Thomas-- Sometimes an event which seemed like a good idea in the planning stage goes "Klunk," the sound of something falling heavily. I've had an event or two which came out much worse than yours.
One element can be the logistical things you mention--tiredness at the end of a work day, food which is not too appealing. One Open Space I facilitated, also at the end of the work day, had the food right at the door where you came in, and they had an attractive and interesting assortment of foods, good colors and tastes. So it was easy for people to satisfy their hunger and make a break from their busy day, and a chance to talk informally with others. Another thing that can happen, as you referred to, is that the organization has quite a few problems or dissatisfactions, and they are not willing to admit to having problems, or speak them out loud. This is one area where OST might be a better start than storytelling, because people are in smaller groups and maybe more willing to speak their truth. But experiences like this are what tune me up to listen more carefully to my intuition next time. And when I arrived home from the worst consulting experience I ever had (I was fired!), there was a phone message for me that led me into one of the best projects I was ever a part of. I think that is called Accelerated Learning. You did very good work by staying calm, letting the evening end on time, and keeping yourself in a good state to convene the Open Space the next day--the sign of a professional. No need to take up donkey-tending. Good luck! Joelle Everett * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html =========================================================== osl...@egroups.com To subscribe, 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign up -- provide an email address, and choose a login ID and password 3. Click on "Subscribe" and follow the instructions To unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@egroups.com: 1. Visit: http://www.egroups.com/group/oslist 2. Sign in and Proceed