On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 15:27:40 +0000, kerry napuk <k...@napuk.demon.co.uk> wrote: > Chris > > Your handling of "givens" is positively clever and thanks for posting > it. However, does not the objective remain to remove the "givens" > from the agenda and allow free exchange and dialogue? >
Well yes and no. It is not up to me to tell the client whether or not their attachment to givens is a bad thing. Yesterday I facilitated a very high profile meeting hosted by our provincial premier and of course it was loaded with givens. We weren't using OST, but I tried to open as much space as I could. If the client wants free exchange and dialogue then yes, we discuss constarints on that. In the example of the streatgic planning OST I facilitated, the client wanted both dialogue and and information useful to the immediate strategic needs of the organization. The design didn't prohibit anything; the leadership just said "talk about anything you want, but if you want us to include it in the plan, find a way to fit it into the five streams." They didn't define those streams beforehand, other than categorically "Finances" and as a result of the conversations and the way the group chose to sort it's work, the fields of each of these categories became defined - perfectly. That's why I think of it as an elegant design. > What do you do when the sponsor hangs onto "givens" and refuses to > yield and you know in your heart of hearts that it will damage or > undermine the event? > Like you, I'll offer another process. But if the potential damage is serious, then I don't do the event. I have an ethical sense of what a legitimate engagement process is and when it crosses the line for me I back off. If people are being "led down the garden path," that is, invited to do something under false pretenses, I won't facilitate that at all. Cheers, Chris > Regards > > Kerry > > * > * > ========================================================== > osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > ------------------------------ > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, > view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: > http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: > http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist > -- ------------------------- CHRIS CORRIGAN Consultation - Facilitation Open Space Technology Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist