Hi, I have never done a one-day training, but I have done a two-day event, with the middle half (noon on day one until noon on day two) done in open space. That went very well, I thought, especially after one "student" said to me, in effect, "This is all well and good, but what IS open space??" My answer was, "It's nothing. Just time and space you use how you want to, in keeping with the theme you've agreed to come and be part of."
When people ask me what they need to try it, my standard reply is: a) experience an open space meeting as a participant, and b) read Harrison's book. In one emergency, I coached a facilitator through it (on the phone!) when she had already made all the arrangements, invited the people, promised to do an os meeting, etc, and had never seen it done. There was nothing to do but help her. She reported it went swimmingly. Another time I had to get a substitute for myself at very nearly the last moment and no experienced folks were available. I "trained" one of my consulting partners in about 30 minutes, and she did splendidly, but I have to say she is a strong and unusual woman with very rare presence, a natural for open space. Harrison, you're so right about the lesson of letting go. My first few times I sweated over getting the words and rituals right. I had already watched you many times, so I had an excellent model to follow on space "holding" and coffee cup collecting. I knew how to "look" the part even if I didn't have it on the inside. I spent the time of open space the first few gigs watching myself looking like I knew what I was doing! Self-managed self-teaching, I suppose. I don't necessarily recommend it. For anyone out there attempting a one-day training program, I still think folks benefit greatly from having been in open space once before facilitating it. But perhaps I'm wrong; maybe our collective consciousness has evolved... -- Ralph Copleman www.earthdreams.net 609-895-1629 * * ========================================================== 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