Oh Thomas, so beautifully, thoughtfully offered. I find many parallels to my own journey. Now that I think about it, I know a number of people who left stable employment to start their own business when they ran into Open Space. It is part of my story too. Having a partner with another source of income made the ups and downs of finding work easier to navigate.
The core of my practice is Open Space, not just the process but as a philosophy and life practice. At its heart is the invitation to take responsibility for what you love as an act of service. I fell in love with Open Space because in my first experience with it, I saw something I didn’t know was possible: the needs of individuals and the system can both be met. I used to think one or the other had to be sacrificed. Now I know that when both are met it is because the spaciousness has enabled something novel to emerge. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) and Circle process/dialogue are important companions that inform the way I work. AI, because I found that when people share their stories, they discover what is most deeply personal is also universal and they connect. AI influenced me in learning to craft questions, notably calling questions for Open Space gatherings, that focus on imagining possibilities. And Circle because it shifts our form of discourse from debate to dialogue - from advocacy to inquiry. When we are in inquiry with each other, our differences are instrumental in discovering breakthroughs. In Open Space, dialogue naturally shows up. Circles remind me that we all make contributions to the whole. Like Thomas, I partner with others as co-creators when the task is complex. In fact, I prefer working with others, particularly when they come from a different world view. I find it better equips us to be of service to clients. Actually, diversity is one other element that is core to how I work. Given our purpose, what is the diversity of a system? How can we grow partnerships that reflect that diversity to do the work? (I love a rubric from Marv Weisbord and Sandra Janoff: invite the people who ARE IN. With Authority, Resources, Expertise, Information, and Need. And then I consider what demographics are relevant to a situation through a lens from the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. They call them fault lines: gender, geography, generation, race, class, and sexual orientation. They also have two “fissures" that I think are currently full blown fault lines: religion and political orientation. Recently, I’ve also added able-ness to the demographic lenses to consider.) Finally, I have let what calls to me — what resonates with my sense of purpose — lead. Calling led me to journalism following a shooting at a Jewish Community Center in 1999. (I thought to myself: The stories that we tell ourselves shape the way we see the world. And that shapes our actions. Journalists are cultural storytellers. How might what I know be of service? It makes me so sad that the epidemic of gun violence has only gotten worse since then.) Back to my consulting journey...In the beginning, I took work to pay the bills so that I could volunteer my time for the work I do with journalism. Over time, working with journalism became my central focus. That, and writing about what I was learning about change and disruption in social systems, like organizations and communities. Perhaps that is what I can add to Thomas’ wonderful reflection on the path of walking in Open Space: what it has been like to have both a group process focus and a content focus - journalism. I have wondered sometimes if having that dual focus and generally keeping them separate has made me less effective with them both. Would I have been more effective choosing one or the other? I would describe my split callings as 1) a focus on practices that liberate human spirit so that people discover they belong by being their unique selves and 2) reimagining journalism for strong, inclusive communities and democracies. For the first, it has often led me to writing — The Change Handbook, Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity. In fact, I don’t think I’ve mentioned on the list a recent article: Emergent Design for Generative Change <https://peggyholman.medium.com/emergent-design-for-generative-change-78571485daaa>, published in the Organization Development Review. The writing has been my way to figure out what I have learned and share it. My journalism work has involved bringing an Open Space philosophy to a culture that puts high value on facts, too often without sufficient context to give them meaning. The Open Space-centered gatherings Journalism That Matters <https://journalismthatmatters.org/events/> has done over the years has helped foster a branch of journalism that gets called “engaged journalism.” It hasn’t made it to how national news is done but it has attracted a number of practitioners working locally, mostly, but not entirely in the U.S. An interesting finding on that: when journalists start engaging with community, their storytelling becomes more constructive. And for journalists who start from doing more constructive journalism, largely influenced by an organization called Solutions Journalism Network, they become better at listening and engaging with community. It is a virtuous cycle that is becoming more explicitly understood of late. In fact, Journalism That Matters is co-hosting a gathering in August, Open Space at its center, that is bringing the networks of engaged journalists and solutions-oriented journalists and others together to discover the deeper patterns in their work and share them with an intent of accelerating the adoption of inclusive, constructive, collaborative, and engaged ways of doing journalism. Anyway, at the heart of what I have learned is, for me, the essence of Open Space: taking responsibility for what I love. If nothing else, it makes for a good, fulfilling life. Peggy _________________________________ Peggy Holman [email protected] Twitter: @peggyholman Bellevue, WA 98006 206-948-0432 www.peggyholman.com www.journalismthatmatters.org Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity <http://www.engagingemergence.com/> "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is to become the fire". -- Drew Dellinger > On Apr 15, 2023, at 9:23 AM, Thomas Herrmann via OSList <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Hi Kári and thanks for your clarification (also Marc 😊) > I agree with Birgitt that its often possible to find a “bigger” or deeper > purpose. Anyhow I still quite often work with organizations to get going on a > specific issue or opportunity. > I started my own business 23 years ago from being in love with Open Space > Technology and feeling a passion to let more people have a taste and maybe > choose to continue using it. I had a quite big network and this beautiful > process to offer the world. I thought it would be “a piece of cake” but it > took about a year of working full time as a freelancer to start to have a > stable income… Through the years I had some downs but mostly I have been able > to make a good living from it. > > I was so extremely lucky that I got support from the organization I chose to > leave, it was downsizing and those who chose to leave got some support to > find new ways… I could keep my salary for 6 months and I also had money to > attend different trainings – with Harrison and also to go through most of the > Genuine Contact program! On top of that I had another 6 months with support > from the Employment Agence – for new startups…! It was of course really > helpful to be able to focus 100% to get going. Well that “luck” is not there > for everyone and not having other income or having to spend part of your time > doing other work makes a bit harder I guess. I am grateful for this > opportunity I got and took! > > If I think of some of the success factors I can see these for me are: > I started “blank” – didn’t do other consulting work, so my focus was very > clear from the beginning. I have met other consultants who have a lot of > other methods and tools and keep getting assignments from their old business > that they want to leave. Some of them seem to be stuck. > I found a holistic way of working all through all interactions with my > clients, when I learnt the components of the Genuine Contact program, > especially Whole Person Process Facilitation was for me a perfect match to > OST. Since then I work from the same approach all through my assignments. > I’ve facilitated in circle ever since and kept on learning until now and > onwards. > The focus on solid pre-work and follow ups I find lead to good “results” and > also costs more time/money. This has kept growing which in my view has many > benefits to the client by being better prepared and attending to the follow > up better. For me it has been about opening space for them to reflect on > where they want to go respectively afterwards on what happened and how they > want to move on. Several exposures to co-creative ways of working, sometimes > inhouse trainings supporting them to continue on this path. > I started giving trainings already a couple of years after having “met” OST > and GC. Some people warned me as they perceived that I train competitors. It > is very clear to me that by spreading knowledge about OST more work came my > way and keeps on coming. > I connected to the OST, GC, AoH (Art of Hosting) communities among others. > Including attending/arranging learning exchanges and learning on the lists > like this. > I have been trying to be generous in different ways. > I have done my best to get well paid for the high quality I deliver. Several > of my collegues were “impressed” that I charged as much as I do. It is partly > connected to the time I put into supporting my clients before and after an > OST. Some of these collegues sadly went out of business not being able to > have enough income. > I love my work, I love people, I love myself 😊 > I’ve kept on learning and growing personally through many different paths for > my own development. I am my most important “tool”. > I run my own company, cooperate with others who have their own company – this > has worked fine for me. > I have taken help with financials, book keeping etc that I don’t enjoy. > My focus is more on being of service and doing the work I love than getting > rich > I attend to my own health and balance > I’ve shared stories on different forums such as social media > I know how to facilitate as well online as in-person > It is also helpful that my wife has a steady income from employment, Mia is a > teacher, thank you <3 > > Some learnings > Sometimes I spent much time planning new ways to cooperate with others. I > think it has sometimes not been so fruitful when it comes to business. If its > about getting more business (doing the work I love) it may be better to find > a project and do it. I think its much easier if it’s a person who has same > values and good knowledge about the ways I want to work with clients. > It’s not so easy to offer open trainings, but it gives good exposure and > spreads the word and comes back to me – and its fun and very rewarding in > many ways, to give trainings. > I walk my talk. I don’t come into organizations and give lectures about how I > work. I offer them an experience of a well facilitated circle. > I’ve consistently worked from the same approach – opening space for > co-creation using different methods. I searched until I found what methods > that suited me, then focused on that and still being curious of “new” ways. > Being part of the Genuine Contact Organization gives me many opportunities to > practice and apply what I “teach”. I’ve taken many opportunities volunteering > to facilitate different processes. Much of that I have taken out to my client > work. > > What worked for you? > > I wish we can support each other to share our gifts in the world, they are > greatly needed. I have a strong belief that every time we open space in a > well facilitated circle (using whatever “method” – the world becomes a better > place. > > With love > Thomas Herrmann > > Från: Marc C. Trudeau <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> > Skickat: den 11 april 2023 15:14 > Till: Kári Gunnarsson <[email protected]> > Kopia: Thomas Herrmann <[email protected]>; OSList (email to > post) <[email protected]> > Ämne: Re: [OSList] Selling Open Space > > Carrier >>> Career ;-) > > > On Apr 11, 2023, at 8:50 AM, Kári Gunnarsson via OSList <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > Open Space Thecnology as a carrier? > Advise and experience > > > ... This is how I would have written it on a paper in an opening circle > > I think it clarifies what I am meaning with this theme > > > > On Tue, 11 Apr 2023, 10:54 Thomas Herrmann, <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > Hi Kári, I don’t understand the question. stories on how OST … “as engagement > for a junior individual has value for their professional life” > Can you explain a bit more so I might understand better? > All the best > THomas > > Från: Kári Gunnarsson via OSList <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> > Skickat: den 11 april 2023 12:02 > Till: OS list <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > Ämne: [OSList] Selling Open Space > > I remember many discussion groups at various ononos events where a young new > face had ambition and wanted to explore if this field can work as the sole > foundation for their professional life. But the stories of success in that > regard is from people who already have a good professional network in place > in one or another field and promoted themselves to management consultancy in > that field where they had an opportunity to bring the wonders and promises of > Open Space Thecnology to their industry and sometimes also provide the same > service to other industries through the general management connection. I have > not conducted any research into the professional development of Open Space > Thecnology Hoasts, Coaches and Facilitators, these are antidotal at best. > > I am looking now for stories on how Open Space Thecnology as engagement for a > junior individual has value for their professional life. This is my topic > invitation in this thread. I would also love to engage in a conversation on > this topic from different angles. > > Kari > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list -- [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]> > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
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