Dear Astronauts,
At the beginning of Nov, I did ask a question on possible connections
between OST and mediation in context of organizing an annual meeting of
mediatior. Thank you for you responses. Here is a summary of the topic
and short description of the actual experience.
Topic: Open space and Mediation
Time: 11.11.10 - 16.11.10
Location: OSLIST
Initiator: Arno
The question:
1.
I am intersted in possible overlappings of these two methods.
2.
After expressing once my skepsis on traditional conference
arrangement (on a mediatiors annual conference) I was encouraged
to suggest alternatives. I suggested OS.
3.
This idea developed into search for a mix of mediation and OS.
4.
The min. program is still dividing annual meeting between time for
presentations and OS.
5.
The max. program could be some arrangement including OS and
mediation practice. So, what you think?
Participants: Christian Harrison, Harold, Anne, Bui, Christine, Lisa,
Scott, Chris, Larry, Michael M, Larry, David
Ideas:
1. What are our aims for the annual meeting?
2. Think about OS or any other method.
1. There are just some specific cases in which OS is the right
thing to do.
3. Mediation or meditation?
4. Open Space is a bit analogous to organizational meditation
1. A traditional leader is similar to the ego in our
consciousness, with the illusion of command and control.
2. In Open Space, the "leader" takes a breather and just
watches what's present in the psyche of the organization and
lets it surface - "how fascinating" - and then refuses to
refocus the organization on any one topic at least during
the time of the Open Space.
5. My curiosity in UK is about the tensions between the essential
oppositionalism in our state systems and those advocating (forced
to use the term in the context) for mediation.
1. In particular in family courts and resolution of so much
human disarray) - OST here is potentially such a lifesaver...
6. OS would be a great way to hold your conference.
7. While OS can be useful for resolving some disputes, it is an
entirely different process from mediation,
1. I consider these to be the opposite extremes of what I do.
8. There are several other processes that you can use as components
of an otherwise conventional conference
1. World Cafe
2. Conversation Cafe
9. Decide on the purpose first and then pick the tool.
10. Mediation is something that helps people articulate differences,
hear each others' stories, decide what is or is not common ground,
and so on.
1. Many different tools / processes can be used
1. Restorative Justice Circles
2. Guided conversations
11. Analyze objectives, desired outcomes, time available, space
available, context, participant numbers, what comes before and
after and so on - then select the tool(s) to best fit the n
12. When mixing traditional conference (workshops, presentations,
whatever) with some time also in Open Space (the more time the
better to let participants do their thing) - it is really ideal to
put the Open Space as the last part of the conference.
1. Because participants can use that time to talk about new /
emergent things as well as to reflect on things they have
learned or heard earlier in the conference.
2. Because the Closing Circle of an Open Space can be a great
closure / closing reflection for a conference.
3. Because if conference attendees experience OS earlier in the
conference and then have to 'fit themselves into the shape
of' a traditional conference after that (sitting listening
to a speaker, listening in a workshop, listening to a panel
presentation) - they can get uncomfortable and feel their
time is more useful self-organizing and continuing to meet
together to talk about what matters to them (including
wandering back out into the hallways to continue their
meaningful conversations that began in Open Space).
13. I am currently using Open Space for Mediators to explore their
passions and shared interests as Mediators.
1. This serves Mediators by enabling them to reflect on their
practice and to align regarding innovative possibilities.
14. The next great book to write on the application of Open Space will
be titled :"It Depends: Applying Open Space Everywhere"
15. Opening space is partly about expanding "our" now. As a process
enables a group to experience together increased
consciousness/awareness.
1. Meditative practice can do the same for individuals.
2. Can corporate practice of Open Space do the same for
collectives?
16. I was exposed to some peace processes in the Philippines and I see
that OS may help a lot in arriving equilibrium in many parts of
the globe.
1. Mediation is purposive, such that peace comes after series
of requests on all sides are met..
2. OS, on the other hand, is consensus building from the first
moment it is initiated; and, and at the point of convergence
and sharing.
3. Conflict is handled well by the process, that in the end,
everyone is satisfied and satiated.
17. Mediation could be a small subtext in the OS process which would
possibly happen somewhere during the discussions or perhaps during
the agenda setting..
18. In extreme environments, where the conflict has become overly
destructive, Open Space IS the mediating modality.
1. Alternative approaches ... in every case that I have
witnessed they were infinitely less effective, especially
when you take into account the amount of time and effort
required.
1. When these (alternative) approaches were most
effective it turned out that the mediator operated
with light or invisible hands
2. No external party can ever possibly understand the
complexity of the issues involved, their massive and ill
defined connections, all combined with the (rapidly)
changing nature of the total scene.
19. The assembled group, united only by their common caring for some
resolution carries all the history, all the complexity, combined
with a nanosecond to nanosecond awareness of the present evolving
situation---which their collective wisdom (Wisdom of Crowds) is
usually able to weave together in a useful fashion. No help needed
save for a single individual to open and hold the time/space in
which all of that can take place.
20. I see little point in combining Open Space with Mediation.
21. Failure to combine Open Space and Meditation in a high conflict
situation is the perfect prescription for frying your soul
22. Holding space under extreme circumstances will require extreme
degrees of focused presence. Meditation helps.
23. The self organizing process that open space enables.
1. Self organizing is very similar to a process I teach in
applying emotional Intelligence.
2. Meditation enables this self awareness and I would co-relate
meditation to the deep listening within OS.
3. One is at the individual level the other is at the system level.
4. In OS the system itself is becoming more aware of it's
internal and external environment / state and through this
able to make more conscious and healthy choice
Please correct me if some of the ideas are arranged in biased way or
something important has been skipped.
If to summarise what I did see in these:
1. Think it over, what you really want to accomplish
2. Then look what are the choices in toolbox of methods
3. If you want to combine
1. Take into account what are the interconnections between
methods
2. What is the inner logic of process of different methods.
I enjoyed the insigts of Os and mediation possible connections
(similarities, differences, contradictions).
How the actual event proceded?
This was a great learning for me.
The schedule of the Conference was very flexibly changing.
There was a initial idea of using a big scale mediation as an example
(and a role play) in a combination with OS. It did not work out as the
person responsible for the mediation part could not participate. It came
out in a very last minute.
The plan was changed into combining traditional conference schedule with
OS.
At first it was half of a day for presentations and then 1,5 days of OS.
The first day went as planned (40 participants). The second day (20
participants) started with a bit changed plan of having two short (a' 20
min) presentations and ended up with one 90 min presentation and one 20
min presentation. The rest was OS.
For me this was most interesting experience as the participants were
speaking German and I don't. Opening of the space was done in English
and the closing circle I got translated. I want specially thank Michael
M Pannwiz for German versions of law and rules I was able to use.
As the schedule of the event was so "flexible" I had to develop a
spreadsheet to calculate the time gaps (discussion, evaluating, final
circle) to have an overview of the possible process.
So it was more or less the demonstration of OS as a possible format for
further use. As such it was very valuable. That was the conclusion of
participants as well. And I beleive that participants enjoyed the
freedom of format (the parallel discussion groups with The Lof2F.
For those who read German, here is the link summarising the whole event:
http://www.in-mediation.eu/mediation-als-kulturgut
Thank you again participating and your patience to read the summary,
Arno
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