Doug, In response to your question: "Could we have a conversation about why it would be good to participate,please?"
The answer from me is "NO"! In 15 years, I have never entered into a session discussion. The reasons you gave are my reasons too. Keep it simple and true--just hold space!! Elwin Future Development International Baltimore --- Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> wrote: > Doug as with most things, there are few absolutes. My exception > to that > might be my nap :-) I am with Chris. When I am with groups I know > and where > the subject is something I am interested in (either as learner, > contributor, > or both) I will certainly participate, always allowing time for my > nap :-) > :-) > > > > For some reason, most of the Open Space gathering I have > facilitated in the > last several years have involved groups of people, usually large > ones, who > speak a language(s) I dont understand and whose issue is not mine > > although I may be deeply concerned. Add in massive complexity and > no small > amount of conflict and my judgment has been that the most useful > thing I > can do for the gathering is to hold the space. And truthfully, when > complexity, conflict and group size begin to go off the charts, > holding > space is about all I can do. > > > > Harrison > > > > _____ > > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of > Chris > Corrigan > Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 2:30 PM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: Re: Facilitator must be part of the conversations > > > > Hi Doug... > > There are levels of hosting and facilitating in these processes. > In > Conversation Cafes, World Cafes and Open Space meetings there are > facilitators who are responsible for the overall space and there > are hosts > within the space that take responsibility for the conversations. > In OST we > call thes folks conveners (or we use other names) and in the Cafes > they call > them table hosts. > > I think in general its a good idea to have the overall event > facilitator > "hold space" and to have the hosts within the gathering take as > much > responsibility as possible for the outcomes. The advantages of > doing it > this way are clearly that passion bounded by responsibility gets > things > done. > > I am not entrenched on the question of whether the OST facilitator > can or > cannot participate in the event. There are many factors that come > into > play. In events I have done within my community, where the > community has > had some previous exposure to OST, I am perfectly comfortable > opening space > and then participating. It seems that the groups is able to hold > space for > all just fine. In other places, where a client is doing something > completely strange (apprenticeships, post-secondary education > policy, > sustainability planning for an unfamiliar community) then I just > sit on the > edges, taking care of the space, helping with the proceedings, > answering > questions and talking about the process with the curious. > > And still other times, when there are a team of facilitators to > help hold > space, I feel more free to participate, especially if the work is > with > people close to me. > > I think the question is, what are the benefits of having space > holders at > all levels? > > Chris > > On 7/30/07, douglas germann <76066....@compuserve.com> wrote: > > Hi-- > > Peggy Holman's Change Handbook has a description of Conversation > Cafés, > which raises the question: why would it be good for the facilitator > to > take part in the conversation? What would be the advantages of > taking > part? > > After all, it appears that the host in Conversation Cafés does take > part, in circle process does take part, and in The World Café may > take > part in the conversations. > > The risks it seems to me: the facilitator is seen as the one with > the > answers, simply because of standing at the front/center of the > room; the > temptation, even subconsciously, to push your own agenda because of > that > standing position. > > But the advantages might outweigh: one more voice heard; a more > inclusive whole to the group. > > We seem to avoid taking part in the conversations: Harrison takes a > nap; > Michael only does it in a middle time slot. > > Could we have a conversation about why it would be good to > participate, > please? > > :- Doug. > > * > * > ========================================================== > 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 > > > > > -- > CHRIS CORRIGAN > Facilitation - Training > Open Space Technology > > Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot > Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com > > Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd. > http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com * * > ========================================================== > 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
