On what you say I totally agree! Thx for the nuanced clarification. S On Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 8:32 AM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote:
> Suzanne wrote: “I love it when the wall stays exactly as it is when, messy > with topics all over. More often than not, organizers, hosts or > participants come order the mess. It seems the tug of order and control is > too great; somehow I just love the creative energy of it the other way but > I never say a thing about it. I just let whatever happen, happen. My job is > picking up coffee cups.”**** > > ** ** > > Nothing wrong with a movement towards Order, I think. After all if that > (order) never happened, we would not be here. But to be really effective, > it is always a dance… order to chaos…chaos to order, and around we go > again. The only time we get into serious problems is when we become stuck > on one or the other. When that happens, the dance is over. Dances do end, > but it is sad when they end prematurely, I think. **** > > ** ** > > Harrison > > **** > > ** ** > > Harrison Owen**** > > 7808 River Falls Dr.**** > > Potomac, MD 20854**** > > USA**** > > ** ** > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)**** > > Camden, Maine 20854**** > > ** ** > > Phone 301-365-2093**** > > (summer) 207-763-3261**** > > ** ** > > www.openspaceworld.com**** > > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)**** > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > OSLIST Go to: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org**** > > ** ** > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Suzanne Daigle > *Sent:* Friday, November 25, 2011 7:52 AM > *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Signing up for sessions**** > > ** ** > > A few reasons I have loved the signing up, from the physical rubbing of > shoulders as people write their names, all at the same time, bumping into > each other, craning their neck to see, up high on their toes for some, as > they watch the names populate the "big white sheets". Sometimes, they need > to gently push their way through and often I see them taking a second look > when lots of names appear there. I cannot know what motivates where they > will sign up; I just know that there is a lot of freedom and choosing > starting to happen; something that doesn't often happen in our traditional > world. > > And finally, I also feel the great joy of those who step forward, many for > the first time in their own leadership, talking out loud, announcing a > topic and then realizing how many were attracted and signed up. It's the > first validation that yes, my ideas do matter! And to know that others are > seeing it too is also exhilarating in an ego/non-ego sort of way. And > then, all day, through the event it feels that the wall, a marketplace > with lots of topics and people whose names appear are all interconnected > and interwoven. The beginning of community and collaborative action is on > that wall. > > I smile remembering my young 10-year-old niece posting her topic "How can > I help the earth" attracting 3 adult men, one a PhD scientist, another a > senior account, and then her 32 yr old cousin. She still talks about that > event. She's 12 now. I have pictures of her post with the names and > pictures of her capturing the summary notes, participating as much as they > much older guys. > > I have felt the signing up energy at the wall most as a participant. When > I am the facilitator, I always escape away from the marketplace wall, > somewhere in some far off corner of the room so that people can > self-organize in this beautiful first chaos. I will have shared about this > chaos ahead of time with the host and will have mentioned it as I opened > space that it will be messy but fun! The hosts and leaders often struggle > when they experience this for the first time and I always hope they might > remember that we talked about it during our planning sessions -- the > benefits, the self-organizing and yes the mess and leaving it as it is > > Afterwards...later I walk back to the wall, often taking photos, and I > feel such energy on that wall. The photos after the event is over, bring > the essence of participation, they show a life with great topics and many > people having signed up as if to say: "I'm in!" > > I love it when the wall stays exactly as it is when, messy with topics all > over. More often than not, organizers, hosts or participants come order > the mess. It seems the tug of order and control is too great; somehow I > just love the creative energy of it the other way but I never say a thing > about it. I just let whatever happen, happen. My job is picking up coffee > cups. > > And then for the matter of the higher-ups in the hierarchy whose voices > are the ones who are most often heard -- those who get to create and invent > topics on how we run the organization, I can't tell you how often it has > happened that fewer names appear on their sheets. I have not seen a > pattern where people rush to sign there. Somehow it feels as if there is a > moment of decision where people are truly starting to feel equal and > deciding what matters most. I have seen reflective leaders and experts; > even felt their disappointment that fewer than they expected signed up for > their topics. They seem to do a second take, shifting inside then looking > again at the topics on the wall. There is leadership on that wall, > unfiltered leadership in the making, not as interpreted by others which is > the way of our hierarchy. It is the first taste a the leadership that will > emerge over the course of their event. It starts at that bazaar wall. > > So perhaps some will say I read too much into this. And perhaps I do but > because I have worked in the traditional organizations for so many years > and have heard the pain and longing of people wanting to engage in the big > issues/topics of the business and not being invited. I have witnessed the > hesitancy of people to speak up and speak out often never going beyond that > fear. I know that each little piece and morsel of this very simple and > magical process of Open Space can be so powerful. Under the surface of a > marketplace wall and the Law of 2 feet, major shifts start to happen. > > So in terms of one less thing to do, I plan to continue to place the cups > on the floor with the waiting pens. And on the safety side, because yes, I > have worried about having pens on the floor rolling all over, I started > putting bunches of them in many big red plastic cups along the wall and > seems that people get the idea. They sign up and put the pen back in the > cups. > > Oh how I love this process of Open Space; thanks for reminding me again > through this wonderful post. > > Suzanne > > > > **** > > On Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 6:51 AM, Ulrika Eklund <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > I smile when I read your fourth point. The struggle. I recognize it > myself. J Its so easy to get going and trying to guess what people want > and don’t want. Also easy to start to try to read peoples thoughts. > Starting to value. And the only thing that happen is that I myself get > frustrated. Instead of holding the space, trusting the people that follow > their passion and responsibility. Nowadays when I let go and trust – the > outcome is amazing and it’s so much more energy saving J **** > > **** > > Wish you all a great weekend**** > > Ulrika **** > > **** > > *Från:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *För *Rob van der Eyden > *Skickat:* den 23 november 2011 12:08 > *Till:* 'World wide Open Space Technology email list' > *Ämne:* Re: [OSList] Signing up for sessions**** > > **** > > Hello all,**** > > **** > > I still wanted to share some of my experiences in the Open Space I > facilitated a couple a weeks ago. The event was a ‘Veranderdiner’ > (Changediner) that we organize a couple a times a year for a network of > people interested in behavioral change. Topic this time was: ‘What can I do > to make the world a better place?’. About 20 people showed up.**** > > **** > > We had positive reactions on the event, lively conversations, new people > met. Valuable experience gained in facilitating an Open Space. All good. > About the Open Space ‘technique’:**** > > · We asked the participants to set up the circle of chairs for > them self. Worked really well.**** > > · The agenda we had lying on floor in the middle of the circle. > After a short introduction, I asked the participants for their topics / > sessions. Lot of (very diverse) topics were raised, each put an a paper. > Each paper was put somewhere at the agenda, but mostly not at a specific > location / timeslot. That was probably because I did not put post-its on > the agenda, that could be taken by everyone that wanted to host a session > (so will do that next time). So we ended with a stack of topics suggested > to be discussed, but no agenda yet…**** > > · So on to ‘signing up’: based on the discussion on the OS List, > I decided to ask the participants to sign up for the topics they were > interested in by putting their name on that paper. Result? Nobody did that, > but the buzz did certainly get going. And probably a bit different than it > should, because we did not have clear topics assigned to location/timeslot. > I ‘managed to’ leave it to the group to figure it out. There were some > participants that started trying to organize the whole thing (“let’s do it > like this…”), but in some way several groups formed about some topics > (which were probably all different from the ones posted in the first run) > and they got to work and have a good time.**** > > · I did feel some struggle within me during the event. Before we > got started one of the participants told me about a (to me very good and > clear) topic he wanted to discuss, but for some reason he did not raise it > in the group, but chose to raise another topic (to me very vague). I felt > some regret, decided to let it go, but when another topic related topic > came up, I did make a reference. That went nowhere, so probably I should > have stayed out in the first place. Later when I listened in to some of the > conversations, I got the feeling that some participants were more involved > than others, so I started wondering ‘why don’t they use their 2 feet?’ and > ‘should I remind them about that possibility?’ I did not. Any other > experiences on that? I had the idea that participants still feel it as not > done / not polite to leave a session… Guess I am still trying to find the > balance letting the group do it themselves and trying to influence / taking > care of the participants **** > > · We closed with a nice ‘talking stick’ closing circle with warm > reactions. **** > > **** > > So probably I did not do it all by the book, but still I look back to a > great event and am looking forward to try again ;-)**** > > **** > > Again: thank you all for sharing your thoughts on signing up earlier.**** > > **** > > Best regards, Rob **** > > **** > > *Van:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *Namens *Rob van der Eyden > *Verzonden**:* dinsdag 8 november 2011 21:30 > *Aan:* 'World wide Open Space Technology email list' > *Onderwerp:* Re: [OSList] Signing up for sessions**** > > **** > > Wow! How good to see how ‘alive’ this open space community is. Thank you > all for all your valuable thoughts on signing up. I will try to find my way > based on your suggestions and I will share my experiences with you > afterwards.**** > > **** > > Best regards, Rob**** > > De Veranderarchitect B.V.**** > > Rob A.I. van der Eyden > *"Change is disturbing when it is done to us, exhilerating when it is > done by us" (K. Moss Kanter)* > Parkietstraat 30, 1171 HV Badhoevedorp > *M*: +31 (0)6 512 72 127 > [email protected] > www.veranderarchitect.nl**** > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org**** > > > > > -- > Suzanne Daigle > NuFocus Strategic Group > 7159 Victoria Circle > University Park, FL 34201 > FL 941-359-8877; > CT 203-722-2009 > www.nufocusgroup.com > [email protected] > twitter @suzannedaigle**** > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > -- Suzanne Daigle NuFocus Strategic Group 7159 Victoria Circle University Park, FL 34201 FL 941-359-8877; CT 203-722-2009 www.nufocusgroup.com [email protected] twitter @suzannedaigle
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