Thanks so much to Harrison, Lisa, and all on the list for your feedback and support - it all definitely helped me to learn and grow more in the situation, as well as maintain/regain a broader, more detached perspective. ...and, yes, it helped me battered ego :)
As Harrison wrote, "You can’t open space if your space ain’t open." I do hope I won't have to relearn that lesson, but I at least have a better sense of what conditions I need in order to agree to participate in opening a space - internal and external. On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 4:50 PM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > Tricia – You just learned THE most valuable lesson. Lesson #1**** > > ** ** > > You can’t open space if your space ain’t open. Chris said it more > elegantly, but that is the gist. And from what you said -- seems like your > space was in lockdown. 5 days with little sleep, racing about, worrying, > “fixing things”… No space for nothing. Painful for sure, but you will never > have to learn it again. I am positive. And THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing!* > *** > > ** ** > > The only pre-work that is really essential is your own. Or put a little > differently, if you don’t do your own preparation nothing else really > matters that much. At least as far as you are concerned. People kid me > about not doing very much, which is absolutely true. But what they don’t > see is what I do do before they ever see me. Everybody will have their own > way, but before every Open Space, particularly the “dicey” ones, my day > starts early. Beginning with a good meditation, followed by a walk and then > on to the venue at least an hour and a half (better two) before “Show > Time.” I sit in the center, before anybody is there, and if people do > wander in, I invite them to join me in the silence. No talking, no > planning, no fixing. Just the space and silence. After a bit, I get up to > complete the site preparation, if that is needed. No hurrys – sort a > walking meditation. I particularly enjoy doing the Post-its especially for > a big gathering. It is really “zenish,” if that communicates. A half hour > before “Start” I stop everything. Maybe I look at my watch, but I don’t > recall doing so…just seems to happen that way. At that point, I leave the > venue, go outside if possible – and return at the appointed hour. When I > stand at the edge of the circle to invite the festivities to begin, I am > about as clear and focused as I can be. It feels wonderful. Something about > doing nothing and everything gets done.**** > > ** ** > > Harrison **** > > ** ** > > Harrison Owen**** > > 7808 River Falls Dr.**** > > Potomac, MD 20854**** > > USA**** > > ** ** > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)**** > > Camden, Maine 04843**** > > ** ** > > Phone 301-365-2093**** > > (summer) 207-763-3261**** > > ** ** > > www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> **** > > www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website)**** > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > OSLIST Go to: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org**** > > ** ** > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Tricia Chirumbole > *Sent:* Tuesday, February 12, 2013 2:47 PM > *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Sticky dots Q**** > > ** ** > > shame on me! I messed up the flow, buy-in, and positive energy, by messing > up one of the simplest parts....the sticky notes time and session areas. > Not totally my fault, but each time I tried to remedy on the fly, made > another mistake!!**** > > ** ** > > 1) I was a little behind in some final preps bc of early call and have > been sick and have barely slept for past 5 days and then people came > early..fine, I'll put them to work...also, facilities had not removed the > table and equipment, so actually would not necessarily have been behind.** > ** > > - people were a little hard to get to help and a bit distracting and spent > a lot of the time standing around, watching me, and making sarcastic jokes > about the circle, the principles, the notes, etc....very distracting...I > was trying to manage people, go fast, ignore people, and get other work > done...so my mind was distraced and I messed up some of the time slots > which messed everything up...**** > > ** ** > > PLUS, I got resistance in the team picking out breakout rooms in advance > and so filled out day 1 notes w/ just the area indicators: 1, 2, > 3...finally got them to do it, but it confiused everything.....**** > > ** ** > > just whining....will try to salvage! Now I see already however that > despite all of the ideas I know everyone has, we have only 2 groups for the > morning and people def sitting around and not being engaged, but I don't > want to mess much more and start adding to many new topics myself (Iam > unfortunately an independent contracter "worker", so I am already violating > by participating..)**** > > ** ** > > On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 11:08 AM, Chris Corrigan <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > I just want to add, that although I have dispensed with sticky dots years > ago as well, I HAVE used them since where they made sense. It's impossible > to say what tools are important and what should be jettisoned, but context > matters. If your senior people would like the group to prioritize the > action plans that were raised, you can create a process to do that that > respects the work that has been done and works within the constraints. > There are all kinds of ways of doing that. > > Open Space is an empty frame. We know what it does and how it works. But > it does not stand alone. You are using it in a context to accelerate > something in an organization and a community. I have found that it isn't > wise just to come in and do an open space the way I want to do it without > being sensitive to the need behind the call or the context in which you are > working. > > For example a learning Open Space is very different from a product > creation Open Space which differs from a strategic planning Open Space > which differs from an engagement Open Space. The basic process works the > same but the invitation and harvest are very different and the pre-work > with the leadership team helps to set the ground for the most successful > implementation of ideas. > > For me if that means we use sticky dots, because that's the best thing to > do, we use sticky dots. > > Chris**** > > > On 2013-02-12, at 1:46 AM, Koos de Heer wrote: > > > Hi Tricia, > > > > I stopped using sticky dot voting in Open Space sessions years ago. > > > > In the beginning, the agenda process is perfect and does not need any > > voting. > > > > During the Open Space, if a topic needs more time, people will decide > they > > are not ready and continue to do what needs to be done. > > > > In the end, when it comes to action planning, I find it much more > elegant to > > reopen the space for action planning topics. > > > > So trust the process, trust the people and trust yourself. Take a deep > > breath and be present and it will roll (and rock). :-) > > > > Koos > > > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > > Van: [email protected] > > [mailto:[email protected]] Namens Jeff Aitken > > Verzonden: dinsdag 12 februari 2013 08:52 > > Aan: World wide Open Space Technology email list > > Onderwerp: Re: [OSList] Sticky dots Q > > > > reminds me that the difference between a brainstorm and an open space > agenda > > creation is that the latter is based on passion and responsibility. > > > > some items on the brainstorm list may not make it to the open space > agenda > > wall if the person doesn't actually feel very passionate or responsible > > about it after all. > > > > or it may make it to the wall, but then nobody comes to the session, and > the > > convenor writes a short report to handle it and moves to another topic. > > > > jeff > > > > On 2/11/13, Jeff Aitken <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I would allow the open space process to do the work. I don't see a > >> reason to do anything else. I could be misunderstanding of course. > >> > >> if you are using a 'standard' open space agenda creation process, > >> inviting people to put a topic on a sheet of paper and post it on a > >> wall with time and place, then i'd allow the wall to be filled with > >> topics, and then explain the process of moving topics around based on > >> the wishes of the convenors. and let them move things around. > >> > >> let the law of mobility take care of the rest. and then reflect at the > >> end of the day, and they might add and delete and move topics for the > >> second day. > >> > >> jeff > >> > >> > >> On 2/11/13, Tricia Chirumbole <[email protected]> > wrote: > >>> ok, so I just asked a question re: the need for prioritization of > >>> issues and an overwhelmingly large pool of issues in my previous post. > >>> > >>> I guess part of the answer is sticky dot voting. Cool. I will have to > >>> improvise asking people to keep track of their dots using markers > >>> since I will have no time to get dots, but that should be ok in a > >>> small gorup of 13...not ideal - other thoughts on this are welcome. > >>> > >>> my questions are - is it ok to do prioritization at outset of day 1? > >>> And, if so, would it be better to first generate a marketplace w/o > >>> times selected and prioritize them, then have initiators select > >>> time/place? or vice versa - neither sound ideal to me. > >>> > >>> thanks so much!! > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Tricia Chirumbole > >>> US: +1-571-232-0942 > >>> Skype: tricia.chirumbole > >>> > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > OSList mailing list > > To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe > send an > > email to [email protected] > > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > > OSList mailing list > > To post send emails to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org**** > > > > **** > > ** ** > > -- > Tricia Chirumbole > US: +1-571-232-0942 > Skype: tricia.chirumbole**** > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > -- Tricia Chirumbole US: +1-571-232-0942 Skype: tricia.chirumbole
_______________________________________________ OSList mailing list To post send emails to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
