G'day folks I have a need.....to share this beautiful experience with you
My client - a Govt dept with whom I have been working for two years - invited me to facilitate a two-day OS gathering for all its workers - about 100 good folks working with people with disabilities in the community. All the orthodox ingredients for a successful OS were present - great venue - large, spacious function centre overlooking the beautiful Swan River in Perth, Western Australia, 100 eager souls, the director and management team behind the process, brilliant weather, great food and a plethora of passion upon which to open a scrumptious space...and it was just fantastic - an experience to lift the spirit of all present - at least that what it felt like in the Closing Circle... We had the first day's reports printed overnight and distributed on everyone's chairs as they arrived second morning - fascinating to feel their surprise (even tho they had been told this was going to happen - don't think they really believed it would), their excitement and their focus on reading - it was intense for the first half-hour - then the morning news and few new conversations - there were only four and five topics posted for 100 people for each of the two sessions and everyone participated intently (seemed to me) in each one - as though they had really named the most important issues for the group.... What I did differently from previous experiences? Two major changes come to mind: 1 I had an 'apprentice' alongside me - (is this is an appropriate term) a trainee who had participated in an training programme last year and who took on a role of the logistical support - helping at the Mkt Place, News Board, computers, liaising with the venue staff....this left me completely free to hold the space for everyone else (including the trainee) and devote most of my energy to this...I was very loose and relaxed throughout 2 As well as form of convergence, I re-opened the space and it worked wonderfully - using the suggestion of Michael Pannwitz ..thanks After lunch we had a time for reading all the conversations on the News Board and a 'red-dot prioritising process' that highlighted the top five-six issues for the group - we left them there on the wall recognising them as the areas that the gathering felt most passionate about at this time - then I plugged into mmp's suggested process, something like this... Gathered together in the cirlce once again "Please put your books down....what you have worked on and written up is prelude for action...it is like a backdrop for the things you might want to do...before you start possible planning take 7 minutes to reflect just on your own what all the things you have experienced and worked on mean to you personally, for your work, your family, your neighborhood....to assist your reflection here are some pens and paper to jot down some notes, just for yourself ...after six minutes I will sound the temple bells...some of you can do this kind of reflection with the greatest din going on others require silence..." There was complete silence and it felt intense - some folks eyes closed, others gazing out across the river towards the city skyline, others writing at various pace...(many people referred to the peace and the power of this time during the Closing Circle) After six minutes I sounded the temple bells in the faintest way I know how to and people come back into the presence... Then I continued like this: "Now that you have reflected, here is one more chance to use the resources and treasures in this group. Find someone, this might be the person sitting next to you or someone across that you haven't really met yet but wanted to contact all along....and use that persons questions, insights and wisdom to more clearly understand what you have reflected on and then let yourself be used by your partner...I will sound the bells after ten minutes..." Within 10 seconds everyone was talking, laughing...pretty noisily in contrast to the intense silence just before this step..one person walked right across the space to speak the person sitting next to me, saying: "I don't really know you - how about we share on this?" - beautiful. "Ok, now that you have worked all day yesterday, produced a book of proceedings, read and discussed it all and have reflected alone and with at least one other person what this all means to you the time has come to see what ideas have hands and feet and head and heart. If there is something you feel you need to act on just jot it down put your name to it and post it. And don't forget: The Law of Two Feet is still in force...so if you find that you are neither learning nor contributing...." People then got up, rather slowly - announced their project and posted it on the walls around the circle. It took about 10 minutes for all posts to be up and then I continued: "This is the time to go walk to the project you are eager to act on and see who else gathers there and find out what the next step is. This is not the time for a new discussion or a complete strategic plan, just the concrete next step you want to take. You have 20 minutes...we also posted a sheet you can fill in with the name of the project, who all participates, what the next step is, when a meeting might be and who takes on the role of the contact person. These sheets will all be sent to you as "Next steps" in a few days along with the other reports from today's conversations." We then gathered again to listen to the brief reports from each of the five groups that has formed and, after a short stretch break began the closing circle which was awesome.... Time-line for Day II went something like this 9 - 930am Gathering and reading reports 930 - 1000 Morning News 1000 - 1100 Conversation 1100 - 1130 Morning Tea 1130 - 1230 Conversation 1230 - 130 Lunch 130 - 200 Reading, dotting and prioritising reports 200 - 230 Quiet reflection and partner share 230 - 315 Action Planning 315 - 340 Afternoon tea (this is Australia) 340 - 400 Report back 400 - 500 Closing Circle And so ended a wonderful open space.....thanks to all who contributed to the space opening within me * * ========================================================== 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