Yes, Chris - I could not agree more!!!!!! There is so little that needs to be said when people are acquainted with the process. Good work!
Blessings, Toni Sar'h ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Corrigan" <ch...@chriscorrigan.com> To: <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu> Sent: Tuesday, October 08, 2002 10:14 AM Subject: Opening space fast! > Colleagues: > > Just back from a two day training session I gave in Winnipeg, Manitoba, > Canada to 10 First Nations youth and four government workers. The bunch > of them are in the midst of planning an Aboriginal youth conference for > the end of November in Winnipeg one day of which will be held in Open > Space, of which I will share more later, as they have a pretty cool > approach worked out. > > But I wanted to relay one story about how fast it is to actually open > space. During both days of this training we did a lot of work in Open > Space. I opened the first day and for the second day, I asked for a > volunteer, for anyone who wanted to practice opening the space. > > The shyest youth of them all ended up volunteering much to everyone's > surprise. I sat with her and covered the basics of the opening: walking > the circle, things to say, process, principles and law, etc. etc. I > referred her to a script that we had and she underlined the most > important parts. I mostly told her not to worry, because what ever > happened it would work. > > When it came time for her to open I was confident. I played the role of > the sponsor, introduced the theme and introduced her as the facilitator. > > Immediately I saw that it was not her way to do it the way I did it. > She simply sat in her seat and said: "Welcome to Open Space. Our theme > is where and when will we open space. You will put topics on the paper > in the middle and post them on the wall. There are four principles, and > one law. (she read them). When you're ready we can start." > > And then she sat in her chair, looking at the centre of the circle and > waiting. Her opening had been about one minute long. > > People were a little taken aback but nevertheless, they started posting > topics. In ten minutes we had eight topics. She waited very patiently > until everyone was finished posting and then said "okay. Time to > start." > > The work got underway and it was fine, of course. > > Afterwards I remarked that that may have been the shortest opening on > record, and I thought of Harrison's constant mantra of finding one more > thing not to do. In the closing circle I pointed out that although her > opening was very non-standard and wou8ld need to be more substantial for > a group that did not know about open space, it was the perfect opening > for a group who has worked in OST before. There is no need to put on > airs about the process. Once you get it, all you need to do is get down > to work. > > That was my learning. > > Cheers: > > Chris > > > > --- > CHRIS CORRIGAN > Consultation - Facilitation > Open Space Technology > > Bowen Island, BC, Canada > http://www.chriscorrigan.com > ch...@chriscorrigan.com > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
