Thanks for the image, Alexander, of sitting in a sphere in a gravity free
space. I want to be able to do that.
From: Alexander Kjerulf <alexan...@kjerulf.com>
Reply-To: OSLIST <osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu>
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Subject: Re: Properties of circles
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 2004 19:06:21 +0100
What do circles do? Here are some of my observations:
I've noticed that circles put you in there 100%. There is no place to
hide in a circle, which can be quite disconcerting to somebody who comes
to a meeting expecting to just sit back and zone out. You can read an
account by a participant in an Open Space meeting I facilitated here:
http://benaaron.multics.org/2003.04.htm to get a taste of how this can
feel (the story also happens to be really funny).
Geometrically, circles minimize the surface to area ratio. If you want
to fence in as large an area as possible and you only have a set amount
of fencing materials make your fence a circle, this will give you the
largest possible area inside the fence. What this means in a group
process is not totally clear to me, but maybe it minimizes the
"exposure" to the world outside the circle, keeping most of the
attention inside. The reason that igloos are round (or spherical,
rather) is that the round shape gives you the smallest possible surface,
and thus the smallest heat loss.
Circles can also create a lot of resistance. A lot of people react
adversely when asked to sit in a circle. Some people think kindergarten,
others think 12-step meeting. Usually this resistance evaporates after
about 5 minutes, though.
In my opinion, many of the benefits we see from circles are largely due
to the fact that there is no table between participants. I'm pretty sure
that sitting at a round table is only marginally better than sitting at
a square one. I'm sure this is not news to anybody on this list, but to
me, having no tables means:
* a smaller distance between participants
* you can see the whole body-language
* you can't slump over the table and zone out
Here's a funny thought: If you had Open Spac meetings in space (in
zero-g) you participants could sit in a sphere, rather than a circle.
That would fit even more people in :o)
Cheers
Alex
Alexander Kjerulf
alexan...@kjerulf.com
www.kjerulf.com
+45 2688 2373
Adress:
Tagensvej 126, lejl. 613
2200, Copenhagen N
Denmark
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Chris
Corrigan
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 11:09 PM
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Subject: Re: Properties of circles
Hi Michael, and others:
Okay, let me rephrase this. I'm not looking for a script for opening,
I'm looking for more perspectives on what circles do for process. It's
a theoretical question, not one of practical significance! How's that
for candour?
Seriously, I am interested in this primarily because I am currently
looking at how process is a significant arena of colonization and why
recovery and transcendence of indigenous process is a truer and deeper
form of decolonization than simple systemic change.
As part of this inquiry, naturally I have been working with circles,
both in Open Space and in other process, including many indigenous
processes here in Canada. And I have noticed that circles have
important impacts on process both from an observational view and from
the perspective of a participant.
And thus my inquiry about what other have observed circles "doing."
So?
Chris
---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
ch...@chriscorrigan.com
(604) 947-9236
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of
Pannwitz, Michael M
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 3:18 PM
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Subject: Re: Properties of circles
Dear Chris,
just walk the circle and get people to focus on each other.
Skip the rest.
Greetings from Berlin
mmp
On Fri, 9 Jan 2004 15:00:48 -0800, Chris Corrigan wrote:
Hi folks:
I was writing out the basic script that I use for opening OST
meetings
last night and while reading it I noticed that I spend a lot of time
introducing people to the ideas and properties of circles. I think
circles are fundamentally important to process, and so I'm collecting
other people's notes and properties of circles.
So here is my script with the three things I usually do to bring the
circle to awareness. Have a read and then ask yourself what you can
add
to this. What are the other cool properties of circles?
Circles are really rather neat forms of geometry
because
they force us to have a look at things in a particular way. For
example in a circle, we don't really know who "the leader" is. In
fact
we may be forgiven for thinking that the leader is either not here,
or
is each one of us. And as a leader who is not here cannot do
anything,
it must be that each one of is a leader.
Also circles teach us that there are some things that
can only be done by groups. For example, you will notice that this
circle of chairs isn't really a very good circle. It's actually a
strangely distorted ellipse. That is because for one person to set
up a
perfect circle of chairs on their own is a nearly impossible task.
But
I'll show you a small miracle. I'll stand in the centre here and ask
all of you to stand by your chairs. Now square up so that you are
facing me and when you've done that check to see that you are sitting
slightly behind your two neighbours. Now sit down. Have a look
around.
You have just made a perfect circle. This is something only a group
can
do and it took only a few seconds. If I had had to do that it would
have taken me hours. This is important to note. It's as if we all
carry the coordinates for calibrating a circle within us but they can
only be activated by acting along with several others.
Finally, here's one more thing about a circle. If I
stand in the middle then you will all agree that you are looking at
me.
But none of you will agree that you have the same view of me. You
can
see me, but your perspective is absolutely unique. It is not shared
by
anyone else. We agree on the object of our observation but none of
us
share the same perspective. Remember that today as we work on these
issues. Without each perspective we would not have a full picture.
If
you were all behind me then none of you could say with certainty that
I
had a face. By surrounding me we have the whole picture, but we have
to
ask one another about the pieces that we are missing. If you folks
sitting behind me want to know how many fingers I'm holding up, you
have
to ask this person I'm facing. That's how it is with problems too.
Remember that today.
So what else can we build into our openings about circles?
Chris
[PS Florian.some of this probably qualifies as "even"]
---
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Bowen Island, BC, Canada
http://www.chriscorrigan.com
ch...@chriscorrigan.com
(604) 947-9236
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