Fear 1 the more open the process the more open space possible Fear 2: Instruct in the intro that that they are just announcing the session in a few words and you hold the mic for all of them. Pat Black
On Mon, Nov 29, 2010 at 8:12 AM, christine koehler < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi to all > > I am working with a group that wants to organize a open space event in a > highly “political” context : Theme is very sensitive, has been discussed > for years by all actors without any results except fights and division. But > now context has changed and they feel that if they, actors of the system, > don’t work together now and suggest something very quicly, the law will do > it for them without them... > Yet it took them some time to agree to go for OST. Their fear is great : > they fear that some actors in the system will take advantage of the event > for their own interest. They also fear that “wise men (and women)” who were > pionners in their field but now do not act any more but talk talk talk , > will take advantage of the event to … talk and bring the audience somewhere > else. > Interesting fears, aren’t they ? I'd love to have your opinion on those.; > > Regarding the first fear : they choose not to invite one specific person as > co-inviter with them. There was a strong veto from one of the co-inviter, > saying that working with this person had been one of the worst experience in > his life and that he won’t do that again. As this co-inviter is probably one > of the most active in the group (he DOES the work), I think his request was > accepted as a given. > Yet now the group fears that this (not-invited-as-co-inviter) person, who > has a strong influence base, might come with lots of his people at the event > and influence the whole result.. > The risk is that they limit the number of participants to X people per > organization (or/and whatever criteria they choose). > My question : did you experience a situation where a person, not invited as > a co-inviter because too difficult to deal with, has “spoiled”an OS event ? > I wonder if the risk is real (if so I’d challenge the group and have him > included as a co-inviter) or if I just let them go with people they really > want to work with... > > Their second fear concerns the wise persons (who are also “big egos” ;-)) > They don’t want them as co-inviters, but they want them somewhere. These > people are the “heroes” of this community, but they are not so young now , > and are not so active anymore in doing things. They talk about offering > them to join a “scientific committee” or something like this. I don’t like > the idea of “scientific committee” in the context of an OS event, but don’t > have any better idea. What do you suggest ? > They also fear that they invide the space during the creation of the > agenda. All of those wise persons, I was told, can, with the help of a mic, > bring a group wherever they want and talk for hours. Especially if they are > all in the same room (because none of them wants to speak less than the > others...) > Any suggestion to me, as facilitator , to avoid use of mic as a tribune > without being rude to their heroes ? > > Christine Koehler > * * ========================================================== > [email protected] ------------------------------ To > subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > [email protected]: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about > OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
