At 9:06 AM -0400 4/27/01, Harrison Owen wrote: "I also have to say that in my experience groups operating in Open Space naturally manifest precisely the same behaviors as these approaches seek to achieve -- all without apparent intention or direct intervention from a facilitator."
Thanks Harrison. In my experience as participant in many OST events, I sometimes find the conversations frustrating and disappointing, and I long for a process such as "Dialogue" to help focus our attention in ways that might deepen the level of the conversation. I either suggest (or model) the process halfway thru, or use my two feet -- maybe the group does better after I depart ;-) I experience this most often in events like OT, which I describe as networking conferences, to be distinct from ongoing coherent organizations. I generally now assume that the first day of an OT is for speechmaking, and by the third day we are having real conversations. Perhaps this is evidence of the ability of Open Space to manifest those behaviors without intervention! I find this problem much less often in OST events within coherent organizations. Then again, I'm usually the facilitator, and not involved in the small groups -- who knows what's going on there? Jeff - Jeff Aitken Inverness Ridge, CA USA 415.669.1924 [email protected] "Material and energy throughput must be diminished, but NOT people, NOT living standards, NOT the dream of a better world." -- Donella Meadows (1941-2001) * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
