Hi, Hege - I agree with Eiwor -and- for any kind of facilitation process or services, it is really important to talk to clients very specifically about their own situations, and I will add the emphasis that what you may do best to explore is the *what* (they need) and *why* (they need something / why a situation is / why engaging a group in dialogue may be useful) and not the *how*. Not the method or process, at that initial stage of conversation.
In my observation it does not really work to sell someone on a vision and experience you have inside you, but instead, to really listen for those times when a prospective client has an opportunity, task or issue that you feel may be helped by convening people in dialogue. And then asking them more and more about their story of what they see and wish to achieve. Their objectives and desired outcomes. Before ever talking about the *how*, the process. Because in all this interaction, you are also gathering information on whether the process(es) you know are the best-fit for their situation. The 'deliverables' (realistically achievable outcomes) of different processes, including engaging groups in dialogue over different amounts of time (such as 2 hours versus 2 days) are different - so you listen for that information as well. I have found that facilitation is not something one sells. Listening invites the story of what an organization or community wishes to achieve. It is about them and their energy and their needs and less focused on the facilitator's own good wishes for that organization or community to achieve or experience something. I actually did an analysis (because I am so like that) of my last 8 years of clients, a few years ago. How did I get my last 8 years of client work. And it was not from a brochure or a powerpoint or a CV (resume), or from telling them that someone like them had success in something, or from talking about this cool process. It was because they saw me facilitate, or their trusted colleague did, or because we had a conversation about an opportunity or situation they were interested in / excited / concerned about, and I listened, and I asked them to tell me more. And then as the story unfolds, sometimes you think 'oh that is something I can offer' and sometimes you think 'oh that is not my area of interest or expertise' and you can refer it to a lovely colleague. Even if the work is not something that will be for me, I feel that in this conversation I am supporting the client, the colleague, the field. Just some thoughts to add to the mix... Those leaders you are talking with are lucky to have you as part of their skilled community, Hege... Lisa On Dec 4, 2013, at 3:02 AM, Eiwor Backelund <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Hege, in Sweden OST has become quite well known lately and I have often > worked with it in governmental and municipality organizations, political > parties etc. I think the most important thing to tell your assumed clients, > is not what it is but what results they can get from it. > > Let me know more about what you are after and I will see what examples I > might have. > Eiwor > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hege Steinsland" > <[email protected]> > To: "World wide Open Space Technology email list" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2013 11:48 AM > Subject: [OSList] How to present OST? > > > Hello out there. > I´M in an " sales - period" trying to get meetings with leaders telling them > about Open Space. > I don't find it easy. > > Should I make a power point presentation showing examples? > Should I just tell about my experience so far, and the effect. > > Open space is not at all well known in my part of Norway, and I find it > challenging to tell about it in a tempting way, that do OST right. > > Any experiences? > Any examples of themes you have done Open space on i Municipalities? > > Love the opportunity to ask for the wisdom out there where you are :- > > Thanks from > > Hege > _______________________________________________ > 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 >
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