Tenneson Very good point!
What is the real harvest? It includes the experience of silent presence, the glimpse into that deeper work. We humans offer some of this. And, my sense is that there are many other realms that we invite into this silent presence the land, the winds, the waters, the ancestors, the future waiting to be born . Silent Presence is powerful, but it is even more powerful when shared. And in those wonderful moments when a whole group gets to that place that is truly awesome, in my experience. As an Open Space unfolds, I typically look for two tell-tale signs of progress. The first is the sound of laughter, particularly if the occasion is very serious and/or highly conflicted. I dont mean the sort of nervous laughter that occurs when people are hiding from whatever is really going on, but genuine, from the belly, laugh that occurs when the moose (elephant, kangaroo) under the table is at last pulled out from hiding and folks can see the humor of it all, along with all the rest. The second Tell-Tale is silence. Or more exactly, an easy presence with silence. Somehow it seems to have become an article of faith with those who facilitate groups, as well as those who hire the facilitators that nothing is going on unless there is a constant chatter and motion. And when it seems that both chatter and motion are in abatement, the cry goes out to Raise the Energy Level. At such times I have had sponsors come up to me with very pained expressions and the awful words of failure on their lips. Something is wrong they say We have lost the energy. On the contrary, I find that EVERYTHING is going on in the Silence and in fact the energy is far from lost it is only now flowing as a deep river silently. I admit is it sometimes very hard to convince a nervous sponsor of that, and in fact all argument is pretty useless until or unless that sponsor can feel the power of the silence themselves. This can happen, and I think there are ways we can help. Specifically in the circles of evening news it doesnt hurt at all to just let the silence build. Obviously this cannot be a mechanical, programmatic sort of thing, as in, Now lets have a moment of silence or worse to schedule a moment of silence. It simply has to emerge naturally, and it will -- if we let it. Our capacity to allow the silence to emerge is, I think, directly related to our own sense of, and comfort with Silent Presence. If our minds are racing and emotions churning, the likelihood that we can perceive, let alone invite the Silence diminishes greatly. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute <http://www.openspaceworld.org/> www.openspaceworld.org Personal website <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html> www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Tenneson Woolf Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 10:06 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Silent Presence Thank you for this thread. Through using OS and other conversational forms, I have found myself increasingly interested in the harvest. What is the real harvest? There are usually great words, ideas, plans, actions, flip charts, diagrams, new partnerships, maybe some music, some dance lots of good stuff. AND, when I think of the harvest, it is usually the energy that surrounds those great words, ideas, plans, actions, flip charts, diagrams, new partnerships, music, dance and new partnerships that feels so strong. Silent presence is woven into this, I feel -- the deliberate intent and focus on holding the energy of the group. What a great learning edge! The energetics of sitting in circle, of sitting across from a mate to hold open the deepest possibility and deliberately channel it to the center, of helping to hold the clarity of container and purpose this is all part of this silent presence for me. This is the space for big hearts. It is a gift to offer this to a group. And it is a gift to receive it from others. What is the real harvest? It includes the experience of silent presence, the glimpse into that deeper work. We humans offer some of this. And, my sense is that there are many other realms that we invite into this silent presence the land, the winds, the waters, the ancestors, the future waiting to be born . Like others, Im attempting to find words to describe something I have felt and seen at deep levels. Tenneson Tenneson Woolf Dyer Institute for Leading Organizational Change www.dyerinstitute.byu.edu tenneson_wo...@byu.edu 801 422 2665 The Art of Hosting www.artofhosting.org tenne...@berkana.org 801 376 2213 _____ From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of louise Sent: Saturday, October 07, 2006 7:27 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Silent Presence I am so glad that this Silent Presence comes up. Thank you Harrison. This is my experience as OS facilitator. The OS Technology sets the table for it. This Silent Presence is kind of midwifing to me. Being the midwife of the group's dreams. Whatever they are and how conscious or unconscious they may be. And it leaves me in a state siimilar to meditation, for having been in this space where imagination can be invoked and conveyed to the group. So their dreams can manifest. Louise Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> a écrit : "There is yet another level which I might call "Silent Presence." Somehow this goes beyond, beneath Intellect and/or emotions. The power of this level of presence in terms of grounding/supporting a group is profound, I have found. Don't ask me how it works, but it does." Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Martin Truelove Sent: Frriday, October 06, 2006 4:04 AM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Showing up & being present Hi Michael, Tree, everybody, I think I sometimes show up, but I'm not really 'present', & this thread has set me thinking about what the difference might be, especially if, in open space, I can't demonstrate that presence by appearing to do a great deal! I'm early on in my OS practice, & it's just this concoction of mind, intellect & soul that tantalises me so much. I've just led an OS in London with leaders in the creative sector here in the UK, & I really felt that my presence made a difference, but I'm not entirely sure how! So these conversations really help. All I can say about this list & all the contributors is that it sustains my faith in OS, keeping my sprits up, helping me to 'hold the intention'(thanks to you, Christine Whitney Sanchez for that durable phrase!)& to continue to develop my practice. With best wishes from the fells (hills!) of northern England. Martin Truelove -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Michael M Pannwitz Sent:: 28 September 2006 10:15 To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Re: Appreciative Inquiry Course - Teachers College, Columbia U, Nov. 9/10 Dear Tree, as usual, your note started me thinking. Why do I show up on the list? Showing up is, as I have experienced, the very first prerequisite for anything to happen. When nobody shows up not much will happen. Now, showing up (which Loretta has certainly demonstrated)does not mean that much will happen either (although she has gotten you and me showing up and more). Being present is the next stage (more than just my body being in a particular place now my mind, intellect and perhaps even soul are there), interaction starts unfolding, truth might be told, followed by the spirit dimension, letting go. Ok, so why do I show up? To learn, to contribute, to .... and to market myself and my ideas. So its me, my passion and the stuff I'm interested in spreading. I wouldn't be surprised if some others do that in this manner or similarily, too. The way it is intermingled, embedded, part of a whole...it might be part of our way of being or perhaps even be part of the open space mentality. So, how are approaches, products, etc. (such as AI) perceived that show up on the list "naked" (my assumption is that many of us have no idea of what AI is, I havent been close to it myself and would not see much of it other than that it shows up on this list every now and then and that some of those actively participating in the list are enthusiastic about it). So, if Loretta is trying to promote something on this list it might not be good marketing to do it by only showning up. Greetings from Berlin mmp Tree Fitzpatrick wrote: > Loretta, it is not the custom of the oslist for people to only show up > when they want to promote a workshop. If you and Bernard participate in > this list as regulars, then I would be happy to learn of your workshop > but I resist seeing notices lilke this when it feels like you are just > using the list to market yoursel without meaningfully participating in > the community. > > On 9/27/06, *Loretta Donovan* > > wrote: > > Innovations in Business through a Positive Lens: > Concepts and Practices in > Appreciative Inquiry > > Taught by Renowned Instructors: > > Loretta Donovan and Bernard Mohr > > > November 9 & 10, 2006, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm > > Available for 1.5 CEUs/ non-credit or 1 credit > > Register by Phone at 1.800.209.1245 or Online for Course Code CEOI&ORL > 2010.001 at http://continuingeducation.tc.columbia.edu/default.aspx? > pageid=134&PK=771 > > > What if . . . > > . . . the quality and speed of organizational transformation is > determined by the very questions that we ask? Instead of grinding > resistance to change? > > . . . companies use inspired action and innovation that combined > best practices employees already knew along with their hopes and > ideas for the future? > > Applying David Cooperrider?s framework of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), an > exciting and proven approach to transforming business from his > intensive > two-day seminar will explore generative approaches to increasing > business capacity, fostering creativity and strategically positioning > the work of the corporation. > > AI builds a constructive union between stakeholders and the > organization > based on inquiry into past and present capacities: achievements, assets, > strengths, elevated thoughts, opportunities, high point moments, core > values, traditions, strategic competencies, insights into the deeper > corporate spirit, and visions of valued and possible futures. This > ?discovery? is then translated into descriptions of a desired future for > the organization and its stakeholders ? which in turn serves as the > basis for the development of the innovations which will most rapidly > move the organization in the direction it seeks to attain. > > This introductory course will focus on the five phases of the > appreciative process: definition of the strategic need, discovery of > the > organization?s positive core, dreaming of the environment in which > excellence will be fostered in the future, design of the structures, > processes and procedures that embody the principles and strategic > outcomes, and delivery of the initiatives that will move the business > forward to its new vision. It will highlight examples from the > manufacturing, services, consumer goods and healthcare industries. > Attention will be given to factors essential for effective use of AI and > preparing for implementation. > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of ossl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > : > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > > > > > -- > Love rays, > Tree Fitzpatrick > > . . . the great and incalculable grace of love, which says, wwith > Augustine, "I want you to be," without being able to give any particular > reason for such supreme and unsurpassable affirmation. -- Hannah Arendt > * * ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist -- Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany ++49-30-772 8000 www.boscop.de www.michaelmpannwitz.de Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 418 resident Open Space Workers in 68 countries (working in a total of 126 countries worldwide) www.openspaceworldmap.org * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boissestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boissestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist Louise Brissette ipsé, soi-même en latin louisebrisse...@ipsai.net http://ipsai.net +1.514.271.0318 un leadership créateur : pour une écologie du travail http//leadershipcreateur.wordpress.com _____ Lèche-vitrine ou lèche-écran ? <http://cf.shopping.yahoo.com> Yahoo! Magasinage. * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist