Ralph, so good to have you join the conversation. You said >>>I think you may have the sequence out of order.
Not engaging is, in my opinion, is not something "to let go of"; I think it's more something not to fall back into. I open space for people, in part, because I've learned that intervening is not effective intervention. So I stay out and let nature take its course. Either I believe in self-organization or I employ old habits.<<< I don't think I was talking about intervention, was I? If I used that word or expressed that meaning, please let me take it back. Intervention sounds like the facilitator as an expert with expertise. I don't mean that. There are other ways to be in the room, even in the role of facilitator, that are not that. I am not advocating a return to the old habits. I'm completely with you on this. I don't want to return there. I'm a big fan of staying out of the way. I have no argument with making that choice, as long as it is a choice, not a rule. A choice comes from inside me in the moment I'm in. A rule comes from outside me and has usually been defined in some other time by some other person. Even when I've chosen to play a role, like OST facilitator, I need to make choices, not abide by rules. The highest good for the facilitator, or anyone, is not abiding by a rule like staying out of the way. The highest good is developing our inner awareness, and then abiding by the guidance it gives us. If we need a rule, this is the one I would name and follow. (I might add that this version is nicely consistent with the four principles and one law we invite everyone else in the room to follow.) One more example. Think about Doug and the OST he told us about last week... some sort of spiritually-themed OST, I believe, and Doug noted that as facilitator he intends to "get out of the way." Knowing Doug, I can't imagine why on earth he would stay out of those conversations. He's passionate about the theme and he has the ability to participate respectfully and without returning to those old habits of all-knowing-expert you're talking about. I assume that in spite of his passion for the theme and his ability to participate appropriately, Doug thinks he's not supposed to engage because that's how the role of OST facilitator has been described. I think we should describe the facilitator's role differently to allow more openness, more space, for the different ways people might engage as facilitator in OST events. :) Sorry, Doug. Didn't mean to talk about you in the third person while you're sitting right there. :) Julie * * ========================================================== 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...@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