<div dir="ltr">Hi all!<div><br></div><div>Thanks to the hottest new Storyteller to hit the OS scene, April Doner, we have been graced with THE BEST harvest of the Open Space Hotline ever :) </div><div><br></div><div>Notes below.............</div>
<div><br></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Some Rough Notes* of…</i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">* *
* <b><span style="font-size:14pt">Open Space Hotline</span></b> * * *</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Tues, March 25, 2014</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">12-1 EST</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">WHO SHOWED UP:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="116" height="128" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg"><i> Andrea
Chiou (D.C.)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><img width="111" height="111" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image004.jpg">
Thomas Herrmann (Sweden)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><img width="113" height="113" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image006.png"> Skye
Hirst (Maine, US)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><img width="108" height="128" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image008.png"> Paul
Levy (England)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><img width="108" height="109" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image010.png">
Marie Ann Ostlund (Sweden)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><img width="107" height="128" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image012.jpg"> Heidi
Nobantu Seol (New Mexico)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><img width="128" height="128" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image014.jpg"> Tricia
Chirumbole (Pennsylvania)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><img width="126" height="126" src="file:///C:/Users/TeaRose/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image016.png"> April
Doner (Indianapolis)</i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt">*(notes by April… who missed the first 10 minutes)</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tricia</b> ~ I’ve heard concerns and ideas from people
around how people who are traditionally excluded might not be able to fully
participate in Open Space when it’s just “open” – and things we can do to
ensure that they can really participate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>April </b>~ There’s a topic I’d like to bring up… In late April, I’ll be hosting a workshop on Asset-Based
Community Development (or, ABCD -- a model for change with a lot of
similarities to Open Space) and want to incorporate Open Space. I experienced
OST’s power this January in New York – but I’m running into a couple of
challenges in thinking about it. First, I often feel critical of places that
use “Open Space” but just work it into their actually very structured
event… I believe in doing things all the
way and that sometimes if you just do it half-way, as a kind of bastardization,
you miss the real experience altogether. So, I don’t want to do that. But, because ABCD involves a paradigm shift
in how people think about community, change, etc., I also feel sure that there
needs to be SOME kind of content or structure – stories, framework, exercises I
have used before to help people “get it.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The workshop is for one day, so it doesn’t leave me a lot of
time.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>____ ~</b>
I’ve worked with a number of clients who need to deliver some content,
so often we’ll spend the first day sharing that content and then do a second
day Open Space ~ Theme inspired by the first day—so perhaps you could do that,
and have open space around “Working the ABCD Way.”</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Paul Levy ~ </b>I’m also a fan of using Open Space “Clean.”<b></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Guerilla Open Space ~ (Article)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Conscious Business”
-- working for a year.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A Conscious Business rarely has a strategy. Big strategies
can start to degrade your consciousness. Strategizing but not strategies—or not
for very long. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ex: if you’re going mountaineering, climb Mt Everest – you
need a strategy. There’s the mountain, weather may change, but you know the
route you’re going to take. Metaphor breaks when you have a group of people in
the room. If going to climb a mountain, even the mountain may change. An Open Space facilitator is an open
improviser. Go in with a design you’ve
worked out with your client but when you can, ready to launch into Open Space
when it’s the right time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Guerilla Open Space: It can happen any place or anytime.
Having it ready in your repertoire</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Conscious Business, you have to be present.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Heidi ~ </b>I’ve done a variety of gatherings—a
question I sometimes ask for Open Space is, “What else do you want to learn
before you leave?”<b></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Call the topics. Usually there is some info needs to be
delivered at the very beginning. Works
very well. Working Open Space in toward
the end also provides the structure for the continued structure after getting
this information.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If I can fit three sessions in, I always try to—ie. three
chances to set sessions. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>April ~ </b>I’m also worried about how to foster
paradigm shift… one of the seeming
benefits of a more traditional structure is that when there’s someone with more
experience, they can help reinforce when people are “getting it” and help them
see whey they might be still stuck in the old.
My fear or discomfort is partly around just opening space and then
people revert into the old paradigms they’re used to.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Skye ~</b> Asking, “What else do you want to learn
before you leave the room?” requires trust, courage. Remember that little simple power – people
will step forward if they have the passion, if have the opportunity. Somehow that courage comes out of you in a
way that you could never do in another setting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Paul </b>~ People realize
that the assholes at the top are going to over-design and over-control it.
Pop-up open space is something good in itself. Good for facilitators to assert
self-organization not in terms of what went before. When I offer it, just on
intuition. More likely to say no if you’ve been over-fussy on organizing it and
over-strategizing it. More about the facilitator’s journey about being
improvisational in the moment. At 50,
I’m finding that I’m much less skilled at it than I am at “working the room” or
strategizing beforehand how a day will go. Find the space in yourself that you’re ready.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tricia ~ Terrifying.
Improv world. When you make an offer, don’t make it. Don’t half-ass make it.
People can sort out. </p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Andrea Chiou</b> ~
Working with schools, Suicides. Have been trying to get an Open Space to
help deal with it. Just put out on her Facebook group, “What have we not
thought of yet?” Responded: “We’re not doing enough to listen to the
kids.” Getting kids into the space at
one time needs some kind of administrative backing. Doesn’t just happen out of
the blue. How to go about formulating
the formal part of this.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If not formal, how could it be informal?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Thomas ~</b> Had several schools, teachers, parents, kids
together around bullying. Amazed that the
kids had so many thoughts and clear ideas. One of the key factors that it was
very successful.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Skye ~</b> Anybody who has a liaison with the kids in
general, one or two teachers who can connect with the kids – get them to ask
the kids for a small group, get together and ask what could be an invitation
question. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Andrea</b> ~ There are some kids who are very active
already in the community, raising issues about depression. Person I’m working with is at the County
level. My focus is the global level. I have to select where I put my energy,
from that maybe build momentum for other places.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Paul </b>~ Make it scarce at the beginning. Young bands do that. Limit the tickets and then release more.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>April</b> ~ In social justice “Nothing About Us Without
Us.” Include the kids in the
organization, just like in OST all levels are included and invited, valued
equally – from janitor to the ED. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Andrea</b> ~ I
hear you, and that resonates with me. Have been noticing what felt like
exclusion happening. But I also worry about how to make sure the kids feel
comfortable saying what they really think or really feel?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Paul</b> ~ in the invite. We’re inviting you to self-organize. It’s
always the case that some people You can put a paragraph that might make some
people breathe a sigh of relief in advance, that no one is going to embarrass
them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Andrea </b> ~ I want this to be a place where crazy ideas
are brought forth. Put that in the
invite… we invite you especially to
bring your crazy ideas to bear.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>April </b> ~ I
think if kids are invited to a place where their voices are actually respected,
they will feel as comfortable as the adults—which will vary with each
personality. Also, what are all the other people who might care about and be
connected with kids? (Story of Broadway
church, Terri Coleman who they discovered the </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Andrea</b> ~ I
want to do something—I don’t really know how it’s going to turn out. You all have inspired me to write the
invitation.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">____ ~ If the school is not into it, there are other
ways to do it. If it doesn’t work in one
way, it can work in another way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Heidi </b>~ Writing the invitation a good way to give
people an idea of what you’re talking about—to say, “Oh! That’s what you mean.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Andrea</b> ~ I think in a way it’s better not to have it
at the school. Sends the signal that it’s not just a school thing. Gets away from the liability issues. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Marie Ann Ostlund</b> ~ What
would it be if the kids were involved in organizing this? The aspect of empowerment, and when things
are happening in this environment, you feel a sense of loss of control… when
you’re involved in organizing something like this</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>April</b> ~ Where to post notes?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>Tricia</b> ~ Open Space World… OSList</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">* *
* <b><span style="font-size:18pt">THE END</span></b> *
* *</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><div><div dir="ltr">Tricia Chirumbole<div>Participatory Engagement & Transformation Facilitator</div><div>Mojo Collaborative</div><div><a href="http://www.mojocollaborative.com" target="_blank">www.mojocollaborative.com</a></div>
<div><br></div><div>571-232-0942</div><div>skype: tricia.chirumbole</div><div>twitter: @themojozone</div></div></div>
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