Lisa -- On the subject of leaving the circle (in Rome we were not in a room) .
. . Please note that I said I was leaving AND that I was coming back in an
hour. Further - that anybody who cared to continue might join me, and those who
felt otherwise should make their own plans. Obviously I didn't say it as
bluntly as that, but that was the meaning, which i think they got. I am also
very clear that doing what I did is not something to be done either lightly or
routinely. But when the space closes down I felt that I should take
extraordinary measures to open it up. This is absolutely the opposite of
disengagement. At least I think so, and that is the way it felt. I was totally
engaged, though obviously absent. I guess this might be the extreme example of
being "totally present and absolutely invisable" (quote me) -- which for me is
the epitome of great facilitation. In Open Space or elsewhere.
----- Original Message -----
From: Lisa Heft
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2004 1:31 PM
Subject: Re: Unintend Consequences, Collateral Damage and Truth Telling
Hmmm.
I have reopened the circle the next morning with a bit of a challenge to
participants ('you can spend today telling the story as it has been, or you can
tell the new story beginning today' or 'if you want to spend today describing
the problem, as you did yesterday, feel free - if you want to move towards
solution thinking, realize this is our last day together') once or twice, in
times of very high conflict and the feeling that the air was being sucked out
of the space. I do not know if it was helpful to do this or not - though the
energy shifted each time to re-invigorated engagement and spirit. It could
have just been me needing to feel better; me needing to feel I could fix
something. And not necessary at all. Hard to say. But again, it worked.
Once I also did a consensus process before priority setting rather than just
go from Open Space to read the proceedings to priority setting - because there
was so much tension in the room and people spoke out about mistrust of what
would happen with the results and so on.
I have also 'spoken truths' before I reopen space (Funda and others - a way
of instead of prioritizing/converging ideas, opening it up again for people to
champion actions and next steps they wish to identify) and also before
convergence (the group's prioritizing / highlighting top issues that came of
the Open Space) - as a way to get things out into the open and name them back
to the group (if I feel there is tension that must be acknowledged).
I could not I don't think walk out of the circle, or the room, at a time of
high conflict. As the facilitator (and usually as the person from outside the
organization or community I am facilitating for) it would feel too much to me
like a message that I was 'not going to play' and withdrawing my energy until
people figured it out without me. Even though of course I would know I was not
in any way withdrawing my energy. I still feel participants see the
facilitator as a larger-than-life figure when s/he makes a major statement. So
that there is a power dynamic there.
(This is different than I feel people see a facilitator when s/he is holding
space in the more 'traditional' OS way)
However I do see when you (whomever 'you' is reading this, my colleagues) as
a facilitator might feel your presence IS a big thing and that they cannot
figure things out WITH you in the room.
I don't know if this is what you felt, Harrison, I am just guessing at what
would make me leave the room.
The asking people if they want to re-engage or simply leave is something I
understand - the leaving the room, as you can see by reading this - is what I
question if I might do in your place. Although there always is a next time
where we do and learn something new about ourselves...
Lisa
________________________________
L i s a H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106 USA
+01 510 548-8449
lisah...@openingspace.net
www.openingspace.net
* * ==========================================================
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 * *
==========================================================
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
*
*
==========================================================
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
