All the open spaces I've been to have been organized by Lisa Heft, and I've had an overwhelming positive experience. I've yet to organize/facilitate my own, still waiting to find the right opportunity.
@james On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 12:36 PM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > How wonderful to return to find BAD OPEN SPACE! I didn't know there was any, > and truthfully, I never met an Open space I didn't like. But then again I am > biased. My own experience is that as long as the conditions are OK (Real > business issue, voluntary self-selection, lots of diversity, lots of > complexity, real passion/confusion, and a decision time of yesterday) and > the procedure followed (sit in circle, create bulletin board, open market > place, go to work) just about everything comes out perfect. Does that mean > that everybody is 100% happy? Have they ever been? -- and if not, why now? > > The president of a company whose employees decided to dissolve the company; > he was un-happy. Control freaks that were sure that their way was the only > way -- they were unhappy. People who suffer from Freedom Shock pretty well > go out of their gourds. People who think so little of themselves that they > permit the blowhards of this world to brow beat them without employing the > Law of Two Feet are definitely unhappy -- and must also understand that they > alone are responsible for their misery. Neither Open Space nor anything else > will turn raving idiots into towering Einsteins for silk purses do not > ordinarily come from sow's ears -- and that is a bad rap on sows! Goodness > me -- we have problems. But are those problems attributable to Open Space? > > All of that said most people, most places, most of the time find the > ordinary to be extraordinary, the mundane to be magnificent. Just an average > day in Open Space, relishing the wonderful world of self organization -- > which truthfully is the only world we have. > > Harrison > > > > Harrison Owen > 7808 River Falls Drive > Potomac, Maryland 20854 > Phone 301-365-2093 > Skype hhowen > Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com > Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org > Personal website www.ho-image.com > OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the > archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html > > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Elisabeth > Tepperk Kofod > Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 2:14 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: Bad OS experiences > > I believe the key is in preparing the right question or issue. > > Elisabeth Tepper Kofod > Venezuela > > -----Mensaje original----- > De: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] En nombre de Larry > Peterson > Enviado el: miércoles, 08 de abril de 2009 10:52 a.m. > Para: [email protected] > Asunto: Re: [OSLIST] Bad OS experiences > > Bui: > > In Toronto, I've also experienced some people who were not happy with their > experience of open space. > > Some people prefer the sense that somebody is in control of a meeting > (particularly in Canada). Others, particularly in healthcare, who are used > to dominating get upset when they are not able to do that. > > To me a critical component is the preparation of the sponsor by the > facilitator. This is especially important in smaller groups from my > experience. How they frame the space that is opened before the facilitator > asks the question has a big impact on the sense of freedom that participants > have or do not have. It is also important to have enough time in open space > to get beyond the usual suspects shaping the discussion particularly when > the culture of the group has not encouraged participation in the past. > > Certainly the setup of the room and the breakout spaces particularly in > smaller group have a real impact. A clear articulation of be done with the > results is also critical. > > I have led many open space events of 15 or fewer people that were lively, > new ideas emerging, new leadership surfacing, over six hours to two days. > Some individuals, however, are not quite ready to be full participants in > riding waves. They only find this out in the experience of open space. > > Larry > > > Larry Peterson & Associates in Transformation > Toronto, Ontario, Canada > [email protected] 416.653.4829 http://www.spiritedorg.com > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bui > Petersen > Sent: April-08-09 10:11 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [OSLIST] Bad OS experiences > > Hi everyone, > > Having almost settled in living in St. John's, Newfoundland, I am > looking for opportunities to open space. It is a slow process to > introduce something that people are not familiar with, especially as I > am new in a town where everyone seems to know each other. > > My question is, what do you do in cases where you meet people who HAVE > been exposed to OST but did not have a good experience. My wife for one > participated in one OS forum, and she is not at all convinced. Her > experience was that the usual suspects did all the talking and those > that usually are quiet, stayed that way. I wasn't there myself, but from > what I gather there may have been some factors that contributed to this > such as, the size of the group (only 15), the breakout spaces had tables > and a couple of other factors. Nevertheless, my wife is not convinced it > could have been much different. > > What do you more experienced think is a play? My own experience is > limited so I'm not sure what to say about this. Is it the case that some > OS events just don't have the right energy and don't work out that well? > If so, what can you do to make people consider doing it again? The best > I have come up with is that even if OST may not be perfect, it is better > than most other things I have tried. > > Your thoughts would be much appreciated. > > Thanks, > > Bui Petersen > > * > * > ========================================================== > [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 > > * > * > ========================================================== > [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 > > * > * > ========================================================== > [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 > > * > * > ========================================================== > [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 > -- @@@ James Sheldon Graduate Student, Education: Equity and Social Justice, San Francisco State University Special Education Paraprofessional, San Francisco Unified School District @@@ * * ========================================================== [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
