Jeff-- I totally agree. In fact, a week ago, I did the shortest opening of a day long OST I've ever done, which was not as I'd planned it. As some of you know, I have voice challenges. Normally, I am able to plow through the "sludge" that often dwells in my lungs. That morning all the coughing, throat clearing, watering, breathing exercises, praying, etc. did not work. I rasped through the welcome, the theme, four principles, one law, bugs and how to create the agenda - and they posted topics and went off  to participate or not (most did) in their three morning discussion sessions.

My "inner critic" beat me up for a while (what makes you think that someone with an unreliable voice should be doing this work you're making a fool of yourself you should give it up you're jeopardizing the reputation of open space technology yadda yadda yadda!). When after lunch we met in circle to reflect on the morning and converge, I was delighted to hear their positive reactions and able to share some of the history of OST and Open Space then as my voice had cleared. (And I thumbed my noise at the inner critic.)

Another gift that day... This group was a City Leadership Class that had met for about twenty (highly structured) sessions over the course of the class year, and this was their last official day together. The client had wanted them to experience open space and to use it to explore how they might bring their passion and commitment to community service. I struggled with the convergence piece as they really would not have official reason to be together again, and their commitments would be individual rather than collective (my assumption). So I was prepared to have them create individual plans and share with others or create individual plans with others or . . . What happened was that three of the 11 topic reports indicated a desire of those participating to create and implement further action. So most everyone went to one of the three action planning meetings.

The closing circle was rich with impressions of the process, the freedom, the day, and their entire Leadership Class experience. And two insurance company executives indicated they wanted me to do this with their large departments. Go figure. . .

Be Peace --BJ Peters



Jeff Aitken wrote:
Harrison wrote:
  
funny thing -- with a group of 20 it takes 1 and 1/2 hours.
Basically the same with 200 and 2000.
    
Hi Harrison --

Maybe it's the strength of the coffee (triple lattes) in California, but I'm finding it takes less time than it used to take.

I used to allow 90 minutes, but I feel less anxious than I used to feel if we get the opening circle started "late" or the sponsor talks longer than s/he promised.

I still try to get a daylong OST started at 9 am and have the first session scheduled for 10:30; but if we don't start until 9:30 I'm still not worried. Groups of up to 75 people are getting from the circle and breath thru the bulletin board and marketplace in 45 minutes or less.

Thanks for the wonderful 2108 story.

Jeff

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