Hello to the world of Open Space I registered on the Open Space Listserver just over a week ago and have been astonished (pleasantly so) at the amount of traffic every day! So much so that I was a little overwhelmed at how I could "fit in" the reading of this email into my days... so I filed all of the messages into a folder I keep to read on weekends.
It's Sunday afternoon here in Brisbane, Australia and I've just spent the last 2 hours ensconced in everyone's messages over the past 10 days... and I know I've opened another door on my journey... albeit under the auspices of "Open Space Technology". So, I would like to honour each of you as I tell you that I will be a "watcher" for a while until I can positively contribute to the great dialogue on OST. A little background... I "managed" my first Open Space conference in November last year with Rod Douglas as the OS Facilitator (I was merely the Conference Organiser). Rod and I have worked together for the past 2 years, but this was the first OS conference I had asked him to facilitate. Previously unbeknown to me, Rod has been been teaching me a lot of the OS concepts since I first met him, and I had always been wondering how I could apply what I have been learning (living with spirit) into business... then bingo, he started to tell me about OS. I look back on my November conference with a certain amount of amusement... generally due to my total ignorance of the gifts OS had to offer my client and his delegates (140 scientists and agriculturalist-based professionals + government officers), but it wasn't too long afterwards that I realised that this was the only way to "do conferences". So, having become a self-proclaimed "Open Space Junkie", I am now committed to learn more and as quickly as possible, so that I may share this gift with my current and future clients. Thank you for allowing me to passively participate in your group... as I learn more and feel I can contribute, you will be hearing from me. Oh, before I go, my biggest learning from Open Space? I am able to give up control!! I was a control freak and embracing OS was a great opportunity to give that up all in one hit!! Kind regards Julianne Bell Exceptional Events Ph: (07) 3891 0742 Fax: (07) 3891 6244 Mobile: 0419 645 514 Exceptional events... dynamic spaces in which people connect and communicate openly.