Thank you Harrison, Jack, Michael, Karen, Glory, Lisa, very much for your considerate and insightful teachings.
I appreciate the reminder that our individual experiences and perspectives of anything can be, often are, different from those of every other person in the same "here and now", whether it's of the surroundings or the food or our interpretation of someone's words. And I am also taking to heart the good reminder that so much of the learning is in the sharing. Because those disparate individual perspectives and experiences are also aspects of some underlying seamless whole that we can only enter into together. I love the questions that you all offer--ones that I can ask of my acquaintance who said she disliked Open Space because of particular events she participated in, and also of my friend who facilitated those events--that communicate a sense of interested curiosity and a little bit of gentle poking to see where the stuckness was. For my learning, and theirs too. (In my usual work, we call that kind of poking, "palpating for the tender points" and then when I find them, I insert a needle right there!) In essence, you open more space via your questions and invitations into future possibilities. Harrison wrote: > Let's suppose that your friend was basically a control freak in disguise > (we all are to some extent). She/he said all the right words, but at the end > of the day, the need to be "in charge" was just overwhelming. And it showed. > And the space closed, and the folks were unhappy. > > ... Perhaps she/he really wanted to let go, but wasn't able to. > and Glory wrote: > *'What prevented you from using your two feet?' (smile, wink - delivered > lightly)* > and I think that in the situation I was asking about, both were somewhat true: as a facilitator, my friend tends to have an action-oriented agenda that in this case went in a different direction from what some of the participants wanted to explore; and the participant I spoke with did not choose to step up and declare, or move towards, what she cared about. I imagine that these are common scenarios. And so I am curious to read your responses to Lisa's tender questions about the scenario of what do you do when you trust the process (and you care about that space and that client, but they're not "yours"), and you don't have confidence (yet?) in the skillfulness of a particular facilitator? Which I am holding in the same breath as Jack's invitation to love the destination that resides in ... each (w)holy step. Thank you again for your generous & thoughtful responses, and Happy Red Fire Dog Year! (the first day of the lunar new year) Christy -- weblog: http://lifecultivatinglife.blogspot.com On 1/29/06, Lisa Heft < [email protected]> wrote: > > Hello, Ms. Christy! > > > > I am on the road so unsure when this message I am sending will get into > the conversation stream, but… > > > > Christy wrote: > > > > <* What, if anything, do you say/do/think when someone says to you, "oh, > I've been to an Open Space Technology meeting before, and I didn't like it, > and wouldn't want to do it again," …and upon gentle inquiry you discover > that what they were told was "Open Space" was not really so very open? > And/or that something was missing (for example, session summaries weren't > posted or shared or compiled in a timely way, or at all)? …And especially > when the spaces in question were held by really wonderful people (definitely > possessing "good heads and good hearts") whom you like very much?*> > > Ahhh , Ms. Christy. Indeed I have had that experience. All I can say is > that it's an opportunity to share how choice of appropriate > method/tool/technology, design of time, and attention and respect to > pre-work, detail and follow-up are the cornerstones of good facilitation, no > matter the method. Maybe even to share your own 'survivors of bad Open > Space' stories if you have them, if appropriate. And to invite that > person to another event in future. > > > > There are a few facilitators I know (no matter the methods they use) that > I dearly love and to whom I would never refer a prospective client, alas. > Because I trust the process, but I have seen or experienced a situation > that person has facilitated that I would not like to see repeated. And > even so, I can still love that colleague for who they are, for their > intention, their passion, their dedication… > > > > Your question raises an interesting point. So not to take you off > Christy's question, but to add another one -- what do you (all of you) do > when you hear that a great client has selected a facilitator you have seen > do lousy work, or about whom you have heard others complain? Very tricky. > I had this situation and I had a hard time wrestling with my own feelings > and concerns. Do I tell the client, with the fear that it makes me sound > competitive or unprofessional? Do I let them have their own experience, > hoping it will be good? I have done the latter. What have you others > done / felt / experienced? > > > > As with so many things, my other answer is: I call situations like this – > a breathing lesson… > > > > Lisa > > ___________________________ > > *L i s a H e f t* > > Consultant, Facilitator, Educator > > O p e n i n g S p a c e > > 2325 Oregon > > Berkeley, California > > 94705-1106 USA > > +01 510 548-8449 > > [email protected] > > www.openingspace.net > <http://lifecultivatinglife.blogspot.com>
