Paul. I love that you are sharing your reflections here these days. Thank you for them all and especially thus one.
Chris -- CHRIS CORRIGAN Harvest Moon Consultants www.chriscorrigan.com Art of Hosting - Participatory Leadership and Social Collaboration, Bowen Island, BC November 11-14,2013 On 2013-05-20, at 1:54 AM, paul levy <[email protected]> wrote: > I remember a conference where the audience took over - at least for a while. > It was a revolution that left the top table (the ones who had the bottles of > mineral water and the little flowers in vases) paralysed with perplexity. > > A formal presentation using a lot of bullet-pointed Power Point had just > stopped for five minutes of questions and answers - the fifth presentation in > a row without a break. > > Garish neon lights blared down from the ceiling in a room with no natural > light. > > Yes, you are correct - I said "revolution". Now, that it an interesting word. > We talk of a revolution of the people. We also talk of a revolution of the > planets. Revolution hints at a circle. > > Now, everyone was sitting in rows, as in a traditional classroom, facing the > top table that was in a row facing the classroom style audience. > > The speaker stood at a lectern facing the audience as well. > > The chairperson invited questions. > > And then it happened. Someone in the audience raised their hand and was > invited to pose their question. And pose it she did. But not in the direction > of the top table. She sort of turned to her side and posed it to her row. She > was interested, you see, in what other people thought of the issue underlying > her question. Had other people had the same experience? Did they have any > solutions. She seemed to pose it along her row and then to the rows behind > her, as her arm swept around her and backwards in a kind of inclusive > gesture. She finished her question and then someone near the back started to > answer it. Soon, another person, nearer the front added a useful thought and > then a small whispering conversation began in a corner between three people > who were resonating with the original question. > > It lasted for about four minutes and, at one point, the whole room were now > looking, not at the top table, but inwards, towards a rough central point in > the rows. > > The circle was forming, even in rows of seats! > > And the circle was powerful. Fora while those who were supposed to be "at the > top" at the top table were flummoxed, silent, mere onlookers on the outside > of a forming community circle. > > It was a vibrant four minutes. Then the chair person raised his voice and > attempted to restore "order". He never quite got it back! For at least a > while afterwards, when questions were asked they are posed by the questioner > into the centre of the room, rather than directed to the front. > > An in that four minutes a lot of ground was covered. The buzz continued into > the coffee break and the top table was left, orphaned, without a clear role. > The people wanted to talk to each other, to form a circle, to dialogue, to > self-organise their own conversation. > > And this had happened: Space had opened. > > And this was happening: Space was opening. > > What I loved about witnessing this was realising the power of the circle. The > circle wants to form - it is the natural form for people in social setting > settings. I believe the circle is always there, in archetype, whenever human > beings come together; it kind of hangs there, as potential, above the group. > It seizes the chance to realise in real, especially when there is a top table > and a bunch of rows of seats. All it needs is the impulse to self-organise; > and that occurs with a gesture. It is the gesture usually of one person made, > not in a way that reinforces the linear hierarchy - the top table - but the > gesture that addresses itself to the central point of the natural circle. > Then the attention of all turns towards it and a circle is formed - even when > there are rows of seats. > > Space opens in a circle. And circles open space. Of course, it is often > better to start with a circle of chairs, but even when that is not so, just > direct your comments into the mess, into the heart of the community, and > watch that circle form. > > Written on the way to our Open Space on Open Space in London, on May 20th > 2013. > > _______________________________________________ > 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
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