*so, whats so unfortunate about teaching?* :-) Dear Michael,* * Nothing, indeed...except that the demands are akin to a tsunami, and I will have a hard time persuading myself that it's a good time for an hour at the pub. c.
On Sat, Aug 10, 2013 at 4:24 PM, Michael M Pannwitz <[email protected]>wrote: > Dear Chris W., > so, whats so unfortunate about teaching? > cheers > mmp > > > On 10.08.2013 16:53, Chris Weaver wrote: > > >> Unfortunately I will begin teaching in about a week and my time will be >> under much greater demands than in summer. I'm also active in a most >> inspiring response to the current alarming political situation in my >> home state, including by using OST. I'll at least be dropping by to >> share how that goes. >> >> Cheers, >> Chris >> >> >> >> On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 8:01 AM, Artur Silva <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>**> wrote: >> >> Hi Chris:____ >> >> >> Nice to see you back to a list were you were once a frequent >> contributor, until you had your time and interests diverted to >> another movement and list, as you have now explained. ____ >> >> >> You were not, by the way, the only person that almost disappeared >> from this list. In fact, as I see it, it was like a schism, with >> some people that stayed beyond, for reasons that only they know, but >> anyone can speculate about.____ >> >> >> I was not in your virtual table of the pub and could not taste the >> pinot noir, but it happens that I was in a close table, drinking an >> Oporto wine, and could not avoid listening to your interesting >> story.____ >> >> I think that there are a lot of interesting stuff in your post, that >> probably could give occasion to have (or repeat) discussions about, >> in other threads (one probably - again - about the "givens" question >> - if one does not want to search the archives; another about the >> history of what you have called the ""falling out"that apparently >> was at the origin of the schism, that has an historical interest, >> and maybe others on and off topic).____ >> >> But, for the moment, and to stay on topic, I would like to remember >> that you wrote:____ >> >> «When I completed the Genuine Contact "Working with OST" workshop, I >> received a certificate, but not a certification. (The distinction >> is important because there was no intention on the workshop leader's >> part to evaluate my "competence" in any way.)»____ >> >> >> I could not understand the difference between "certificate" and >> "certification" (maybe I had already drunk too much Oporto wine or, >> more probably, the cause is my lack of English proficiency...). >> Could you be so kind to please elaborate a bit more about what is >> the difference between the two concepts?____ >> >> Thank you and best regards____ >> Artur ____ >> >> ------------------------------**------------------------------** >> ------------ >> *From:* Chris Weaver <[email protected] >> <mailto:chrisgweaver13@gmail.**com <[email protected]>>> >> >> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list >> <[email protected].**org <[email protected]> >> <mailto:oslist@lists.**openspacetech.org<[email protected]> >> >> >> *Sent:* Friday, August 9, 2013 5:45 AM >> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Certification? >> >> >> Greetings All, >> >> Ah, I can't resist jumping in to stir the pot. It is an honor to >> join a thread peopled by so many folks whom I respect (and >> appreciate and love) so much. I invite you to settle in for rather >> a long story, which may, at some point, have something to do with >> "certification." >> >> After learning of Open Space in Anne Stadler's kitchen, I walked >> around as a newbie at the OSonOS in Monterrey (the one fifteen years >> ago, from which Harrison was unexpectedly absent, due to a nasty >> flu, I believe), with my jaw hanging open to meet so many bold and >> brilliant facilitators (I remember especially Michael P, Alan >> Stewart, Brian Bainbridge, Roxy, and Birgitt Bolton) sharing stories >> that I sweetly strove to wrap my head at least half-way around. >> >> For a few years I engaged actively on the OSLIST as I began to >> facilitate some OST meetings (without even "finishing the book," as >> I recall) in the Seattle school where I worked as a teacher. In >> 1999 I landed here in North Carolina, where I attended my first OST >> workshop as part of the Genuine Contact Program with Birgitt >> (Bolton) Williams who had recently landed a few hours away. >> >> Now I will say that I have an assumption only that at around that >> time there was something of a "falling out" between Birgitt and her >> work and the work of some other OS facilitators. I do not know, nor >> need to know, the details. But I do know that there are some points >> of practice that have generated some heated passion in the community >> and that I think are worthy of putting on the storytelling table. >> (I know that there is not supposed to be a table, but I suddenly >> imagine myself with Jeff, Chris, Peggy, Harrison, Michael in a pub >> somewhere with a rough wooden table, on which I am happily uncorking >> a bottle of pinot noir.) >> >> When I completed the Genuine Contact "Working with OST" workshop, I >> received a certificate, but not a certification. (The distinction >> is important because there was no intention on the workshop leader's >> part to evaluate my "competence" in any way.) Based on my >> participation in the four-day experience, I could, if I chose, refer >> to myself as an authorized "Genuine Contact professional." The >> workshop included an exploration of the form & essence of OST, as >> gifted so effectively in Harrison's /User's Guide. /The workshop >> >> also shared some suggested approaches and tools for working in depth >> with the sponsor of an OST meeting (usually a leadership team within >> an organization), both prior to and after the OST event. My own >> understanding is that, by referring to myself as a GC professional >> if I chose, I would be sharing the simple message that I had had >> exposure to the approach of using OST that included these pre- and >> post-OST meeting practices and tools. The choice of whether and how >> to apply these practices and tools was up to me. >> >> So that is the part that relates to this thread topic of >> certification. As a practitioner, I honor the open-source nature of >> OST as Harrison's "discovery" and gift to the world. I refer people >> to the /User's Guide/ (and also the /Non-User's Guide /and other >> >> community resources) frequently. >> >> As an aside, I continued in the years that followed to participate >> in workshops on other methodologies that are shared through the >> Genuine Contact Program (most notably /Whole Person Process >> Facilitation/, which I use very often). I collaborated with my >> >> Genuine Contact colleagues around the world in developing the >> minimal appropriate structure for our international community. I >> participated in many mentoring circles, completed the Train the >> Trainer workshop, and became one of the 43 "co-owners" of the >> program. I also shifted my virtual community participation to the >> GC List, and dropped off of the OSLIST for a number of years. (I am >> enjoying being back.) >> >> So here, the plot thickens :-). One of the practices included in >> the GC "Working with OST" workshop is the use of...the "givens." >> So, lubricated with wine, I am going to place the notion of givens >> on the wooden storytelling table for our enjoyment. (This is worthy >> of its own thread, of course, but I'll just keep going here.) >> >> I have only infrequently worked as an external >> consultant/facilitator. Most of my work with OST has been within >> schools and community organizations. Over the years, I have come to >> value highly the practices I learned in the GCP of working with the >> sponsor prior to and after an OST (and I know that among other OST >> facilitators, pre- and post- meetings such as these are skillfully >> used and valued). >> >> In my experience, the purpose of careful preparation with the >> sponsoring team is to assist them in considering the state of their >> organization. What is the story-line that has brought them to >> considering an OST meeting? What's happening in terms of the grief >> cycle within their organization? What (deeply now) is the /purpose/ >> of the meeting? What (deeply now) is the /context? /Basically, I >> >> ask the questions, and the team has the conversations. All this I >> explicitly place in the reality that when you sponsor an OST, there >> is not, nor should there be, any turning back. >> >> I use the givens as an essential tool in this process. I draw a >> circle on a flip chart and say, If this circle represents the open >> space, what are the non-negotiables that form the parameters of the >> open space? >> >> In the past, there have been passionate objections to this practice >> on this list, based, I think, on the belief that to establish givens >> is to close the space before it is even opened. My long-haul >> experience within organizations has taught me something different. >> >> What happens when I ask what the non-negotiables are is that a bunch >> of stuff goes up on the flip chart. Then, I probe each one, and >> ask, "Is this REALLY a given at this time for this meeting?" The >> fifteen givens get whittled down to twelve, and then eight, and then >> maybe five (ish). As you can imagine, the level of trust that >> organizational leaders have in the people plays in heavily. I let >> it be. I cannot make them trust more; I can only model trust, and >> hold space for trust. >> >> But I also find that the few givens that remain are, every time, >> very important and meaningful. Some examples: Perhaps the >> organizational purpose is a given, and perhaps there is value in >> re-sharing the organizational purpose at the start of the OST. >> Perhaps there has been a year of good work by a sub-group within >> the organization that has culminated in a policy that not everyone >> attending the OST is aware of, and that policy is a given. Perhaps >> a "law of the land" that administrators, but not all participants, >> know about is a given. Perhaps it is a given that the organization >> will stay within a certain budget, and any ideas generated beyond >> the budget will have to include the funding source to support them. >> >> Yes, the givens are shared with the group at the start of the OST. >> In my experience, this does not close the space, but rather it >> opens the space clearly and honestly. More importantly, it is a >> tool for building trust. When participants hear their formal >> organizational leaders share, clearly and transparently, what the >> givens are, they are more trusting that their own ideas will be >> honored after the meeting and not squelched. >> >> And this is what happens. Using givens is a way to profoundly >> mitigate the phenomenon, with which any seasoned OST facilitator is >> familiar, of leadership freaking out and clamping down on the >> results of an OST. The practice does not (thankfully) prevent the >> productive chaos and re-framing that happens after the meeting, but >> it greatly reduces the phenomenon of /reactionary fear/ on the part >> >> of formal leadership. The result is that leadership is more >> inclined to sponsor another OST soon, and indeed to invite other >> groups withing the organization to utilize OST themselves. >> >> Perhaps because I have worked inside organizations for many years, I >> have a deep respect for the challenges that formal leaders face. >> Perhaps an organization is possible without any formal leaders, >> but I have not yet encountered this. In the school where I work, >> there is a fragile and indeed even tender respect for our formal >> leaders whose responsibility it is to hold the space for the >> organization in the community. When leadership is in its integrity, >> followership is a natural and beautiful thing. >> >> Okay, I will pour the last of the bottle into all the glasses. >> Sadly, I won't hear your fine words until tomorrow, but so it is, >> according to the odd and illusory parameters of space & time. >> >> Take Care, with Love, >> Chris >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 8:21 PM, Donna Read >> <donna.read@managing4wellness.**org<[email protected]> >> >> <mailto:donna.read@**managing4wellness.org<[email protected]>>> >> wrote: >> >> Amen to that, Harrison! Blessings, Donna >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On Aug 8, 2013, at 17:36, "Harrison Owen" <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> Jeff – as a sometime perpetrator and totally confused >>> (certifiable) I can attest that if at any point I were to >>> intimate that I actually knew what I was doing, that would be >>> a significant error. However I feel quite comfortable in my >>> not-knowing if only because the “process” (OST) is not >>> something I “do.” Under the best of circumstances my >>> contribution is to invite folks to do what they already know >>> how to do – to be what they already are. It always works, and >>> it works even better when I get out of the way. ____ >>> >>> __ __ >>> Harrison____ >>> __ __ >>> >> >> >> >> ______________________________**_________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to [email protected] >> <mailto:OSList@lists.**openspacetech.org<[email protected]> >> > >> >> To unsubscribe send an email to OSList-leave@lists.** >> openspacetech.org <[email protected]> >> >> <mailto:OSList-leave@lists.**openspacetech.org<[email protected]> >> > >> >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.**org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-** >> openspacetech.org<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 >> OSList-leave@lists.**openspacetech.org<[email protected]> >> To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: >> http://lists.openspacetech.**org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-**openspacetech.org<http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org> >> >> > -- > Michael M Pannwitz > Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany > ++49 - 30-772 8000 > > > > Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 412 resident Open > Space Workers in 72 countries working in a total of 143 countries > worldwide: www.openspaceworldmap.org > ______________________________**_________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to > OSList-leave@lists.**openspacetech.org<[email protected]> > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.**org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-**openspacetech.org<http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org> >
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