Dear friends
After a very successful OS with cancer patients last November, with wonderful feedbacks from participants as well as from the top of the organisation itself, I got the feedback this week in our last meeting from the responsible project manager that I often acted in the field of OD, which was not my task and sometimes felt as disrespectful. (I will ask back in what details this was felt most - but for now, it seems that the questions I asked in order to thoroughly understand the way this well-established organisation functions were already going too far.) From my work as administrative manager in our furniture workshop www.wohngeist.ch <http://www.wohngeist.ch/> , I am used to think in processes and terms of organisation. This might cause my blind spot in this area. I admit to have a shadow side of "need to know" and "need to control" (thanks again for that great tool, shadows of the facilitator!). I do want to make sure I understand the client and their environment well so that I say the right things when I make my normal announcements during an OS. But I also feel the need to be honest and clear about the fact that OS WILL change the organisation (in connection to the required openness to the results from my sponsor). How explicit do you get on this point? What's honesty, what's telling too much? And how do you separate OS from OD? Sometimes, when I find a committed organisation not quite ready for OS, I help them get there by pointing to what's missing or needs further consideration, e.g. in formulating the invitation - is that already OD? Sometimes, my way of support is greatly appreciated and seen as part of the normal preparation process where everybody flows towards the event and develops naturally - but sometimes, as in the case above, it is seen as disrespectful. How do I discern the two, where are the boundaries to be careful around? Grateful for your inputs - Catherine Catherine Pfaehler Senn lic.oec.HSG Open Space Begleitung Kellersriedweg 8 CH - 2503 Biel +41-(0)32 - 365 68 41 c.pfaeh...@bluewin.ch * * ========================================================== 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
