I like your idea of broadening the inviters. My experience is that people are very excited after a well facilitated pre-meeting - so they are eager to spread the word… Another idea is to start with an evening of storytelling - to invite all the juicy things to come out in a structured and respectful way - using a talking stick. Then to go on into Open Space… Wishing you all the best of luck! Thomas Herrmann
30 maj 2013 kl. 16:56 skrev Eleder_BuM <[email protected]>: > > > > 2013/5/29 Harrison Owen <[email protected]> > Eleder – A painful pickle for sure! This may be one of those cases where that > old favorite medicine of experienced physicians is the only cure: “Tincture > of Time.” But I think there may be some alternatives, as well as a few > thoughts about why your efforts to date have been less than productive. > > > > Taking these in reverse order – Why didn’t things work out as you hoped? Or > more immediately, why didn’t the people come? The obvious and simple answer > is that they didn’t care to. We have learned, I think, that good things > happen when people share a common concern. There may be a large diversity of > opinions relative to that concern, but they never-the-less care (hopefully > with some passion) about a shared concern. That “shared concern” is the > natural focal point for any Open Space and represents the core of the theme. > > > Hi Harrison, if I pay attention to the person of the (more or less organised) > group that didn´t come and spoke with me long, the issue (the way to make > decissions in the town,...) was really interesting for them. It is, in fact, > the origin of the big trouble. > > But there is now strong pain, and they would no way like to gather in such a > space. During last years meetings have been hotter and hotter. Disrespect, > loud voices, even curses appeared, seemingly. > > Of course, there must be other subjects that are now more important and may > attract a more diverse representation of the town. This would, sure, help the > cure. > > So your sage words inspire me some kind of strategy... > Take time to listen deeply to several people of the town, the more diverse > the group, the better. > Find out which their really hot subjects are, the ones that everybody would > like to spend a day speaking and acting about. > Get many people involved in the invitation process. Invite them to "invite > personally this one that otherwise would sure not come,...". The closing > circle of the last Open Space session showed some people that are really > feeling upset for the ausents beeing not there,... > Open space on those "real business issues", for the issue and specially for > the cure and the reinforcement of trust,... > Michael, you say,... > "if they in fact meet and follow the simple design I have described on this > list." > > could you tell us more about this design? > > Thanks so much for your attention, > > Eleder > > > > I think this may be the nub of your problem, because if I read you right, the > theme of your Open Space was one thing that a majority of the people, > particularly those you really wanted to come, simply had no interest in > discussing. (“Open Space on the ways to include everybody´s opinions in the > decisions of the small town.”). You are doubtless correct in thinking that > this issue is worthy of discussion – but that makes it YOUR issue, and not > necessarily theirs. And if it ain’t “theirs” they won’t care – and absent > caring, they won’t come. Which turned out to be the case. > > > > What about alternatives? If I heard you correctly, there is a large amount of > pain and distrust amongst the people – which may be justified or not – but it > is there and destructive. Some people may call it a “communication problem” > which is rather a mild way of talking about a very difficult situation – > which definitely requires a “fix.” But one of the things I have learned > (painfully) over the years is that “fixing a communication problem” is rarely > if ever (“never.” in my experience) accomplished by talking about it. The > discussions tend to be puerile and abstract except for people interested in > communications (“process” people like us). Most people, I find don’t want to > “talk” about “communications”… but they do want and need to communicate. So > it is more about “doing” and not so much about process and techniques. I know > this statement will not sit well with those invested in all those tools – but > it is my constant experience that when people truly care about a common issue > and need to communicate to get something done – they do it with excellence. > That of course is the lesson of every significant Open Space I have ever > seen. Happens every time PROVIDED the focal issue is a matter of serious, > common concern – what I often call a “real business issue.” > > > > I think there may be some strategy here for your situation. First off – Give > up trying to invite people to talk about communication. A friend of mine used > to say that such efforts were pretty much like trying to teach a pig to sing: > It sounds terrible and annoys the pig! Instead – look for an issue, or > multiple issues, where there is genuine, existential, practical, common > concern. Potholes in the roads, sewage treatment, education for the kids, > help with the old folks, -- and then invite those who care to come. And they > will. Chances are good that they will make some positive steps on the issues > of their concern – but more important for your concern THEY WILL COMMUNICATE. > They will build mutual trust and respect if they care to do that. > > > > It is also possible, of course, that the people involved really are > miserable, hateful creatures, unworthy of any trust or respect. I think that > is quite unlikely, but it could be true. And if so, the only sane approach is > to leave town and go and do something useful (Law of two Feet). But I > seriously doubt you are there yet – Much more likely the people involved are > fundamentally good hearts needing only an invitation to engage issues they > really care about. > > > > Harrison > > > > Harrison Owen > > 7808 River Falls Dr. > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > USA > > > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > > Camden, Maine 04843 > > > > 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 Eleder_BuM > Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 7:39 AM > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: [OSList] What to do when a conflicted and important part is missing? > > > > After the second Open Space (this one 4 hours one) in the small self-managed > village (some messages before on this list, under " How do we invite key and > high conflicted people?" subject), a main question remains inside me. > > What would you do if a conflicted and important part of the community is > missing and has no intention to join & the promotors seem unable to invite > properly? #InvitationProcess #Conflict #OpenSpace > > > Some weeks ago we had an Open Space on the ways to include everybody´s > opinions in the decissions of the small town. A big part of the villagers > said in advance that they would no way come. They feel very hurted about some > quarrels last years in the council commitees,... > > The "other side" (the own in power, the majority and the promotors of these > events) is also very hurted. > > The invitation process should be in this case, I think, very long, patient, > cautious, loving,... and they don´t seem to be able to do the job now. > > Does it make any sense to do another OS with this feeling of impotence? > > Should we try some conflict resolution before inviting for another OS? > > Or maybe such an invitation process (very long, patient, cautious, > loving,...) and a long 1´5 or 2´5 day OS would be the good "cure"? > > Should the facilitator lead the invitation process, in an additional mediator > role? > > I´m quite lost in the process, letting go, and present all the time, with > this duty on the back of my mind,... > > > Enjoy life! > > @Eleder_BuM > www.burumapak.blogspot.com (Basque) > www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com (Sp.) > www.flowandshow.blogspot.com (En) > http://www.bilbohiria.com/gaika/berbaz (radio interviews) > > > _______________________________________________ > 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
_______________________________________________ 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
