Michelle: What a wonderful story. I honour your 'doing nothing' and appreciate so much that the dead moose came out.
Esther At 10:52 PM 8/23/99 -0400, you wrote: >Betty: > >I too used open space to facilitate a retreat for the Board (13) and two >staff of a national women's group. I was to start with an evening of story >telling following a board meeting that had ended up being very conflicted. >There was a huge dead moose under the table.....most people believed that >the organization's life cycle in its current form was over, but nobody >wanted to actually say it. Shortly after opening the evening, it was very >evident that the group did not have the energy to proceed. The group >decided "when it is over, it is over." We finished the evening much earlier >than expected. > >I opened the space the next morning. Someone had placed a postcard picture >of a moose in the middle of the floor (this group had had exposure to open >space before). Many topics when up about the issues and opportunities for >the future of the organization, but some people were rocking at the edge of >their chairs....the dead moose had not been posted. Finally, one person had >the courage to post a topic " Death and dying". When the marketplace was >opened, the whole group gathered for the discussion, which lasted more than >two hours. There were many tears and the many great stories of the history >of the organization. They came to consensus that it was time to allow the >great lady to die with dignity and to sow the seeds for whatever needed to >emerge to fulfil the future needs of women. There was a great group hug >followed by an extended lunch break where no posted sessions convened, but >there was much healing conversation between individuals and among small >groups. Just when I thought that it must be over and started to arrange >chairs in a circle for closing, the group re-energized and decided that >there were topics that still needed discussion, even with the future fate of >the organization sealed. They broke into several small groups. > >We did a brief convergence where participants decided that death and dying >was the priority issue. They all met together again to decide on next >steps. In less than an hour had champions to handle disbanding the office, >completing an anniversary issue of their magazine and planning a conference >to honour what was and to support emergence of the new (which would be >another great opportunity for open space!!) > >Staying out of the way was difficult. I don't smoke either. This was a time >where I felt very drawn to get involved, intervene. Instead I focused my >energy on being fully present and totally invisible ( I have not been able >to replicate the achievement with my family!) I busied myself doing >something that I learned at Harrison's training several years >back.....picking up the coffee cups, preparing the table to receive the >buffet...in general, tending to the environment. It was a great lesson for >me about the effectiveness of just holding space to enable the group to do >what it needed to do and the energy that that doing "nothing" consumes. > >I heard 6 months later that they group was progressing well with its' >dignified death. The person I talked to said that the group had feared that >they would not do what they needed to do and were very impressed that the OS >process created the conditions that let them achieve the end. It certainly >felt a little odd to me that death was a positive outcome for the >organization. I am used to that in dealing with human beings in my nursing >practice, but no so with my OD practice. > >I am glad to here you are proceeding with open space. Good luck. > >Michelle > >Michelle Cooper, RN, MScN >The Cooper Group Consultants >200 Crestview Avenue >Ancaster, Ontario >Canada L9G1E2 >Telephone - (905) 648- 4633 >Fax - (905) 648-1763 >E-mail [email protected] > >
