Dear Joelle (and Michael P): At 15:28 26-06-2003 -0400, Joelle Lyons Everett wrote:
In my 20+ years working as a facilitator (in Open Space and other forms), there have been a number of times when I have realized, on the last morning of a meeting, that where I thought we would go was not the place where we needed to be, and I had to decide how to create a space for what was needed. I think that the rule book can only take us so far, and then we must be responsive to the group and to our own intuition.
I agree with you. But contrarly to what thinks the guy with the hat (and the other one from central Europe), I call this an "intervention". Please note that I also agree with the other two that self organization really happens. Maybe the little divergence that remains may be clarified by understanding how the facilitator intervenes to invite the self-organization. I repeat something I wrote before. If someone (facilitator or sponsor) needs to "open the space" is only because it was NOT open before; and if someone "holds the space" it is only because there are possibilities of it being closed (or re-closed), by space invaders, namely. But in our control organizatioans how many executives do you know that are not space-invaders???
The handbook must cover the basics, but it cannot cover every possible situation.
I know that. As an experienced user of a known IBM methodology for Information Systems Planning (BSP - now a bit outdated) I was frequently acused of asking the newcommers to follow the book, but myself I didn't. It always happens. Experienced practitioners of any method always reinvent the method in each application. This is why trying to "certify" practitioners would put the best ones out of the game and trying to have "commun effects" by all practictioners would mean having the worst possible effects and reinforcing the control-like structures.
The group in Rome was doing difficult and painful work--maybe far more painful than they had anticipated. So Harrison's intervention, asking them to choose again whether they wished to continue this difficult work, felt appropriate to me.
To me too. I was not criticizing him; I was complimenting him. But also (as you have but understood) inviting him to comment on how this relates with the "whatever happens..." Bye, bye for today. I am very curious to see the mail tomorrow... Hugs Artur * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
