> Ted hi > > Just one of my stories; with reluctant people too... > > I am working as a consultant for a big dutch consulting firm. Two weeks > ago we suddenly (?) had a crisis. Our management said that by the end of > the year some of us would be fired because of the shortage of projects ( > it is said ..., that we are in an economical crisis...). > So I thought this would be a perfect crisis to deal with in Open Space. > But than I gave it a second thought. There where some rumours goging on; > be aware that woman only wants to do Open Space. Which is true. But than > we decided that we should have a meeting on monday night and that I would > be the facilitator... but... not in Open Space... (they decided.....). So > I just used the flow, the energy and the power of Open Space. this is what > I did. > > > * I set the central question: what can we do so that nobody gets > unwillingly fired. > * I invited everybody who wanted to come. There where 11 consultants > and two managers(!) showed up. > * Than I asked everybody to put their thought, idea's, wishes, > expectations, fears, concerns, etc on a large post-itt with a marker. I > just walked around the round table; I was in the back of the them, and it > was so silent in the room, amazing, how energy flows. grows and > concentrates just by walking and breathing in a cadans (thanks Helen and > Harrison!) > * I asked them to put their post-its on the wall and make groups of > them. We had ten theme's. I asekd everubody if their post-itts where with > the right theme and if they wanted to add something. > * I invited everybody to pick out one ore more theme's to work on the > next hour. After choosing the theme's one manager got anxious, he wanted > al the theme's to be adressed (some four where left on the wall). I > invited him, if he wished so, to adress more theme's for himself.... > * We worked on the theme's and with some chinese food, shared the > outcomes, just very quick. > * Than I stated the theme again, walked the (behind) circle and asked > them to think of any kind of action they wanted to take the next two > weeks. > * In the 'closing circel' they annouced their actions and their most > of them where so full with energy, they started right away (ii was 10.15 > in the night). > > And by now; they want a *real* Open Space for two days next couple of > months. > Funny how the guidlines of Open Space work even in an not *real* Open > Space..... > > from Holland, love and sunshine > Carla > > Met vriendelijke groet, > > drs. C.J.P. Vliex, Carla > _______________________________________ > Organisatieadviseur > > Twynstra Gudde Management Consultants > Stationsplein 1, 3818 LE Amersfoort > Postbus 907, 3800 AX Amersfoort > Telefoon 033 4677478, Fax 033 4677479 > Mobiel 06 53927407 > E-mail [email protected], Internet www.tg.nl > > > ---------- > From: Ted Ernst[SMTP:[email protected]] > Reply To: [email protected] > Sent: Thursday, 29 May, 2003 01:55 > To: [email protected] > Subject: organizing protests? > > I haven't read this list in a while, but have over 600 messages in my > OSlist > folder. Wow! I'm writing now to follow-up on a conversation I had with > Michael Herman last week which was itself a follow-up to a conversation I > had with some peace and justice activists earlier last week. My > experience > in all sorts of anti-war organizing meetings is they are horrible, boring, > inefficient, etc, just like meetings in other setting where people attempt > to maintain control. I've never attempted to introduce open space there > because there has never seemed to be an entry point. The "players" are > well > established and making the proposal would immediately put me in a position > of co-opting what they've already built and just doesn't feel right. > Anyway, a smaller group has come together as a network of "affinity > groups" > where each group is autonomous but sends a representative to the > coordinating meeting. I think this should definitely be done in open > space, > but again, how to propose it in a way that doesn't threaten? Michael > suggests having a meeting on a different day and time and place and > inviting > everyone from the coordinating meeting as well as the members of all the > groups (if possible). Any thoughts on how to propose this type of > meeting? > Topic? Invititaion ideas? All thoughts welcome! Thanks much! > peace, > ted > ___ > Humanize the Earth! http://www.chicagohumanist.org http://www.tedernst.com > > * > * > ========================================================== > [email protected] > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of [email protected], > Visit: > > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > >
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