Birgitt, Awesome, thank you!
Kindly, Thomas > On 10 Feb 2020, at 17.40, Birgitt Williams via OSList > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Thomas, > My perspective about OST started because I was in a senior staff position, > accountable for the performance of my organization, when I introduced OST > into the organization and paid a lot of attention to what worked and what > didn't over time. My perspective is added to by my choice to work > predominantly in helping organizations transform. My use of OST is within > intact organizations and multiple OST meetings are always part of our > transformation process. The best I can offer on the list is my perspective > from my own experience. > > Most important is that every person who facilitates OST has an understanding > of the form of OST, and their own chosen concept of what the essence is. What > is this thing referred to as 'space', what is meant by 'open' and then 'open > space'. From a personal understanding comes a personal perspective of what it > is to open space and hold space, if those words suit the person. It is a > personal journey. I have come to understand that it is more about the > persona/leadership development of the facilitator over time than about > anything else. It is a way to learn to be the change you want to see in the > world. > > The decisions about what to do and not do come from this understanding and > the associated perspective that develops. I have a perspective that is > uniquely mine, although I have set teachings from my perspective out into the > word in our Working with Open Space Technology module of the Genuine Contact > program. In turn, every GC trainer shares via their own unique perspective. > > Thank you for noticing, > in genuine contact, > Birgitt > > > Birgitt Williams > Supporting You in Developing Your Leadership > Author,The Genuine Contact Way: Nourishing a Culture of Leadership > <http://www.genuinecontactway.com/> > Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc > <http://www.dalarinternational.com/> > Founder Genuine Contact Program > <http://www.dalarinternational.com/genuine-contact>. Co-owner Genuine Contact > Co-owners Group, I <https://genuinecontact.net/about/co-owners/>nc > > Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and working > in the new leadership paradigm "Leading So People Will Lead" > > Mentoring Circles & Mastermind Groups | December 13, 2019 | Online > Achieving Organizational Health & Balance | February 21 & 28, 2020 | Online > Strategic Planning the Genuine Contact Way | March 20, 27 & April 3, 2020 | > Online > Holistic Leadership Development | April 15-20, 2020 | Waterloo, Canada > Whole Person Process Facilitation | April 24, May 1 & 8, 2020 | Online > Genuine Contact Organization/Summer Academy 2020 | July 3-10, 2020 | > Waterloo, Canada > > >> Learn More & Register > >> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/upcoming-workshops/> for any of these > >> workshops here. > > > > PO Box 19373, Raleigh, NC, USA 27613 > Phone: 01-919-522-7750 > > > On Mon, Feb 10, 2020 at 5:22 AM Thomas Perret <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > Hi Birgitt and Michael, > > Reading your responses to the question about holding space, I see a possible > difference in approach to space invaders and would like to hear more. > > You, Birgitt, stressed that dealing with space invaders is the job of the > facilitator and you added - not the participants’. Which makes me think you > consider this important. Whereas you, Michael, wrote that you might wait a > moment and then sometimes the participants themselves deal with it. > > Will you tell me from your viewpoints what you consider beneficial with your > approach? > > Kind regards, > Thomas > > > ___ > > All is possible together > > On 10 Feb 2020, at 2.17, Birgitt Williams via OSList > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> > wrote: > >> The sponsor opens the space in their organization. >> The facilitator has the privilege of opening the space for people to get in >> touch with what they are passionate about. The facilitator is very >> controlling when doing so, not allowing any space invaders to sabotage the >> creation of the container. >> The facilitator does their work of making sure that space invaders don't >> derail the experience. This is not the job of the participants. It is the >> job of the facilitator. >> The facilitator does whatever they think is the holding of space, each to >> their own interpretation of what this is, and above all avoids becoming a >> space invader him/her self. >> >> in genuine contact, >> heart to heart space, >> Birgitt >> >> Birgitt Williams >> Supporting You in Developing Your Leadership >> Author,The Genuine Contact Way: Nourishing a Culture of Leadership >> <http://www.genuinecontactway.com/> >> Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc >> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/> >> Founder Genuine Contact Program >> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/genuine-contact>. Co-owner Genuine >> Contact Co-owners Group, I <https://genuinecontact.net/about/co-owners/>nc >> >> Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and >> working in the new leadership paradigm "Leading So People Will Lead" >> >> Mentoring Circles & Mastermind Groups | December 13, 2019 | Online >> Achieving Organizational Health & Balance | February 21 & 28, 2020 | Online >> Strategic Planning the Genuine Contact Way | March 20, 27 & April 3, 2020 | >> Online >> Holistic Leadership Development | April 15-20, 2020 | Waterloo, Canada >> Whole Person Process Facilitation | April 24, May 1 & 8, 2020 | Online >> Genuine Contact Organization/Summer Academy 2020 | July 3-10, 2020 | >> Waterloo, Canada >> >> >> Learn More & Register >> >> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/upcoming-workshops/> for any of these >> >> workshops here. >> >> >> >> PO Box 19373, Raleigh, NC, USA 27613 >> Phone: 01-919-522-7750 >> >> >> On Sun, Feb 9, 2020 at 6:40 PM Michael M Pannwitz via OSList >> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> >> wrote: >> Dear Jake and you others, (after finishing this piece I suggest you >> first get yourself a cup of coffee or other beverage you cherish, find a >> couch and take a little time to read this lengthy piece) >> >> I as facilitator will increasingly get into the mode of "total presence >> and absolute invisibility" by reflection. As I inch up, or millimeter >> up, in this regard the easier does it get to hold "time and space". >> >> Now, this is both more than rocket science as well as simple. However, >> and this is the tough part, not easy. >> After pushing myself in the early years of my practice I eventually >> realized that "total presence and absolute invisibility" requires >> life-long attention and learning. As does holding time and space. Both >> are part of this. And if you start with OST late in life, as I did at >> the age of 56 and three decades of OD and related stuff behind me, its >> mainly a lot of un-learning. >> >> Okay, here are some of the things I reflect on... best with others right >> during an ost event (I actually plan timeslots for this in the agenda >> the team has for itself): >> >> --- Being unattached to outcome and not getting involved in content is a >> prerequisite for having the high energy required for attaining the mode >> of "present and invisible." (I think it was HO who tells the story of >> being asked by someone during an OST event about apparently doing >> nothing... and him responding with "Doing nothing is what I get paid for."). >> --- One thing I can arrange for and reflect on before getting into a >> facilitator situtation, is not to facilitate an ost event in a situation >> that I have stakes in (like in my own organisation). >> One practice tested way is to help oneself and other facilitators in >> this regard is to arrange for a "rain check" system: I work as >> facilitator without pay in your organisation and you in turn work as >> facilitator without pay in mine. That allows us in each case to be fully >> participant in a setting we have stakes in. And for lots of learning. >> Which happens easily in sustainably reflecting my practice. >> --- One more thing I can arrange for once it is clear that I am >> facilitator in a specific event is to have an assistant who supports me >> in doing nothing and reminds me to stay out of the way. (This reminds me >> of a story about one of the Ceasars in Rome who hired someone to quietly >> tell him that he is not God when everyone adored, admired, fell on his >> knews before him.) The assistant, in turn, has a team to take care of >> all the nitty-gritty stuff around setting up the event and caring for >> the event without being space invadors. >> >> --- What is central to my role as facilitator in regard to >> "holding/expanding time and space for the unfolding of the force of >> selforganisation"? >> OST has this as its central characteristic. I know of no >> approach/method/process/etc. that has "holding/expanding time and space >> for the unfolding of the force of selforganisation" as its central >> characteristic. It is unique to OST. This I think is also one of the >> reasons why it always works, appears familiar to everyone once they get >> into it, is effective in all cultures, etc. >> As is often told, there is really only one effective way to reduce the >> unhampered unfolding of the force of selforganisation: Control. Mind >> you, the force of selforganisation does not appear completely (this, I >> think would stop everything, the universe would disapper). It can get >> very tiny, but its there... an organisation or a group or a neighborhood >> would not be unless the force is still active. The way, it often shows >> itself, is in the "informal" part of a system that is used by everyone >> to make things work. It can also rest in the "informal" leaders in a >> neighborhood that Saul Alinski, among other things, looked for in >> working with communities. >> --- So, all situations, tempting as they may be, in which I exert >> control are counterproductive for the central characteristic of OST. >> "Control" can be around little things that I intuitively do in >> situations where I feel I need to step in: Walk up to the Bulletin Board >> to pick up an issue-poster that got unstuck and put it back in it place. >> A bit more control might be my suggestion that no issue needs to be put >> up more than once. And even more control is active when I proclaim that >> a certain issue has nothing to do with the overall Theme of the event. >> --- Being fully present for me is also a prerequisite for dealing with >> space invadors. There are no recipies for this. One thing that helps me >> is to start counting before I address the space invasion. Most often a >> fellow participant will speak to this before I reach 6. For me, this has >> nothing to do with "trusting" the group. I prefer to say that I know >> groups will handle stuff like this all by themselves. If they are let. >> Sometimes in the early part of the ost event a participant will walk up >> to me and request that I come to a break-out session that has problems >> with the issue or the process. The first time I was approached, I >> actually went with the participant. It was interesting to see that the >> group had already found its way in the time that their scout went to >> find me and bring me to his session. >> Eventually I experienced that the folks at an ost event can and will not >> only deal with every issue they have but also selforganise everything >> they need. And, if pointed out to them that they selforganize structure, >> leading, managing, etc. they find this not especially interesting. I get >> this as a pointer that they are doing what is inherently natural to them. >> >> And here is also a short take on what I have found very useful around >> the transition from the divergent to the convergent phase of an os event. >> First, I am pretty sure that we can skip convergence in the traditional >> sense: Having some kind of tool (there are myriad) of weighing or voting >> on issues that came up in the divergent phase. >> Years ago, when I still used the 55 dot method I noticed that the items >> that got the most dots rarely entered the project phase. It dawned on >> me, that prioritization is a statistical method that probably does >> result in finding out what might be most important to the group but not >> what has, yes you already feel it, someone or several people with >> passion and responsibility grabbing it. >> So, me and others came up with what we already had and simply convened a >> second os in the last half day after the Reading Gallery the evening >> before. Now, this is usually called Action Space. In this space the >> focus is not on issues but on projects. Folks are invited to post >> projects and gather around projects to develope next steps for tackling >> them. It looks and feels and is another os event with the participants >> that already experienced os in the diverging phase and get into this >> second one in 2 minutes flat already familiar with the process. >> The amazing thing was, that aside from what one would expect to see as >> projects, other projects were posted that had not been visible. I feel >> this is the result of participants having reached a much wider picture >> of the whole situation after being in the divergent phase and studying >> all the report sheets including the augmentation of them and also being >> in a better position on what ressources they now see in the group that >> they have worked with in the first space. >> >> Considering that basically OST is an action orienting approach and that >> action only happens if there is passion joined by responsibility for >> something that is to be done the Action Space is a good way to have that >> happen for which the entire gathering was that up for: Dealing with a >> wicked issue that nobody had an answer to at the beginning of the open >> space. >> >> It is also a simple way of doing it. I mention this because I still feel >> that anyone with a clear head and a good heart can facilitated an ost >> event, especially if it is a straigtforward approach. >> >> Greetings from Berlin where I look forward to seeing you at the WOSonOS >> this fall >> > https://wosonos2020.berlin/ <https://wosonos2020.berlin/> >> >> >> mmp >> >> Have a great day, >> mmp >> >> >> >> Am 08.02.2020 um 19:44 schrieb Jake Yeager via OSList: >> > Many questions these days. Thank you for entertaining them. :) >> > >> > This past week, I facilitated an eight-hour Open Space split across two >> > half-days. The attendees were an Organizational Development team, of >> > which I am a member. My AVP sponsored the event, because we had recently >> > merged with another group, and there was lack of clarity. So, our theme >> > was: "Who are we, and how do we collaborate to drive success?" Also, my >> > AVP--who is a leader in Learning & Development--wanted to experience >> > Open Space in order to understand it better as it is new to my firm. >> > >> > Since I am a fledgling facilitator, I chose not to participate in the >> > breakout sessions, even though I am part of the group. I wanted to make >> > sure that I provided the best experience for everyone, and participating >> > would have dampened my focus. I shared this with my manager, after she >> > inquired after the first day why I had not participated. >> > >> > Long story short, after the event, my manager had major concerns how I >> > facilitated the event. I had gone for long walks while the group was >> > working, and she felt that was very risky. I told her that the >> > facilitator's role is to remain "invisible" to allow the group to build >> > its capacity for self-management. She said that our firm's culture is >> > very hierarchical and that "baby steps" are needed. She suggested even >> > intervening in a group if it gets "stuck." I believe I mentioned that >> > intervening is not part of Open Space facilitation. >> > >> > So my question is: how do you "hold space?" I found Chris's description >> > on his website: "an Open Space Technology facilitator is neither seen >> > nor heard, but his or her presence is 'felt.'" I guess by going for long >> > walks and not being in the room, my presence was not "felt." One of my >> > colleagues provided feedback that by not being there, it didn't seem >> > like I cared. This is definitely not the case. I went on long walks as >> > an act of love, not negligence. >> > >> > Anyway, would love your thoughts. >> > >> > Thanks, >> > Jake >> > ________________ >> > >> > When the mind is quiet, the sun of your heart will shine once again, and >> > you will be free of problems. >> > - Robert Adams <http://www.robert-adams.info/ >> > <http://www.robert-adams.info/>> >> > >> >> -- >> Michael M Pannwitz >> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany >> ++49 - 30-772 8000 >> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >> >> >> Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 490 resident Open >> Space Workers in 76 countries working in a total of 142 countries worldwide >> www.openspaceworldmap.org <http://www.openspaceworldmap.org/> >> >> At my publisher you find books and task cards on open space and other >> treasures, most in German, some in English, some as ebooks, some >> multilingual >> https://www.westkreuz-verlag.de/de/Kommunikation >> <https://www.westkreuz-verlag.de/de/Kommunikation> >> _______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> <mailto:[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> >> Past archives can be viewed here: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]>_______________________________________________ >> OSList mailing list >> To post send emails to [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]> >> To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] >> <mailto:[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> >> Past archives can be viewed here: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> <http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]>_______________________________________________ > 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 > Past archives can be viewed here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
_______________________________________________ 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 Past archives can be viewed here: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
