Hi Chris,
As a Chinese who knows how difficult Tao Te Ching is to read even for Chinese,
this is the best English translation I've seen.
And I love your interpretations/explanations/extrapolations/reflections of the
phrases in terms of holding space.
I meant to thank you a while ago when Harrison mentioned this book to me.
Here is my belated Thank You for this wonderful gift!
Chuni Li
________________________________
From: Chris Corrigan <[email protected]>
To: Douglas Germann <[email protected]>; World wide Open Space
Technology email list <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2013 12:58 PM
Subject: Re: [OSList] What does neutrality of a facilitator mean in Open Space?
Here is a little book I wrote on this topic a number of years ago:
http://archive.org/details/TheTaoOfHoldingSpace
On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 9:16 AM, doug <[email protected]> wrote:
MMP and friends--
>
>Thank you for this dive into the present and invisible and expanding of time
>and space.
>
>Although I have been doing OST for a decade, this is a practice I have yet to
>perfect. Often I feel at the end of an OS that I was not really there because
>I was facilitating. That is, I cannot tell someone else what went on or what
>the results were. (Sure I can count issues and assess the depth of the closing
>circle, but that is not the same as having been a participant. It is different
>when at an OSonOS I can simply be a participant.)
>
>So can you and others say some more about how you practice being present and
>invisible, what it feels like to expand time and space? Is it for you more
>than picking up coffee cups?
>
>:- Doug.
>
>
>
>
>
>On 04/26/2013 04:31 AM, Michael M Pannwitz wrote:
>
>Dear Carms,
>>basically, there is no such thing as a "neutral" facilitator.
>>As far as I can remember, and thats a few decades back, potential
>>clients often ask for a "neutral" facilitation or consultation.
>>
>>Seems to me that the way to tackle this is to ask myself what I am not
>>"neutral" about. And that, I found out, varies from case to case and
>>from situation to situation.
>>
>>So, when I am facilitating I find it helpful to discover what I do not
>>want to be "neutral" about and focus on that particular thing.
>>When facilitating an Open Space Technology process I focus on being
>>"present and invisible", "expanding time and space" (for the forces of
>>selforganisation to do its thing).
>>This I find is more than a full time job... any other interests that
>>crop up (getting involved in issues participants post or paying
>>attention to a co-facilitator...) simply have no space. The moment they
>>do press for space and my attention I know I am no longer really paying
>>attention to my task as facilitator.
>>In practice this means that I am in desperate need for a team in the
>>background that takes care of all the things I love to meddle with and
>>control so that I can focus... which sounds simple but aint easy.
>>
>>A co-facilitator who has clear positions on issues and is absorbed by
>>such stuff does not compromise "neutrality" of the team. He exerts
>>control and that is from my experience a surefire way to reduce or even
>>close space.
>>So, how to deal with a co-facilitator of the kind you describe?
>>It depends, of course.
>>One way to avoid this destraction is to simply strike the position of
>>co-facilitator.
>>Have a great day
>>mmp
>>
>>On 26.04.2013 01:44, Carmela Ariza wrote:
>>
>>Thanks Kari for your thoughts and suggestions.
>>>
>>>How would you deal then with a co-facilitator who has a very clear
>>>position on issues that are being tackled and who runs the risk of
>>>compromising neutrality of the team of facilitators?
>>>
>>>Will take a look at the Amsterdam Musical Lecture on Open Space soon.
>>>This seems interesting...
>>>
>>>Carms
>>>/*If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having. --
>>>Henry Miller*/
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>*From:* Kári Gunnarsson <[email protected]>
>>>*To:* Carmela Ariza <[email protected]>; World wide Open Space
>>>Technology email list <[email protected]>
>>>*Sent:* Friday, 19 April 2013, 7:35
>>>*Subject:* Re: [OSList] What does neutrality of a facilitator mean in
>>>Open Space?
>>>
>>>Hi Carmela
>>>
>>>I am perhaps not the best on neutrality, I am easily swept off my feet
>>>in passion for this or that, and usually I like to marvel in the novelty
>>>for a short while.
>>>
>>>I don't think there is any one truth that we can speak here. There is
>>>some big notion of neutrality in the academia, somehow born from the
>>>abstract thinking of the scientific methought. There is this belief that
>>>if I am to close too or worse - one of the locals, then I must be to
>>>bias to speak any truth.
>>>
>>>But what I have found is that if I am the owner or manager of the item
>>>in question, then I might have some previews thoughts and dreams that I
>>>may try to enforce it in the process with no regards to the underlying
>>>reality of the matter, if given the possibility.
>>>
>>>Also if this person is someone I am trying to please, I may be to
>>>co-dependent towards any power play that he might use for the same
>>>reasons.
>>>
>>>There is always the spiritual work of begin willing to be present and
>>>holding the space open by keeping a check on my charisma while the
>>>discussions take place.
>>>
>>>As soon as I try to force the outcome by closing the space, then the
>>>space is no longer open. I sacrifice the productivity by forcing my own
>>>will of outcome upon the group. The only way for me to not do this is
>>>simply to not have a way about how the outcome should be. If I am not
>>>willing to not have a way, then I have some personal work to do by
>>>cheeking my motives and fears and let go of them.
>>>
>>>If this is not possible, then I would suggest a twinning, where you find
>>>someone not in our department to do your open space and then do same for
>>>them.
>>>
>>>But I think that I am allowed to care deeply and have an opinion as long
>>>as my personal homework is done and I am spiritually fit to not have a
>>>way, and to let them have their own experience.
>>>
>>>I also have an experience where a small group where half of the group
>>>was familiar with Open Space, we decided to hold the space as a group
>>>and participate in our own open space. There was no external sponsor or
>>>external facilitator, but we managed to hold the space open because we
>>>cared.
>>>
>>>I like to end with an Amsterdam Musical lecture on Open Space:
>>>http://youtu.be/BgcomPDIUHY
>>>
>>>On 18 April 2013 22:40, Carmela Ariza <[email protected]
>>><mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear OST friends,
>>>
>>> I would like to hear your thoughts on neutrality of facilitators in
>>> OST. Below are some specific questions...
>>>
>>> What does it mean in practice?
>>> If you are an interested party or have a stake in the outcomes, how
>>> must you facilitate?
>>> What are the ways to maintain neutrality (towards participants and
>>> topic/outcomes) even if the facilitator is also interested in the
>>> quality of the participation and also the outcomes?
>>>
>>> Your inputs/insights will be highly appreciated - especially sharing
>>> of experiences.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Carms
>>> /*If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not
>>> having. -- Henry Miller*/
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> OSList mailing list
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--
>>>Kári Gunnarsson
>>>[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>>gsm: +354 8645189
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>
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--
---CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training - Process Design
Open Space Technology
Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/
Upcoming workshops
Authentic Leadership In Action - Halifax, NS, Canada
Designing Strategic Change from the Inside Out
June 16 - 21, 2013
Art of Hosting - Participatory Leadership and Social Collaboration
November 11-14, 2013, Bowen Island, BC, Canada.
Upcoming Art of Hosting in Toronto, Montreal, Chicago and San Francisco. Email
me for more information.
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