Hello Elwin,
I have facilitated an Open Space where one of the resulting actions
was a key person leaving a position of leadership and the group.
I did not know about the conflict going into the os - I was actually
filling in for Chris Weaver when a family need came up for him which
conflicted with the scheduled os.
The situation i was in seems different, but I'll offer my story:
The group was a 12 member council putting together a conference in
North Carolina called Earth Spirit Rising. I found out later - a year
or two - that there were several people in the group who had done
some pretty powerful group processes in their lifetimes, a real
asset. One of the members, a man who had done a great deal of primary
groundwork on the project and was deeply invested, was in conflict
with some of the other members, and was having some personal issues
to deal with on his own.
Right from the beginning after opening the space the issue of the
conflict between the man I mentioned and the group flared up. Some of
the group wanted this man to leave, others had tacit support for him,
and others wanted the best for the project and the conference, and
the man was conflicted himself about whether he wanted to leave or
not, but at the beginning was resisting being thrown out. Everyone
turned to me to directly facilitate the conflict, and I told them
that it was now there meeting, their passion, their responsibility to
deal with the most pressing issues as adults. And I left the room,
essentially opening more space.
It was hard to leave the room and let them proceed without me, but it
was the best thing I could have done.
I returned after about an hour to see how they were doing. They
survived, they self-organized. The man in the center of the conflict
ended up deciding it was best for him and the group to leave the
project. The group as a whole created and dealt with an exit plan/
transition strategy.
And then a beautiful, powerful moment unfolded as the group designed
a parting ritual that took place in the middle of the circle, with
the man in the center surrounded in circle by the rest of the group.
And they thanked him for his contribution and together they found
healing.
I don't know what will happen with your project, but I've found Open
Space to provide a very powerful container for conflict, drama,
passion and responsibility.
So, whatever you decide to do, prepare to be surprised!
with grace and love,
Zelle
Zelle Nelson
Know Place Like Home/Engaging the Soul@Work/State of Grace Document
www.knowplacelikehome.com
www.engagingthesoulatwork.com
www.stateofgracedocument.com
ze...@knowplacelikehome.com
work/home: (001) 828.693.0802
mobile: (001) 847.951.7030
Isle of Skye
2021 Greenville Hwy
Flat Rock, NC 28731
USA
On Aug 29, 2006, at 5:31 PM, Elwin and Joan wrote:
Dear Colleagues,
A few days back, while I was on assignment in Ethiopia, a consulting
firm I have long association with emailed to say they needed me to
cover a 2 day management training and team building job with a US
Gov’t
office in DC.
Fair enough I thought. The consulting firm knows me well and our
history together has always been one of success.
I asked for and received a Statement of Work (SOW) that was the usual
referencing of interactive approaches to building cooperation, respect
and a sense of teamwork.
Based on the SOW, I wrote a proposal for a 1 1/2 day Open Space
conference with the theme, “Looking for Opportunities to Improve Our
Teamwork”.
The proposal was accepted by the client.
I am now Stateside. I just talked with the client and things look
pretty ugly.
I now know the “real” interest in this exercise is to get rid of one
or two of the office employees. These two people are viewed by a new
management (my clients) as subversives, if not terrorists. The new
boss
wants them “gone.”
In 5 days I am scheduled to do this Open Space with six employees
including the boss.
I am not at all reluctant to change my proposal and do my “hard hat”
management consultant routine.
On the other hand this might be a perfect OST opportunity.
What say you?
eg
Elwin Guild
Future Development International
Baltimore
elwinandj...@yahoo.com
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