oh dear Harrison, I take no offense. I consulted you and others at the time. You told me the same thing then though not as directly. Yes I'll agree that when they sent their SOS last minute, I jumped in too soon without realizing the limitations of what was. If it happened again, I probably would not offer or at the very least, I'd now speak more confidently to the leaders and organizers to invite a real opening of space. That said, there were still moments of magic as the space awkwardly opened.
Old Curmudgeon that you are not...! Suzanne On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 5:43 PM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > Suzanne (and anybody else who cares) – what you did was outstanding, in > addition to probably being the only thing you could pull off. That said, I > just wince (shudder?) when I read stories like yours – certainly NOT > because of what you did or did not do – but because of the shear waste of > human energy and talent that was subverted so that the conference > organizers could maintain their illusion of proper order and control. Talk > about shooting themselves in the foot, and then – worse yet – some folks > will go out and complain about lack of creativity and innovation. Or some > such thing. Truly they get what they deserve – which is a pretty low order > of human performance. We really can and should do better. And the worst of > it all is we know how to do all that and it is really quite easy. Oh Well. > **** > > ** ** > > The old Curmudgeon,**** > > ** ** > > 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, May 25, 2012 2:34 PM > *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Half the conference participants doing open space? > **** > > ** ** > > Dear Sandy, > > I faced a similar situation two or three years ago in Boston. No circle > of chairs, no big open space in the middle and for a while, I thought no > wall space for the marketplace wall. People were sitting around tables with > a stage in the front -- long rectangle type room with ornate chandeliers, > precious wallpaper, and a balcony up above. A national conference; 325-350 > people. It was a last minute request for facilitation. I nearly jumped ship > and had many sleepless nights. > > The Theme: The Future of Arts, Media and Culture- Shifting, Evolving and > Emerging. > > The Open Space was integrated into a 3-day conference. Speakers kicked > off the meeting from 9 to 10:30 and then I opened the Space from 11:00 til > 12:00 (with the first session blending into lunch until 2). The rest of the > conference featured traditional concurrent speakers and workshops. People > had the opportunity to substitute and attend Open Space sessions instead. > > In the end, it worked and the feedback was quite positive because the > participants made it work. As I opened the space, I invited people to > create an "imaginary circle" in their mind as if we were sitting around a > giant camp fire. I invited them to look around the room and let their eyes > gaze on all the people who were there who shared a passion for the theme. > We had created little post cards with the theme and placed them on the > tables so they would be prominent. I invited people to choose among the > assigned times but also consider others times and other places to gather. > > Well it ended up that people found each other and found spaces to meet > from the get-go whether over breakfast, late afternoon and even at night > around the bar. They wrote the place and time where they would be on > individual post-it notes on the topics. Sometimes they even put signs in > the corridor of the hotel with arrows indicating they'd be at a nearby > restaurant. > > Sandy I know the circumstances are not the same but I share it with you > remembering what was going through my mind then. I was totally scared. I > also feared I was betraying the integrity of Open Space and that people > would leave having a very bad impression of the Open Space process. Somehow > it worked because of the invitation for people themselves to figure it > out. From what I know, the organization is continuing to open virtual > space as a result of that event. > > I know an auditorium with theater seats is not at all the same; I still > offer it in case it sparks possibilities for you in your situation. > > Suzanne > > > **** > > On Fri, May 25, 2012 at 12:08 PM, Peggy Holman <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > Hi Sandy,**** > > ** ** > > What a challenge! I have heard stories of spaces opened successfully in > auditoriums. I believe Lisa Heft has a story about it somewhere in the > archives. If you take that approach, those I know who have done it say > the work is to set a metaphorical circle. In other words, invite people to > imagine themselves sitting in a circle, what that means, how that feels. > That creates the openness in which people will come forward.**** > > ** ** > > I've had two experiences as a participant in non-circle settings. In one, > no attention was paid to the quality of the space before inviting people to > post sessions. No one did. So the organizers named sessions iaead. In > other words, the space wasn't very open. **** > > ** ** > > In the other case, the session began with a meditation that invited people > to get clear on what mattered to them. When the invitation to post a > session happened, they were primed. It worked beautifully.**** > > ** ** > > So it can be done.**** > > ** ** > > If you go the route of having people sign up, I encourage you to do it > loosely. If someone changes their mind and shows up for the Open Space > instead, welcome them. People will figure out how to make room.**** > > ** ** > > To Bhav's comment about running an OS in parallel with pre-set sessions, > it has been done many times. Check the list archive for stories. I've seen > it done where the pre-set sessions were announced and posted side by side > the spontaneous sessions. I've run an OS in a room off the main conference > space in parallel to a traditional conference. Both can work, though the > containers are a bit "leaky". **** > > ** ** > > I think the main question is what do you want to accomplish? Given your > purpose, what form best serves the need?**** > > ** ** > > appreciatively,**** > > Peggy**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > _________________________________**** > > Peggy Holman**** > > [email protected]**** > > ** ** > > 15347 SE 49th Place**** > > Bellevue, WA 98006**** > > 425-746-6274**** > > www.peggyholman.com**** > > www.journalismthatmatters.org**** > > ** ** > > *Enjoy the award winning *Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into > Opportunity <http://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/>**** > > > "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get > burnt, is to become > the fire". > -- Drew Dellinger**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > On May 25, 2012, at 6:47 AM, Barbara B. Bunker wrote:**** > > > > **** > > Sandy... I understand the logistics dilemma but however you decide, I > missed what > the compelling theme for this OST will be that will attract people to it. > B3 > > > Barbara B. Bunker Ph.D. > Professor of Psychology Emerita > The University at Buffalo > 117 Highland Avenue > Buffalo, NY 14222 > 716-881-2166 > > On Fri 05/25/12 9:29 AM , "Harrison Owen" [email protected] sent: > > **** > > Gee Sandy - You do have yourself in a tight spot. I'd go for the**** > > garden, if there is one. Then - Does the Auditorium have a stage? If**** > > so, half the group might be on the stage, and the remainder in the 1st**** > > rows facing… It is not that the folks will have to be there very**** > > long. I did something like this once, and it was rather amusing. Lots**** > > of hopping up and down sort of thing. But as usual it worked out. **** > > 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*** > * > > [1]**** > > FROM: [email protected]**** > > [mailto:[email protected]] ON BEHALF OF Sandy Gee**** > > SENT: Friday, May 25, 2012 4:49 AM**** > > TO: [email protected]**** > > SUBJECT: [OSList] Half the conference participants doing open space? **** > > Dear colleagues,**** > > ** ** > > ME & REQUEST FOR HELP:**** > > ** ** > > I've informally been around OST for over a decade and facilitated a**** > > number of events. But this latest I've been asked to do is a challenge**** > > I'd appreciate your thoughts/comments on....**** > > THE CHALLENGE: **** > > ** ** > > Its a one day psychotherapy conference with expected attendance of**** > > 100+ participants. But unfortunately the venue has already been booked**** > > and paid for and the only large enough space for all is an auditorium**** > > with fixed rows. The next largest room is a space that could hold a**** > > circle of a little over 50 (and no room for 2nd concentric circle).**** > > They already want most of the morning to be conventional presentations**** > > so the OST slot was to be for the afternoon (maybe with the**** > > marketplace the last slot before lunch). **** > > ** ** > > I'm thinking that a fixed row auditorium just won't work for OST.**** > > MY IDEA:**** > > ** ** > > So I'm wondering about having just _half the conference_ do OST! (and**** > > the other half sign up in advance to pre-offered workshops) - I've no**** > > idea if this could work or if it would be too divisive. This group**** > > have always had a very conventional set up before, they're a fairly**** > > straight/conventional crowd and the organisers are anyway worried**** > > about introducing OST and how it'll go down. **** > > ** ** > > But maybe the more stuffy conventional ones could do the**** > > pre-scheduled (and big name) workshops (and sign up in advance). And**** > > we've got a 50 max space for OST participants.**** > > COMMENTS?**** > > ** ** > > Has anyone ever tried something like this? **** > > ** ** > > What are your thoughts? **** > > ** ** > > Do you think it could work?**** > > I'd SO appreciate any input!**** > > ** ** > > Thanks**** > > ** ** > > Sandy**** > > ** ** > > Links:**** > > ------**** > > [1]**** > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > > _______________________________________________ > 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**** > > ** ** > > > _______________________________________________ > 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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