Thanks, Eleder - our mutual exploration always opens up ideas, doesn’t it?
I re-read my note about Closing Circle. Because we all speak different languages, I realize it might be useful to some of you whose first language is not English for me to define a word, and to further clarify one of those sentences. So to be clearer, I want to say I always scribe (as in have helpers or myself capture all of the participants’ exact words, in text, of what people are saying in) Closing Circle *and* it is sometimes *also* useful for a visual documenter to capture images, patterns and themes. I have corrected the text in my message below. Let the sharing continue… Lisa On Jun 19, 2014, at 1:06 AM, Eleder_BuM <[email protected]> wrote: > HI all! > > Lisa, I just propmted in to read your message. > Very welcome. Very good points, specially (for me) the one regarding the > Closing Circle. > Thanks! > > Enjoy life! > Eleder > > > > 2014-06-18 22:30 GMT+02:00 Lisa Heft - <[email protected]>: > Hello, Arno and others - > > I am one of those who analyzes and reflects about anything that someone > (including me) wants to add or adjust in participant-driven dialogue forms, > including Open Space. > > What of what-we-would-loveto-add might shift the participants’ own dynamics, > what looks like it adds but for which there may be an ‘offset’ to consider, > what does that then mean and so on. > An Open Space / World Cafe / etc. group is a living system, so I think how > that thing-they-or-I-wish-to-add may affect that system. Not that it is good > or bad, just that... Even if I or my client like something ourselves, for our > own way of working - I feel it is valuable to reflect on why's and what-ifs. > > So for example: Here is what I think about when I think about inviting a > visual documenter to an Open Space meeting. > > - In the Opening Circle / agenda co-creation section, participants are > *already* writing topics in their diverse handwriting, in diverse marker > colors, and naming in their diverse voices what are their topics, as they > post them on the wall (kinesthetic, graphic, relational, other modalities > included). So I am imagining that there is not the need for a visual > documenter at this point in the meeting. > > - Discussion sessions: A visual documenter cannot hear all the discussions, > so would be perhaps a roaming documenter / would document a sample. Is this > useful? Does this add? I still would have participants writing their own text > as in any process I am using for participant-driven work (Open Space > included) - I want documentation to be ‘owned’ by participants - both so it > is in their ‘voice’ and so they step up to that wonderful shared > co-responsibility. Not a reason to use or not use a visual documenter, just > something I would think about. And I always invite participants to document > in the way they see things - via text, mapping the conversation, sketching, > poetry - whatever they feel best documents their conversations. > > - I have seen people use documentation forms for participants (not in Open > Space but in other small group discussion work) that is a visual template for > taking notes. Would this be useful, helpful, collect more or deeper > documentation than a non-visual template - these are the things I would think > about. When I see for example flip-charts used I find that often the images > there make more sense to the people who were actually in the group. So even > if I had a visual template I was using for the participant groups I might > also encourage text. So the knowledge they are sharing would be more > universally accessible. > > - Am I thinking of using / adding an element just because *I* like it / find > it comfortable / think people *should* be enhanced by it? If so, it is > oh-so-often about me (and my wishes for them), rather than about them. > > - Documentation design: Is the visual report / photos, etc. accessible to all > participants? Do they all have access to graphics, or pdf files, or computer > time for viewing photos? Can they show those back to their funders / > supervisors if needed? Is the information easily in their hands post-event? > Does the overall documentation tell the story of the conversations? Do they > ‘own’ the creation of it, if possible - do they play a major part in creating > it / making sure it says what they meant and said? > > - Closing Circle: Here is one of the times when a visual documenter can hear > what is happening across the room - as participants reflect upon their > experience. I always have someone scribe (capture all of the participants’ > exact words, in text) these closing comments as I feel it is incredibly > useful to the participants and the client. So I always include that in the > documentation design. I say “I” but of course all these things are discussed > and reflected upon by myself and my client / client team. Closing Circle is a > time when to me it is sometimes also useful for a visual documenter to > capture images, patterns, themes - as some really great visual documenters > can. And that -plus- the text of the participants’ closing comments and > reflections may be a multiple-modaility way of showing participants’ thoughts > back to them. > > - Resources: A visual documenter deserves to be involved in pre-work meetings > (or at least see emails / receive ongoing notes) - instead of simply walking > in the room when the meeting starts. They, too are skilled consultants. They > see things through a different lens, can add thoughts, and most importantly, > their knowledge of the pre-work conversations informs their work at the > event. They too deserve payment, and ideally, at market rate. Does the > organization have funding to pay them what they deserve for these hours of > work, experience and expertise? Something to consider as well. > > All of these are things that come to my mind when this possibility or offer > comes into discussion with my clients for upcoming dialogue events - Open > Space or otherwise. > > Thanks for inviting the question… > > Lisa > > > On Jun 16, 2014, at 11:24 PM, Arno Baltin <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Dear Open Minds and Hearts! >> >> I had wonderful experience to open Space with friends, graphic facilitators. >> As the client was a bit in trouble to state the Question/Problem in one >> sentence (the invitation included about 5 sentences which called invitees >> to share they thoughts on how, where and why should we (Tallinn University) >> move on keeping in mind year 2020. The results should become the input for >> mid-range strategic plan. So as there was no consensus on this "one >> sentence" I asked my friend to draw the Question. >> You can see the results via the link >> >> (The Question is the last photo in the row.) >> >> I am curious if anybody has tried this route already and what are your >> experience with inviting graphic facilitator to OS. >> >> Be well! >> >> Arno >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > 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
