raffi, thanks for this reporting. a couple of thoughts...
you mention that the first evening was very powerful. the only time i've ever been part of an evening-before storytelling circle time was as a participant. my sense is that the stories were fantastic and the opening and first day were flat. it's like we'd dumped all our best energy in the story circle and didn't have the same anticipation and spark in the opening posting time. we made too many connections and didn't have time to make more questions for ourselves before the opening the next morn. so perhaps they were substantially satisfied with the sharing that took place that night. a little bit over, then, even before it starts. maybe, too, they didn't really want or need action, even if the leaders said they did. and if the leaders want it adn the rest don't, maybe the leaders are seeing things the others aren't. so are the leaders talking about those issues? i can't tell any of this from here, but maybe you can from there. as for training participants for OS... it all happens in the openng... nothing more required, in my experience. and the lack of action plans indicates to me a lack of clarity (or lack of time to finish getting clear) or a lack of urgency and need to make plans. sometimes we just need to get a little more behind before catching up is really worth the effort. again, i can't tell from here... but just musing a bit. as for encouraging commitment and attendance and such... the best thing to get people engaged is a really important question... making sure that the question being asked is really important. as we've been discussing recently. going through the prep meeting with a planning group like michaelmp says, or talking expectations, wishes, etc like others have mentioned helps folks dig a little deeper into the possibilities and make some pre-stories in their own minds so they*want* it a little more. and of course, the more of these we do, the better we get at convening these early conversations and digging deeper into what is *really* going on and what people *really* are wishing for as a result of the OS gathering. i'd say *messy* is right on! michaelh Raffi Aftandelian wrote:
Dear friends and colleagues, I just finished doing another Open Space here in Moscow with a local NGO that works with teenagers with substance abuse issues as well as at-risk youth. This was a 1.5 day strategic planning session preceded by an evening of storytelling. It was the first time I'd ever gotten to conduct an evening of storytelling prior to the OS. It was great to see, feel the power of story prior to an OS. The OS itself left almost all participants rather sad and disillusioned and some I heard felt that this seemed a little strange that the facilitator walks in, opens space, hangs around, and then closes it. As if the facilitator does nothing. I had written before that I had struggled with this feeling that in conducting OS, I have the sense of the Emperor who wears no clothes, that I felt like a fraud. While I may never hope to really understand what OS is, I feel it more. And feel confident enough in what happened in the last OS to say that right now at least the unpleasant truths that came up in OS with the organization I worked with were what was necessary at that moment. That this will take them further. They came face to face like never before with the difficulties people have in taking responsibility. They began thinking more about what it would take to "grow up" as an organization, to set more rules, be a little tougher on each other. So, as I slowly make my way into consulting work, it's so good to know that this is something I get satisfaction from, something I believe in (and my doubt alongside the faith in OS is the force that gets me more excited about OS!). Enchantment, mesmorized. And as always questions: 1. Training of participants pre-OS in facilitation skills and other important skills. I wonder how much, if at all, do other OS facilitators train the client (or potential participants of an OS) in basic facilitation skills and other skills that might come handy in an OS (report writing, writing action plans, project development) prior to the OS as a means of helping the OS itself bear more fruit. I noticed that the groups did not really develop action plans at all. After convergence I explained that they were to work out action plans and answer the detailed questions in the report form (I did not read out the questions). Neither group did that, instead they further discussed the question, which probably is fine, too. Maybe that's what was needed at the moment. 2. How much time do you spend establishing what the client will do to ensure the participation of all the people they intend to invite? Do you encourage, work with the client to ensure that participants commit to the whole Open Space? We had participants come and go (one person was there for storytelling and then showed up at the closing circle...for example!), which of course is fine. But I wonder if I should've worked with the client to think through what exactly they could do to get as strong a commitment on participation from invitees as possible. I'm sure I'll have more questions, but that's all for now! Thanks, Raffi * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
-- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates 300 West North Avenue #1105 Chicago IL 60610 USA (312) 280-7838 http://www.michaelherman.com - consulting & publications http://www.globalchicago.net - laboratory & playground http://www.openspaceworld.org - worldwide open space ...inviting organization into movement * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
