hi kerry, chris, michael, harrison, i'm enjoying the direction of your thoughts!
the type of givens i've found to be really useful are about things like the terms of existing relationships with partner organizations (especially when they are elegant!), previously-agreed-upon processes for organizational decision-making (especially when they are elegant), purpose/mission statements (especially when they are elegant), budgetary current realities (as opposed to future restrictions), and, perhaps most of all, where accountability lies (ESPECIALLY if it's elegant & open to conscious emergent flow). in other words, the givens are not about restrictions to passion and creativity, but rather about accurately conveying current reality. in my experiences with open space, there is frequently a background level of confusion & unstated assumptions around issues like these - i don't know if i've ever experienced all participants to be on the same page. when the sponsor reduces these parameters down to the absolute bare-bones (and i never do it any other way), and they are shared at the start of an open space meeting as the givens, i have felt (from many positions in the circle, in many of which i have sat) a collective sigh of relief, which i translate as: "halleluia, we don't have to spend today wrestling blindly with assumptions - we can get right down to our passionate work and focus on the theme at hand." and if one of the givens calls out to be opened up in open space, then wonderful - but it is a topic for another day (and perhaps even a different sponsor). kerry, i know you've opened up a lot of inspiring space in your part of the world. how does this resonate? & i would also love to hear what michael pannwitz thinks - michael, you have been a mentor to me in the way you honor the role of the sponsor. do you use givens? chris * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
