im">
<br>
Unfortunately I will begin teaching in about a week and my time will be<br>
under much greater demands than in summer. I'm also active in a most<br>
inspiring response to the current alarming political situation in my<br>
home state, including by using OST. I'll at least be dropping by to<br>
share how that goes.<br>
<br>
Cheers,<br>
Chris<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 8:01 AM, Artur Silva <<a href="mailto:arturfsilva@yahoo.com" target="_blank">arturfsilva@yahoo.com</a><br></div>
<mailto:<a href="mailto:arturfsilva@yahoo.com" target="_blank">arturfsilva@yahoo.com</a>><u></u>> wrote:<br>
<br>
Hi Chris:____<div class="im"><br>
<br>
Nice to see you back to a list were you were once a frequent<br>
contributor, until you had your time and interests diverted to<br></div>
another movement and list, as you have now explained. ____<div class="im"><br>
<br>
You were not, by the way, the only person that almost disappeared<br>
from this list. In fact, as I see it, it was like a schism, with<br>
some people that stayed beyond, for reasons that only they know, but<br></div>
anyone can speculate about.____<div class="im"><br>
<br>
I was not in your virtual table of the pub and could not taste the<br>
pinot noir, but it happens that I was in a close table, drinking an<br>
Oporto wine, and could not avoid listening to your interesting<br></div>
story.____<div class="im"><br>
I think that there are a lot of interesting stuff in your post, that<br>
probably could give occasion to have (or repeat) discussions about,<br>
in other threads (one probably - again - about the "givens" question<br>
- if one does not want to search the archives; another about the<br>
history of what you have called the ""falling out"that apparently<br>
was at the origin of the schism, that has an historical interest,<br></div>
and maybe others on and off topic).____<div class="im"><br>
But, for the moment, and to stay on topic, I would like to remember<br></div>
that you wrote:____<div class="im"><br>
«When I completed the Genuine Contact "Working with OST" workshop, I<br>
received a certificate, but not a certification. (The distinction<br>
is important because there was no intention on the workshop leader's<br></div>
part to evaluate my "competence" in any way.)»____<div class="im"><br>
<br>
I could not understand the difference between "certificate" and<br>
"certification" (maybe I had already drunk too much Oporto wine or,<br>
more probably, the cause is my lack of English proficiency...).<br>
Could you be so kind to please elaborate a bit more about what is<br></div>
the difference between the two concepts?____<br>
<br>
Thank you and best regards____<br>
Artur ____<br>
<br>
------------------------------<u></u>------------------------------<u></u>------------<br>
*From:* Chris Weaver <<a href="mailto:chrisgweaver13@gmail.com" target="_blank">chrisgweaver13@gmail.com</a><br>
<mailto:<a href="mailto:chrisgweaver13@gmail.com" target="_blank">chrisgweaver13@gmail.<u></u>com</a>>><br>
<br>
*To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list<br>
<<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.openspacetech.<u></u>org</a><br>
<mailto:<a href="mailto:oslist@lists.openspacetech.org" target="_blank">oslist@lists.<u></u>openspacetech.org</a>>><br>
*Sent:* Friday, August 9, 2013 5:45 AM<br>
*Subject:* Re: [OSList] Certification?<div><div class="h5"><br>
<br>
Greetings All,<br>
<br>
Ah, I can't resist jumping in to stir the pot. It is an honor to<br>
join a thread peopled by so many folks whom I respect (and<br>
appreciate and love) so much. I invite you to settle in for rather<br>
a long story, which may, at some point, have something to do with<br>
"certification."<br>
<br>
After learning of Open Space in Anne Stadler's kitchen, I walked<br>
around as a newbie at the OSonOS in Monterrey (the one fifteen years<br>
ago, from which Harrison was unexpectedly absent, due to a nasty<br>
flu, I believe), with my jaw hanging open to meet so many bold and<br>
brilliant facilitators (I remember especially Michael P, Alan<br>
Stewart, Brian Bainbridge, Roxy, and Birgitt Bolton) sharing stories<br>
that I sweetly strove to wrap my head at least half-way around.<br>
<br>
For a few years I engaged actively on the OSLIST as I began to<br>
facilitate some OST meetings (without even "finishing the book," as<br>
I recall) in the Seattle school where I worked as a teacher. In<br>
1999 I landed here in North Carolina, where I attended my first OST<br>
workshop as part of the Genuine Contact Program with Birgitt<br>
(Bolton) Williams who had recently landed a few hours away.<br>
<br>
Now I will say that I have an assumption only that at around that<br>
time there was something of a "falling out" between Birgitt and her<br>
work and the work of some other OS facilitators. I do not know, nor<br>
need to know, the details. But I do know that there are some points<br>
of practice that have generated some heated passion in the community<br>
and that I think are worthy of putting on the storytelling table.<br>
(I know that there is not supposed to be a table, but I suddenly<br>
imagine myself with Jeff, Chris, Peggy, Harrison, Michael in a pub<br>
somewhere with a rough wooden table, on which I am happily uncorking<br>
a bottle of pinot noir.)<br>
<br>
When I completed the Genuine Contact "Working with OST" workshop, I<br>
received a certificate, but not a certification. (The distinction<br>
is important because there was no intention on the workshop leader's<br>
part to evaluate my "competence" in any way.) Based on my<br>
participation in the four-day experience, I could, if I chose, refer<br>
to myself as an authorized "Genuine Contact professional." The<br>
workshop included an exploration of the form & essence of OST, as<br></div></div>
gifted so effectively in Harrison's /User's Guide. /The workshop<div class="im"><br>
also shared some suggested approaches and tools for working in depth<br>
with the sponsor of an OST meeting (usually a leadership team within<br>
an organization), both prior to and after the OST event. My own<br>
understanding is that, by referring to myself as a GC professional<br>
if I chose, I would be sharing the simple message that I had had<br>
exposure to the approach of using OST that included these pre- and<br>
post-OST meeting practices and tools. The choice of whether and how<br>
to apply these practices and tools was up to me.<br>
<br>
So that is the part that relates to this thread topic of<br>
certification. As a practitioner, I honor the open-source nature of<br>
OST as Harrison's "discovery" and gift to the world. I refer people<br></div>
to the /User's Guide/ (and also the /Non-User's Guide /and other<div class="im"><br>
community resources) frequently.<br>
<br>
As an aside, I continued in the years that followed to participate<br>
in workshops on other methodologies that are shared through the<br></div>
Genuine Contact Program (most notably /Whole Person Process<br>
Facilitation/, which I use very often). I collaborated with my<div class="im"><br>
Genuine Contact colleagues around the world in developing the<br>
minimal appropriate structure for our international community. I<br>
participated in many mentoring circles, completed the Train the<br>
Trainer workshop, and became one of the 43 "co-owners" of the<br>
program. I also shifted my virtual community participation to the<br>
GC List, and dropped off of the OSLIST for a number of years. (I am<br>
enjoying being back.)<br>
<br>
So here, the plot thickens :-). One of the practices included in<br>
the GC "Working with OST" workshop is the use of...the "givens."<br>
So, lubricated with wine, I am going to place the notion of givens<br>
on the wooden storytelling table for our enjoyment. (This is worthy<br>
of its own thread, of course, but I'll just keep going here.)<br>
<br>
I have only infrequently worked as an external<br>
consultant/facilitator. Most of my work with OST has been within<br>
schools and community organizations. Over the years, I have come to<br>
value highly the practices I learned in the GCP of working with the<br>
sponsor prior to and after an OST (and I know that among other OST<br>
facilitators, pre- and post- meetings such as these are skillfully<br>
used and valued).<br>
<br>
In my experience, the purpose of careful preparation with the<br>
sponsoring team is to assist them in considering the state of their<br>
organization. What is the story-line that has brought them to<br>
considering an OST meeting? What's happening in terms of the grief<br></div>
cycle within their organization? What (deeply now) is the /purpose/<br>
of the meeting? What (deeply now) is the /context? /Basically, I<div><div class="h5"><br>
ask the questions, and the team has the conversations. All this I<br>
explicitly place in the reality that when you sponsor an OST, there<br>
is not, nor should there be, any turning back.<br>
<br>
I use the givens as an essential tool in this process. I draw a<br>
circle on a flip chart and say, If this circle represents the open<br>
space, what are the non-negotiables that form the parameters of the<br>
open space?<br>
<br>
In the past, there have been passionate objections to this practice<br>
on this list, based, I think, on the belief that to establish givens<br>
is to close the space before it is even opened. My long-haul<br>
experience within organizations has taught me something different.<br>
<br>
What happens when I ask what the non-negotiables are is that a bunch<br>
of stuff goes up on the flip chart. Then, I probe each one, and<br>
ask, "Is this REALLY a given at this time for this meeting?" The<br>
fifteen givens get whittled down to twelve, and then eight, and then<br>
maybe five (ish). As you can imagine, the level of trust that<br>
organizational leaders have in the people plays in heavily. I let<br>
it be. I cannot make them trust more; I can only model trust, and<br>
hold space for trust.<br>
<br>
But I also find that the few givens that remain are, every time,<br>
very important and meaningful. Some examples: Perhaps the<br>
organizational purpose is a given, and perhaps there is value in<br>
re-sharing the organizational purpose at the start of the OST.<br>
Perhaps there has been a year of good work by a sub-group within<br>
the organization that has culminated in a policy that not everyone<br>
attending the OST is aware of, and that policy is a given. Perhaps<br>
a "law of the land" that administrators, but not all participants,<br>
know about is a given. Perhaps it is a given that the organization<br>
will stay within a certain budget, and any ideas generated beyond<br>
the budget will have to include the funding source to support them.<br>
<br>
Yes, the givens are shared with the group at the start of the OST.<br>
In my experience, this does not close the space, but rather it<br>
opens the space clearly and honestly. More importantly, it is a<br>
tool for building trust. When participants hear their formal<br>
organizational leaders share, clearly and transparently, what the<br>
givens are, they are more trusting that their own ideas will be<br>
honored after the meeting and not squelched.<br>
<br>
And this is what happens. Using givens is a way to profoundly<br>
mitigate the phenomenon, with which any seasoned OST facilitator is<br>
familiar, of leadership freaking out and clamping down on the<br>
results of an OST. The practice does not (thankfully) prevent the<br>
productive chaos and re-framing that happens after the meeting, but<br></div></div>
it greatly reduces the phenomenon of /reactionary fear/ on the part<div class="im"><br>
of formal leadership. The result is that leadership is more<br>
inclined to sponsor another OST soon, and indeed to invite other<br>
groups withing the organization to utilize OST themselves.<br>
<br>
Perhaps because I have worked inside organizations for many years, I<br>
have a deep respect for the challenges that formal leaders face.<br>
Perhaps an organization is possible without any formal leaders,<br>
but I have not yet encountered this. In the school where I work,<br>
there is a fragile and indeed even tender respect for our formal<br>
leaders whose responsibility it is to hold the space for the<br>
organization in the community. When leadership is in its integrity,<br>
followership is a natural and beautiful thing.<br>
<br>
Okay, I will pour the last of the bottle into all the glasses.<br>
Sadly, I won't hear your fine words until tomorrow, but so it is,<br>
according to the odd and illusory parameters of space & time.<br>
<br>
Take Care, with Love,<br>
Chris<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 8:21 PM, Donna Read<br>
<<a href="mailto:donna.read@managing4wellness.org" target="_blank">donna.read@managing4wellness.<u></u>org</a><br></div><div class="im">
<mailto:<a href="mailto:donna.read@managing4wellness.org" target="_blank">donna.read@<u></u>managing4wellness.org</a>>> wrote:<br>
<br>
Amen to that, Harrison! Blessings, Donna<br>
<br>
Sent from my iPhone<br>
<br>
On Aug 8, 2013, at 17:36, "Harrison Owen" <<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net" target="_blank">hhowen@verizon.net</a><br></div>
<mailto:<a href="mailto:hhowen@verizon.net" target="_blank">hhowen@verizon.net</a>>> wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div class="im">
Jeff – as a sometime perpetrator and totally confused<br>
(certifiable) I can attest that if at any point I were to<br>
intimate that I actually knew what I was doing, that would be<br>
a significant error. However I feel quite comfortable in my<br>
not-knowing if only because the “process” (OST) is not<br>
something I “do.” Under the best of circumstances my<br>
contribution is to invite folks to do what they already know<br>
how to do – to be what they already are. It always works, and<br></div>
it works even better when I get out of the way. ____<div class="im"><br>
__ __<br>
Harrison____<br>
__ __<br>
</div></blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<br><div class="im">
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</div></blockquote><div class="im HOEnZb">
<br>
-- <br>
Michael M Pannwitz<br>
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany<br>
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