At 02:23 AM 5/8/01 -0400, you wrote:
After much discussion my partner (Bruce Craig) and I have decided to offer a one day "Intro to OST" training. We are both enamoured by this thing called Open Space and want to increase it's presence in our own lives and in the world.
I think this is a wonderful idea, and would encourage you to do it and let us all learn from your experience. And if others choose to follow, so much the better. I have no question that in a single day, folks will get the idea and be reasonably comfortable with the mechanics. After all OS is not Rocket Science, and since they have copies of The User's Guide, what they don't get in the program, they can pick up later. After all most people (probably) never come to a training program -- just read the book and do it! I do have one concern, however. The "hardest part" of effectively facilitating an Open Space is NOT the mechanics (words, motions, logistics) it is all about letting go. Over the years, I have found that in the longer programs, the central issue that is worked, and reworked is just that -- Letting Go. And indeed, Letting Go is an on-going lesson for all of us. My suggestion is that -- at the very least -- you verbally alert folks to this most critical element, and further suggest that learning to Let Go of outcome is a life long undertaking. There is no magic bullet here (that I know of) -- but continuing support can be very helpful. Especially on the First Time Out. Switching gears from a mindset that most of us have which says that our job is to "do it, fix it, and make it work" into one which seeks to be "totally present and absolutely invisible" can be (usually is) very nervous making. So keeping in contact with the group can be very important. And at the very least, encourage your folks to join this LISTSERVE so all the rest of us can help out. Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 USA phone 301-469-9269 fax 301-983-9314 Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.mindspring.com/~owenhh 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