Hi Andrew
Congratulations on giving OS a go! The theme the facilitators ended up
discussing - trying to understand open space - is the very reason why
OSonOS is such a fantastic experience and why so many of us go back (or
try to :-) year after year to learn more (and reconnect).
Learning to facilitate open space is the easy bit, I think. Learning to
be present in open space is the hard bit - something I still struggle
with as a facilitator. This is some of what you experienced first hand
on Wednesday night. It also interests me how other facilitators react
to OS - sometimes as facilitators (and I'm speaking just for myself
here) we like that feeling of (supposed) control that comes from more
structured facilitation processes. OS is always such a revelation for
both participants and facilitators.
I hope you told them all that Brian and I are delivering some OS
training soon <big grin> We do lots of stuff on getting a 'good'
theme...
Cheers
Viv
On 28/07/2005, at 2:00 PM, Andrew Rixon wrote:
Dear All,
Last night I had my first opportunity to give the OS gift to a group.
Being a member of a facilitator network group we (my wife and I) were
given the opportunity to facilitate a meeting, of course, selfishly I
chose to use open space. The theme which we came up was “For a great
meeting: What would you like to do?” … We tried to come up with a
theme which would allow for new & spontaneous members to feel part of
the theme as well as, I guess, an existential theme which might just
work.
What emerged however was a new theme that the participants spent the
whole evening discussing “What is this strange animal, open space?” ..
Challenging as it was, I practiced the art of silent facilitation and
let the group evolve and emerge with its discussions, sometimes I was
drawn out with a question which I felt I could help…
Interestingly, initially there appeared to be a lot of discomfort,
that, at a facilitators network meeting, there was no clear ‘leading
facilitator’ to stimulate and prompt the group… by the end of the
meeting however (just 2 hours which flew by the way) everyone felt
energised and inspired in some way.
It seemed like there was some ability for OS to self-correct itself
based on the true passions of the participants…
Moral of the story: There is good reason why choosing a theme (and a
good one!) is important.
Ps-
I miss you too viv. J
--
Andrew Rixon B.Sc(hons) PhD
Urban Water Infrastructure
CSIRO- Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology
http://www.cmit.csiro.au
P.O Box 56 (Graham Road), Highett, 3190, Victoria, Australia
Tel: +61 3 9252 6363
Fax:+ 61 3 9252 6249
Mobile: 0400 352 809
Email: [email protected]
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Harrison Owen
Sent: Thursday, 28 July 2005 8:19 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Not in Halifax
Viv -- you will be missed for sure. At least I for sure will miss
you!!!
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
301-365-2093
207-763-3261 (summer)
website www.openspaceworld.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Viv McWaters
To: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 7:28 PM
Subject: Not in Halifax
Greetings from a cold and wet 'downunder'
As you prepare to gather in Halifax, I'm sitting here in my office
wishing that the Jetsons had turned out to be true and that I could
teleport, miraculously, from one side of the world to the other. I'll
just have to be content with the miracle of electronic communications
instead :-) Having sprung an open space event on an unsuspecting group
on Friday and received confirmation of a major national OS in a few
weeks, training with Brian in August, and not being in Halifax when I
had planned to be there - well, OS is pretty much on my mind. I've
also
been mentoring a couple of people who are using OS and I'm always
reminded how a depth understanding of OS makes decisions about what to
do or not do quite straightforward, while a superficial understanding
of the mechanics raises all sorts of questions. Hence the importance
and significance of OSonOS where we can delve into those sometimes
murky depths. So I'll experience Halifax vicariously through Oslist
and
will look forward to all the goss when Brian returns. Have a great
OSonOS!
Cheers
Viv
***************************
Viv McWaters
Beyond the Edge Pty Ltd
PO Box 665 Torquay 3228
Australia
(03) 5261 9498
0417 135 406
"Thus the task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to
think what nobody yet has thought about that which everybody sees. "
Schopenhauer
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***************************
Viv McWaters
Beyond the Edge Pty Ltd
PO Box 665 Torquay 3228
Australia
(03) 5261 9498
0417 135 406
"Thus the task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to
think what nobody yet has thought about that which everybody sees. "
Schopenhauer
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