Dan, I did a search through the OS listserv archives. Below, from April 27, 1997 is the oldest message I located using the term "hold the space". Interestingly, it includes a discussion of what it means to hold space. I made it bold.
Peggy _________________________________ Peggy Holman pe...@peggyholman.com 15347 SE 49th Place Bellevue, WA 98006 425-746-6274 www.peggyholman.com www.journalismthatmatters.org Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval into Opportunity "An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, is to become the fire". -- Drew Dellinger Begin forwarded message: > From: "Open Space Institute" <o...@tmn.com> > Date: April 27, 1997 12:17:03 PM PDT > To: "Multiple recipients of list OSLIST" <osl...@idbsu.idbsu.edu> > Subject: Fw: April 16 OS Meeting Notes > Reply-To: <o...@tmn.com> > > For those interested in the latest of the OS training discussion, the > meeting notes are attached. > > This session became more part of the practice of how training might look > than a conversation on training. What I mean is the basic form of training > we've been discussing is to view training as an entry into the OS > community. As such, the flow is something like: > > Attend an open space > Participate in OS discussions (like we had on the 16th and will have > aga > in > on May 14) in which stories are told, questions are asked and answered) > Be linked up with a mentor to support conducting your first OS > Attend OSonOS if desired. > > We haven't yet given thought to the mentoring role -- timing, preparation, > beginning and ending, etc. We also haven't thought through the pricing and > costs associated with such a design. I would expect the next meeting to be > a combination of discussing these aspects of the training design and > continuing the conversation on OS. It will all depend on the mix of people > and where the energy lies. > > Peg Holman > > ---------- >> From: Holman, Peggy <holm...@wdni.com> >> To: Open Space Institute <o...@tmn.com> >> Subject: FW: April 16 OS Meeting Notes >> Date: Thursday, April 24, 1997 10:01 AM >> >> >> ---------- >> From: maho...@ix.netcom.com >> To: Holman, Peggy >> Subject: April 16 OS Meeting Notes >> Date: April 22, 1997 10:23PM >> >> OS Meeting Notes: April 16, 1997 >> at Peggy & Neil Holman's residence. >> >> Participants: >> Peggy Holman >> Neil Holman >> Spencer Fox >> Clarice Sieden >> Mark Hower >> >> Next Meeting: May 14 at 6:30 PM (we'll have pizza again) >> Peggy & Neil Holman's residence: 15347 SE 49th Pl, Bellevue >> 206-643-6357 >> >> The turnout on April 16 was very small due to my failure to get the >> word out. I apologize to Peggy and all of you who may have wished to >> attend, as it was a truly invigorating meeting for those few of us >> participating. Below are my notes of our free-ranging conversations. >> I have occasionally recorded the speaker, but what follows should be >> taken as the product of an engaged and fully present group of folks. >> >> Peggy asked each participant to answer: "What has brought me to this >> meeting?" Our responses follow. >> Peggy: I have an interest in inviting new people into OSI to keep it >> vital. I hope to see beginnings of what someone needs to know to be >> comfortable to facilitate OS. >> Spencer: I'm here to find out what I want to know. New questions are >> evolving...: how to participate and facilitate at the same time? And >> it seems that we can learn how to facilitate by participating or doing >> Open Space. >> Mark: I am interested in seeing how Open Space or Open Space >> principles can be applied in our daily lives. People seem to >> learn/embrace OS with ease, can't we use it elsewhere in our lives? >> Clarice: OS is so right, so rich, so important. What can I do to >> contribute toward the work that needs to be done? How do I speak >> about this to others? >> Neil: I find OS energizing -- the participation/exchange of ideas, >> growth. At work, I am trying to implement management tools in a >> company that has been largely without. How do you introduce >> infrastructure with its discipline without destroying the creativity, >> etc. that is so essential? I am using an open format, helping people >> see that they control their own destiny, must take personal >> responsibility, go with passion. I hope to give them a taste of these >> things and then use Open Space. >> >> >> What would we get out of the OS Training? >> Peggy: a greater renewal of Spirit.... Also, part of Open Space is to >> get people to breathe together..., or to sing together. There is a >> very slow, deliberate pace to the convening of the circle. Tone of >> voice, pace, modulation are key. Many people learn kinesthetically, >> so this kind of thing cannot be learned by reading Harrison's books. >> >> Other things that may be missed by those reading the books: >> the importance of sacredness, honoring, ritual, spirit. >> Since these things are so contradictory to our work environments, they >> need to be seen and experienced. People are not willing to be >> responsible at work. >> >> >> Qualities of Open Space differing from traditional training or OD: >> the learner is often seen as an empty vessel in traditional trainings. >> Open Space assumes everyone contributes/belongs. >> The "facilitator" is NOT the expert in OS. >> OS has a pull vs push philosophy. >> >> Spencer: Its power is its simplicity. There is just enough structure >> for freedom to take off without anarchy. >> >> Unlike traditional OD consultants, Harrison is saying take this >> framework and use only its essence, what is essential. Others have >> been taking something and building onto it, creating more complexity. >> >> Spencer: So anyone can learn Open Space. >> Peggy: Yes, but training is necessary to better hold the space..., or >> to know how to just let things happen. The role of the facilitator in >> OS is not to control. He/she should "be fully present and totally >> invisible." That can be very hard to do at times. >> >> Open Space is natural. It is "in" us already. In the circle, we >> readily share what we know. We do not need experts. People with life >> experience can do this. We assume that people know rather than assume >> they do not. >> >> >> What is the Open Space Institute? >> place to mentor and be mentored >> support for practitioners >> place for research >> a place to practice >> on-line conversations >> regular meetings >> place to share stories >> place to get feedback >> come as practitioners to regular meetings >> new members will be able to enter a community >> >> OS people talk about spirit, what has heart and meaning, >> intentionality, etc. So it is not about certifying who can do Open >> Space. >> >> >> Can a participant also facilitate Open Space? >> Spencer: I see how it could work. >> Peggy: The first priority should be in holding the space. >> Peggy also noted that she had participated before, but only for very >> short periods. "Participation keeps me from getting fully engaged (in >> holding the space). My bias is don't do this when getting started as >> a practitioner." >> Clarice: Holding the space means you are accessing something bigger. >> When I speak, I am back in my head, so not so "present." >> >> >> What does Holding the Space mean? >> like meditation, being intentional, fully present. >> Clarice: It's an altered state, silent sitting; be authentic and >> full; no opinion, let go, allow space to occur; observe, catch what is >> off center, attention to self and state of being; don't do, let others >> fill that void. >> >> People entrust you to hold the space and they are able to do the rest, >> to do the work. Let go of old models of facilitation. The >> facilitator is not responsible for outcomes and at the same time, you >> (the facilitator) put the work back into people's hands. >> >> Pre-event planning includes plumbing the depths of people's passions >> so that they will be able to go as deep as possible during the OS. >> Interventions during OS are not part of this. The level of passion >> will directly correlate with how deep a group will get in Open Space. >> >> >> O.S. Training through OSI: >> 1) Attend an Open Space event. >> 2) story telling session and get hooked up with a mentor >> 3) when ready, work with a mentor to facilitate an Open Space event. >> >> What should be taught/what people should learn: >> 1) The circle is about communication and community, >> 2) learn to breathe -- gather, disperse, gather, disperse rhythm >> during OS (collective consciousness happens, the same kinds of >> conversations take place within the various learning circles) >> 3) bulletin board >> 4) market place >> >> A field is created during Open Space. The notes of sessions, no >> matter what the topic, tend to have common threads running through >> them. People tap into key themes. Open Space has a kind of cycle or >> rhythm regardless of its length. There is an unloading (divergence) >> followed by creativity (emergence). However, the depth will be a >> factor of time. Harrison recommends at least a full day of OS. Peggy >> describes it as follows: >> in one day, people have a good conversation >> in two days, people begin to document and expand knowledge >> in three days, people begin to get into action. >> Peggy also noted that the convergence of the third day is still seeing >> experimentation. >> >> Open Space is about getting things done. People come together for a >> purpose, out of intention. >> >> Also Peggy said that Harrison believes OS should be a last resort, >> when other methods are not working. People must be ready for the >> effects of OS since it has the very real potential to radically >> transform an organization. So, if the leadership is not ready for >> such change, OS can create more problems. The profoundness of the >> Open Space experience, and its effect on those who participate must be >> known beforehand. Don't use OS unless ready for the consequences, >> because it will run its course. >> >> >> Walking away (after Open Space) >> OS does not lead to traditional action planning. >> It is more like the medicine wheel (vision, community, etc.) >> To what extent do you as a manager allow flow to work, to happen? >> That is the key to following up on OS. And the manager needs to >> continue to hold the space, so that what emerges is possible. So, >> this means that managers need to change or be different than those >> found in traditional command and control environments. >> >> >> It was an incredible meeting! We demonstrated many of the truths of >> OS in our participation at the meeting. We pursued the questions >> brought by each participant. Like a pull model, we explored what we >> felt passionate about, confident that somebody in the room would know >> the answer. >> >> Next Meeting: >> May 14 at 6:30 PM (we'll have pizza again) >> Peggy & Neil Holman's residence >> 15347 SE 49th Pl, Bellevue >> 206-643-6357 >> >> If you have any questions about these notes, please feel free to >> contact me at (206) 781-5150 or through E-mail at >> maho...@ix.netcom.com. Cheers! Mark Hower
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