if I may interrupt this game, gentlemen...:) I am not sure about naming the experience of closing space, but this discussion brings to my mind three practices of council (from Christina Baldwin's calling the circle) which can be also useful in keeping the space open when kept in mind: -To speak with intention: noting what has relevance to the conversation in the moment. -To listen with attention: respectful of the learning process all members of the group. -To tend the well-being of the circle (space): remaining aware of the impact of our contributions. the awareness of these practices helps me to get the ego out of the way when I participate in a group process...I try at least :)
filiz Chris Corrigan <[email protected]> wrote: Primarily the problem is with the label that sticks to the person and not the situation. So I'd be less inclined to rename the "space invader" and more inclined to name the situation. So we might think of it as a sudden depletion of space, a vacuum (it sucks when it happens), a bottleneck, a constriction, a strangulation, a space storm (butterflies flapping wings and complexity and all), Something like that. Return to you, baseline shot, elegent backhand off your serve. Chris On 8/9/05, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: Right On Baby! And Larry is right. Stole the words from an early computer game. Dates me -- and Larry. We are talking a long time ago. No attachment to the words. But the reality remains. Rarely -- .0009% -- a malignant space invader shows up. So then what? How about some new words for an old experience? The ball is in your court! 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: Chris Corrigan To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 5:57 PM Subject: Re: SpaceInvaders I think we're in agreement here Harrison about what we do, just not as to whether we use the term or not I have been in that dreaded position of actually having a member of the group, one who weilded much power and influence, grab the mic and try to demand that we do this another way. And my reaction to it was to think about what he ws saying and conclude that my responsibility was to the openeing of space. I thanked him for his thought and suggested that actually most of the people who had gathered were promised an Open Sapce and that's what we were here to do. I don't know how happy he was but the group got on with their work and some very very difficult issues were broached and dealt with. So I know a little about what Harrison is saying, and to some exten I don;t disagree with the idea that certain people in certain places are going to react strongly against our expectations of the event and space will feel like it is closing. We could call these people space invaders, but if that's the case, there has only been that one person. On another occaision a person derailed the process ina perfectly acceptable way, stepping out from the circle and naming the fact that sponsor had not levelled with the group and that there was a need for the group to talk about the sponsor's agenda before opening space. As it happened the sponsor had in fact pulled me aside just prior to the beginning of the meeting and shared information with me that was completley at odds with what the group was thinking. In that case my partner and I simply acknowledged the truth of the situation and left the room. I think what we did was to offer the group the space that the sponsor had in fact, in secret, already closed. I guess my take on the whole thing is that the term "space invader" doesn't quite catch the nuances of these interventions and it doesn't capture the complexity of the dynamics that the situations embody. When one is in the moment, all kinds of thoughts arise: did we do this right? Is the problem with our framing of the issue? Did I screw up? Is this person insnae? The judging mind is moving at a million miles and hour. The intuitive heart is blocked, hiding, smothered by questions and anxiety. If one can access that part of one's tool box - the intuitive discerning heart - then a way forward will suggest itself. Simply labelling the situation "space invader" and acting out of that place hasn't been helpful to me, and I appreciate Harrison's explication of these nuances.. So in the end, yes, I have banished the term. But what I have tried to develop in it's place is a more open approach to the situation at hand. After all, it's Harrison's own advice, that when conflict arises, open a little more space. The trick is finding out where that space needs to be and how much "doing" I am being called to.. Chris On 8/9/05, Larry Peterson <[email protected]> wrote: It was a marvelous OSonOS, to be sure. Much learning and connection. I was somewhat of a "space invader" at Lisa's session. I arrived late, got to get, respond to and pass on a question. I then remembered I had a report to write and left. I have some difficulty of the term "malignant space invader" but I agree with the direction of the view. "Space Invader" still reminds me of the early video game and shooting one down is now what were are talking about here. However, I recently experienced, during an Opening process (when folks were at the wall), one person in a relatively small group trying to organize all the topics into a logical format that allowed him to go to every session he wanted to. He was a tall, spiritually deep and respected part of the event and everyone was following his attempts and organizing the wall. I gently tapped him on the shoulder and asked to talk with him. When I suggested that there might be advantages to letting the order emerge rather than him organizing it for the group he immediately understood what I was saying. In the closing circle, he and a dear friend of his both saw that emergent order was possible and that going with the flow could create surprising results. He appreciated my "tap" and what he learned about himself. Guiding group spiritual practice can lead to attempts to control and he saw the possibilities of going with a deeper flow. His friend now saw some further steps he needed to take in his journey. Were that it was so easy always. I do think it is the role of the OST facilitator to "open" the space and to me this is part of the opening dealing with those who would try to control it before the momentum begins. Larry Larry Peterson Associates in Transformation Toronto, ON, Canada 416.653.4829 [email protected] www.spiritedorg.com * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: 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 * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: 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 --------------------------------- Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected]: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
