Hi all – I have been following the postings about short os events with interest. There has been a great range offered to think on. I love the idea of offering the opening only as a taster.
Each year I have a group of students twice a year, at the beginning of the year for a day and for 3½ hours at the end of the year. The topic is arguable one of New Zealand’s most contentious – The Treaty of Waitangi – and the first day is about engaging with the realities of TToW in our past, present and future – context, consequences, attitudes and responses. At the end of the year, I facilitate open space technology events entitled ‘The Teacher and Te Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi Now.’ We start at 9.00am the first of three, 45 min sessions is a 9.30am, and closing is at 12.00noon. I like 3 sessions, because it gives people the chance to ‘butterfly’ have morning tea for a session and still catch 2 sessions. I am constantly amazed at how they just go to it when I shut my mouth, at about 9.15. Three and a half hours is rather compressed, but there is always a level of wonder at the end, at what and how deeply they have discussed. The personal insights are palpable even if not spoken in the closing session. There is a new, highly charged calm by the end. The information session at the beginning of the year is one of keys, because everyone has at least a foundation in common. The issue is definitely contentious – every has an opinion – and I don’t think the intervening months of cogitation can be underestimated either. Regards Anne ---------------------------------------- > Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:37:51 -0500 > From: rcople...@comcast.net > Subject: Self-organizing universe and tatsers > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > > I recall doing a taster for a group of about 35 once. I think I > arranged three sessions of 20 minutes each. I will never do that > again. It was stupid. Another time I had a group of 20 top > executives at an airline wanting to understand open space – would I > please take 20 minutes or so to give them a sample. I asked them to > arrange themselves into a circle, and I did the opening – after > warning them they might feel kind of frustrated at not having the > chance to act on what they'd be feeling. That worked like a charm. > Six weeks later I was opening space for 120 of their employees and > preferred corporate customers. > > In general I agree with Michael Pannwitz, three sessions are almost > always better than two. My personal rule, however, is that I will > never facilitate anopen space gathering that is not at least four > hours long from start to close. When I have told this to clients who > want to "try it" for 2 or 3 hours, they often wind up hiring me to do > a full day. > > On another topic, if I believe in the reality of self-organization, > how can I NOT believe the universe has been self-organizing right from > the very start - and before? > > Ralph Copleman > > * > * > ========================================================== > 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 _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/ * * ========================================================== 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
