good comment, Peggy. the problem with my e-mail was in the addressee response. Diane's message didn't have the "reply-to" set up for OS-LIST distribution. My response went off to Diane directly before I realized the error. This is just a setup problem--senders can help by ensuring that the OS-LIST is the recipient of the message. In the case of the message you sent, OS-LIST was a reply-to addressee.
Peggy Holman wrote: > I gather from Diane's message that Uwe and Richard responded to the original > message "off-line." Would you please bring this wonderful discussion on to > the listserv? My belief is the value of this list is greatest when we can > all "listen" to the richness of your speaking. It may even trigger some who > are silent to jump in! > > Thanks, > Peg Holman > > -----Original Message----- > From: Parkinson & Gibeault <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] <[email protected]> > Date: Monday, August 31, 1998 5:38 PM > Subject: Dialogue at end of OS > > >Thank you Uwe and Richard for your comments. > > > >Taking into account your ideas, I would like to bring some clarification > >to my questions. > >This exchange/dialogue/discussion is taking place prior the closing > >circle. It addresses specifically the action plans at the end - the > >converging part of OS - and not the whole OS event. > > > >You are right to say that the leaders or decision-makers are also > >participants and they will be full participants on an equal basis at > >that OS event. I also beleive that a lot of leadership emerges in the > >course of the OS and normally, I would not have "formal leaders" stand > >out of the pack other than setting the tone at the outset. Effectively, > >they have a specific role in giving a start to the meeting by providing > >the night before, the context and the parameters. > > > >In addition, participants in the case I am dealing with, have had a > >previous OS meeting on a related topic and they have expressed the wish > >that at this OS event, decision makers give immediate feedback to the > >actions plans that will be developed on the last day. D-makers may very > >well have given feedback in whatever discussion group they participated > >but at the end, everyone gets the global picture on action planning as > >they hear reports from the various groups. They are expected not only to > >give feedback on specifics and the overall planning but also to > >communicate support and reinforce the energy. Since no one wants this to > >be a one way thing, other participants will be welcomed to react. > > > >Even if the decision makers were not there or had no particular > >intention to give formal feedback, a heated debate could still take > >place between the 300 participants and the question of process would > >remain. To conclude on the description of the situation, the dialogue > >will take place before the closing because it is an "action plan" > >specific dialogue, not a closing of the OS event.. > > > >Circulating the mike around the circle of 300 would probably attract > >more comments and extend the discussion way beyond the level that is > >intended here. By the time we did the closing circle, at which point it > >is planned to have a corless mike going aroung the circle, it is feared > >that many would be exasperated by the length of the > >"mike-around-the-circle-of 300" activities and that furthermore, there > >would just not be enough time. > > > >What I had originally thought of - and did not suggest for reasons I > >explain farther- was to have a cordless mike in the centre of the circle > >and people would be asked to go to the centre one at a time (I have seen > >Larry do this for the closing circle). When someone has finished > >speaking, another can get up. This is a process that is both > >self-organized and respectful. And yes, I like Uwe's suggestion to state > >at the beginning that participants only speak in case they have > >something significant to say. > > > >I expect people at the beginning would be respectful of those two > >"rules" but my concern is that with 300 people, there may be a fair > >number that want to comment - especially if the dialogue becomes > >HEATED, and it may - and as the time went by, some would get anxious > >about not having their turn and would simply start to line up in the > >centre. > > > >Could a group of people in the centre actually control the space? How > >does the facilitator then protect the space (since that is a stated role > >at the outset). It would be pretty delicate for the facilitator to > >repeat that only those with something significant to say should be > >there. Participants who have just spoken or are about to, could take > >offence. I would like to know if anything similar has happened to other > >facilitators or how you would deal with the situation. I know "whatever > >happens is the only thing that could happen". How do we reconcile that > >principle with the role of the facilitator to protect the space and keep > >it a safe space? > > > >The other option is closing the circle after the presentation of the > >action plans (before noon for example) and having decision-makers > >provide feedback after lunch, in a facilitated discussion. Somehow, this > >may limit, during the OS, spontaneous exchanges on action plans between > >participants since people may feel that they need to hold off until the > >afternoon. I would be interested to here if anyone has tried this > >approach? > > > >Uwe, I would like to hear more about "strictly following David Bohm" > >regarding closing OS with a dialogue. I am not familiar with this. > > > >Thank you in advance to anyone who joins in this search. > > > >Diane Gibeault -- "A key to self-management is the capacity for self-observation. It is important to realize that self-observation is not the same as over criticism, judgmentalism, paralysis of analysis. It is rather a consistent monitoring of one's performance." -Charles Garfield Thresholds <http://www.thresholds.com> Meeting Masters <http://www.thresholds.com/masters.html> Richard C. "Doc" Holloway Astoria, Or & Olympia, WA USA ICQ# 10849650 voice 360.786.0925
