Hi, Justin --
You wrote a few things about appreciating environments and processes that support (or constrict) your sharing thoughts in a group, and you had some questions about how Open Space (and facilitators in Open Space) work in different situations. You mentioned that at the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation (NCDD) conference workshops you felt that constriction -- though not in the Open Space part of the conference. So I observe that in the Open Space, the process itself plus Matthew Blom's holding space helped give you a space to share and voice your thoughts. You wrote: Do you all find that to be the case, that the simple fact of convening spontaneously in Open Space makes a more active facilitator less necessary? Do you still see circumstances where you'd prefer or recommend a small-group meeting with a more active facilitator over a larger-group Open Space event? I venture to say that the Open Space facilitator is very active - just not in ways similar to many other facilitation processes. The Open Space facilitator is totally present and holding space. And when/if conflict arises, the OS facilitator is sort of a 'conscious non-interventionist', giving breath and belief and trust to the people and the process. Because when the participants host, invite and convene their groups, they all become co-facilitators, as it were, of their own and the group's experience. You also wrote: What happens in the presence of dominance relationships, such as a boss in a work setting? You mentioned the CEO's 'design sessions' where when folks got engaged in real issues and opportunities for improving the work of the company she got furious. You continued: .What I'm wondering is, if we were to hold an Open Space in such a situation, would the facilitator perform any kind of intervention with such a person? Well, Open Space is a tool, and you want to use the right tool for the right job. So we'd have to see what is the intention -- redesigning what works for the company? Giving this CEO a place to share her ideas? We'd have to analyze the need, first, then see if the time we have to spend on the meeting, the hoped-for outcomes, and such could be delivered with Open Space as the tool. Otherwise, we could select a different tool. So that's about the task and the tool. And part of the pre-work with clients (take, for example, this CEO) is frank talk about what this tool can and cannot deliver, and about what can happen in Open Space. If the client/host is not comfortable with what might happen, this may also be the wrong tool for this particular situation. Just because OS is delicious does not mean that it is right for all situations and all needs. Now what about the power dynamics? You recalled a story I told (I held a session in Open Space at the NCDD Conference entitled "Stories from Open Space" where a group of us shared stories of OS. I was sharing a story of an OS I did - and in the pre-work and planning stage I had had a frank talk with one of the clients about what might happen if there would be conflict. I told these clients (as I tell all clients) that if conflict happens, please do not intervene, but come to me. And when you come to me, I may not intervene, either. Because if we tell participants that they are responsible for their own experience, that they can engage or walk away to take good care of themselves - and then we pull that respect away by intervening (by being their 'mom or dad' and thinking we have to solve it for them'), we will not only lose their respect but we may be removing the only opportunity they may have for experiencing that conflict - without violence - indeed, passion -- can happen.and they can make it through to the other side. To take this away from them is disrespecting them and not trusting the people, or the process. When a situation of conflict arose in that OS meeting this particular client ran to me and said "Save Joe! Save Joe! They are all ganging up on Joe!". And I said, "You know, I would like to save Joe, too - but Joe has the same guidelines as everyone else in this meeting - he knows he can use the Law of Two Feet if he needs to - so there must be a reason he is staying in that heated conversation. I just have to trust Joe." And she said (beat, beat, beat) - "OK!" And she ran out of the room. Because she knew if she stayed there she would intervene. And she really 'got it' that we had to give this trust and respect to Joe. I was very proud of her. And Joe did just fine. Are there circumstances where you would refrain from facilitating an Open Space at all? would you have some one-on-one sessions with the boss ahead of time to help her understand what's going to happen? This is what we (the client and I) discuss in the pre-work and planning stage. In very frank terms. And if I have any sense that the client cannot be comfortable or might feel they might want to control the people, or the outcome, I recommend that OS is NOT the method and we can use another approach. And what about when you do all your pre-work, think you've gotten an agreement and understanding with the client, chosen together the right tool for the right job.and still someone with power comes in to try to control things or shut them down? Sometimes we see this as a 'Space Invader' - but sometimes we see this as a gift to the group. As my own message here has grown quite lengthy, I invite you to poke around on the OSLIST archives (call up key words such as "Space Invader", for example); and others may wish to share their stories of both when they have intervened (very, very rarely, I suspect, especially if they experienced their intervention making the whole OS go flat) and conversely, when they have trusted the people and the process - even the person they felt initially was a 'Space Invader'.who may have been a gift in disguise. Thanks for all your good questions, Justin - keep 'em coming. Lisa ___________________________ L i s a H e f t Consultant, Facilitator, Educator O p e n i n g S p a c e lisah...@openingspace.net www.openingspace.net * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist