WOW Suzanne - this is an AWESOME GIFT to the OS community - and to the planet...
I have received a very rich 'present' from clicking that sample video link - listening to the clearly articulated excitement and inspiration from the Mayor - and then being hooked into visiting another talking screen, and another, and another, and another.....and now my afternoon plan has been totally disrupted and rescheduled - all because I made one wee click... Ah well, such is life....whatever happens....:) I will go off to consider how to act from the infusion of energy that has totally 'wrecked' my Friday afternoon.... Thank you for the holy disturbance of Creative New Jersey Cheers Brendan On 17/06/2011, at 12:50 PM, Suzanne Daigle wrote: > Hi again everyone! > > The New Jersey event held on June 14th and 15th was absolutely amazing. > > For once, I don't feel I can describe what happened in New Jersey. It is > beyond words. And somehow I feel that the success, intensity and excitement > of this event belongs to all of you in this worldwide community. I know that > what happened in New Jersey happens in so many places all around the world. > I feel so grateful and connected to all of you in the process of doing this > work. > > To hear people describe how they feel when they are in open space engaged in > topics that they are passionate about defies words. I will never tire of > hearing them describe their experiences. > > The stats can only give one sliver of description of what happened at this > 2-day event: 150 diverse people in attendance, many on a wait list, 73 topics > posted; 50+ summary reports and they're still coming in; hundreds of photos, > lots of tweets, about 25 or more video interviews and a book of proceedings > of nearly 110 pages. All of this in 2 short (or long) days. Many volunteers, > a dedicated committee, the best partner ever (Chuni Li) plus many others > (most of all the participants!) created the magic. > > Rather than me describing more, I invite you to check these sample videos > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-0BWV6Vf-E > > and > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFq6NYWb7mg&feature=related. > > If you search You Tube and type the key words creativenewjersey, you will > find 20 or 25 more interviews with people talking about "Revitalizing New > Jersey through Innovation and Creativity". Sprinkled here and there, you will > also hear how they felt about Open Space. > > You can also check the event website http://creativenj.org/ which gives > another flavor of what happened. > > Sleep deprived these past few days, I could not help but share my awe and > gratitude with you before catching a few winks. I will also confide that it > was tough not facilitating this event, letting the client take on this role > that I love so much. I had provided him with some behind the scenes coaching. > In the end, it felt like the right thing to do. Today he kindly sent me a > note that said: "I now understand why you were a little regretful about not > facilitating. It was great fun and a real high to see it all happen so > brilliantly. It could be very addictive." In my mind's eye, I smile > remembering the people lined up by his side to announce their topics and > later seeing him pick up coffee cups and arranging the chairs in the circles > for evening news and closing circle. I believe we may well have another > facilitator in our midst. Life will never quite be the same for him as indeed > it has never been quite the same for me and many of you. > > Thank you dear friends for being there always, wherever you are on this > planet, as I once again share with you how I feel and what I have lived these > past few days. > > Suzanne > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sun, Jun 12, 2011 at 5:10 PM, Suzanne Daigle <sdaig...@gmail.com> wrote: > Dear OS friends and colleagues: > > So many times during this project, I have wanted to write to you to share the > exuberance, the challenges, the questioning, the commitment and the awe, > pride and admiration I have felt for everyone involved in the two-day > Creative New Jersey Open Space event scheduled to take place on June 14th and > 15th of this week. > > > Check out the site http://creativenj.org/ and to witness what’s happening > live this week. You can even twitter if you’d like. Just don't forget to > include #creativenj if you do tweet. > > For Chuni Li and me, co-facilitators on this Open Space project with Creative > New Jersey, our work began a little over two months ago. For the organizing > host team, the Vision had started about 18 months ago. > > > A compelling white paper described the burning platform of a state (like most > across the country) facing enormous economic, social, cultural, educational > and environmental challenges. It spoke of a proud history of innovation, > creativity and success. Their goal was a Call to Action to spark a movement > that recognizes, fosters and sustains creativity and innovation as catalysts > for a vital, prosperous and sustainable New Jersey. > > > After an Open Space simulation, introduced as part of our pre-work, the > organizing committee agreed to go with an OS process. Then began the work of > creating an invitation which led to the theme question: “How can Creativity > and Innovation Revitalize New Jersey?” Excitement was building with the > committee though not without a certain degree of anxiety wondering how we > would attract a group of 150 diverse individuals to commit two full days in > mid-June. A weekly meeting schedule by conference call was established with > the Host Team taking the lead on most of the pre-work assignments. With each > passing week, the energy and enthusiasm kept building. Chuni and I became > resources, assisting and guiding with the intention of not only helping them > have a successful event but also transferring knowledge about Open Space, the > mechanics and the depth of this self-organizing leadership process. > > > Mid-stream, we also decided to call upon Gerry Kirk, from the Scrum > Community, an avid supporter of Open Space, asking him to lead us on the > technology side. Chuni became his right arm person, avid to learn and do. A > host website with many simple tools was quickly created. Again the mission > was about transferring the learning to the New Jersey team of volunteers. Now > a few days before the event, the conversations are happening on line; many > participants have already posted their profiles and we know that the site > will be a welcoming place for blogs, live twitters, summary reports and short > videos to capture impressions and highlights during the event. It will also > serve as an important vehicle to continue the conversations afterwards and to > share ideas and engage action and to invite more people to join. > > > Initially the intent was that I would facilitate the event but in the course > of our preparations, a request came asking if we would agree to have Larry > Capo, one of the leads on this project, facilitate. For a split second I > hesitated but then quickly agreed that yes, this was the way to go. Now as I > listen to Larry counseling others on our weekly conference calls saying > “whatever happens, happens”, “letting go is what we need to do ” or quoting a > passage in Harrison’s Open Space Technology book, I know without a shadow of > a doubt that this was the right decision and that in a different and very > invisible way, I too will be holding space with him, working at the newsroom. > > Today, a diverse group of nearly 170 people have confirmed from business and > industry, education, arts and culture, science and technology, government, > communities, medical and pharmaceuticals, faith based, media and others. > > As I reflect on what has happened these past few months, I can almost hear > Harrison’s voice to us the facilitators of Open Space saying “one less thing > to do” is one more thing the clients can do for themselves. Chuni and I have > contributed in a different way, wrestling at times as it was not always easy > watching our clients struggle and work as hard as they have. In the end, as > we look forward to our upcoming event, I feel and hear the pride and > ownership of what has been achieved to date and I can only imagine how > wonderful and great it will be when we get to the end of the closing circle > “when it’s over, it’s over”. Of course, we will know that it’s really just > the beginning … of a transformative change to revitalize New Jersey. > > > There are no words to express the joy at the emergent collaboration of > working with this wonderful team. Wish us all luck and please hold the space > for us and with us. Thank you Harrison for your wise counsel and support > along the way; Lisa Heft for your expert guidance on the simulation and > pre-work; and Diane Gibeault, my teacher and friend, for the opportunity to > ponder deeply together and to exchange ideas in Ottawa last week and over the > phone. > > > Suzanne (with Chuni Li) > > > > -- > Suzanne Daigle > NuFocus Strategic Group > 7159 Victoria Circle > University Park, FL 34201 > FL 941-359-8877; > CT 203-722-2009 > www.nufocusgroup.com > s.dai...@nufocusgroup.com > twitter @suzannedaigle > > > > > -- > Suzanne Daigle > NuFocus Strategic Group > 7159 Victoria Circle > University Park, FL 34201 > FL 941-359-8877; > CT 203-722-2009 > www.nufocusgroup.com > s.dai...@nufocusgroup.com > twitter @suzannedaigle > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
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