Dear Chris, just walk the circle and get people to focus on each other. Skip the rest. Greetings from Berlin mmp
On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 15:00:48 -0800, Chris Corrigan wrote: >Hi folks: > >I was writing out the basic script that I use for opening OST meetings >last night and while reading it I noticed that I spend a lot of time >introducing people to the ideas and properties of circles. I think >circles are fundamentally important to process, and so I'm collecting >other people's notes and properties of circles. > >So here is my script with the three things I usually do to bring the >circle to awareness. Have a read and then ask yourself what you can add >to this. What are the other cool properties of circles? > > Circles are really rather neat forms of geometry because >they force us to have a look at things in a particular way. For >example in a circle, we don't really know who "the leader" is. In fact >we may be forgiven for thinking that the leader is either not here, or >is each one of us. And as a leader who is not here cannot do anything, >it must be that each one of is a leader. > > Also circles teach us that there are some things that >can only be done by groups. For example, you will notice that this >circle of chairs isn't really a very good circle. It's actually a >strangely distorted ellipse. That is because for one person to set up a >perfect circle of chairs on their own is a nearly impossible task. But >I'll show you a small miracle. I'll stand in the centre here and ask >all of you to stand by your chairs. Now square up so that you are >facing me and when you've done that check to see that you are sitting >slightly behind your two neighbours. Now sit down. Have a look around. >You have just made a perfect circle. This is something only a group can >do and it took only a few seconds. If I had had to do that it would >have taken me hours. This is important to note. It's as if we all >carry the coordinates for calibrating a circle within us but they can >only be activated by acting along with several others. > > Finally, here's one more thing about a circle. If I >stand in the middle then you will all agree that you are looking at me. >But none of you will agree that you have the same view of me. You can >see me, but your perspective is absolutely unique. It is not shared by >anyone else. We agree on the object of our observation but none of us >share the same perspective. Remember that today as we work on these >issues. Without each perspective we would not have a full picture. If >you were all behind me then none of you could say with certainty that I >had a face. By surrounding me we have the whole picture, but we have to >ask one another about the pieces that we are missing. If you folks >sitting behind me want to know how many fingers I'm holding up, you have >to ask this person I'm facing. That's how it is with problems too. >Remember that today. > > >So what else can we build into our openings about circles? > >Chris > >[PS Florian.some of this probably qualifies as "even"] > > > >--- >CHRIS CORRIGAN >Bowen Island, BC, Canada >http://www.chriscorrigan.com >[email protected] > >(604) 947-9236 > >* >* >========================================================== >[email protected] >------------------------------ >To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, >view the archives of [email protected], >Visit: > >http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html Noch 8 Plätze zu vergeben zur 3. Lernwerkstatt für open space-BegleiterInnen vom 25. bis 28. Januar 2004 in Vlotho. Jetzt anmelden www.michaelmpannwitz.de/o_lernwerkstatt2004.htm Michael M Pannwitz, boscop Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany FON: +49 - 30-772 8000 FAX: +49 - 30-773 92 464 www.michaelMpannwitz.de www.openspace-landschaft.de * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
