Tricia, after your amazing experience, you may take heart that it will never feel like that again. I whole heartedly recommend the preparation of self (as Harrison has written already): meditation, walking, breathing, sleep, lots of fresh water and remembering the principle that you are responsible for 'you' and everyone else is responsible for themselves.
There is a very good book out at the moment, which says all that in a different way. It does no harm to read what you know already wrapped in interesting stories of it working for others ... Stillpower by Garret Kramer - available on Kindle. I hope I am not speaking out of turn when I say that you have earned the respect and affection of many on this listserve. Good luck and keep breathing! Kind regards Amanda Commercial Mediator www.AmandaBucklow.co.uk www.blog.AmandaBucklow.co.uk +44 207 121 8772 P Save a tree ... please do not print this e-mail unless you really need to On 18 Feb 2013, at 05:44, Tricia Chirumbole wrote: > Thanks so much to Harrison, Lisa, and all on the list for your feedback and > support - it all definitely helped me to learn and grow more in the > situation, as well as maintain/regain a broader, more detached perspective. > ...and, yes, it helped me battered ego :) > > As Harrison wrote, "You can’t open space if your space ain’t open." I do hope > I won't have to relearn that lesson, but I at least have a better sense of > what conditions I need in order to agree to participate in opening a space - > internal and external. > > On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 4:50 PM, Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> wrote: > Tricia – You just learned THE most valuable lesson. Lesson #1 > > > > You can’t open space if your space ain’t open. Chris said it more elegantly, > but that is the gist. And from what you said -- seems like your space was in > lockdown. 5 days with little sleep, racing about, worrying, “fixing things”… > No space for nothing. Painful for sure, but you will never have to learn it > again. I am positive. And THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing! > > > > The only pre-work that is really essential is your own. Or put a little > differently, if you don’t do your own preparation nothing else really matters > that much. At least as far as you are concerned. People kid me about not > doing very much, which is absolutely true. But what they don’t see is what I > do do before they ever see me. Everybody will have their own way, but before > every Open Space, particularly the “dicey” ones, my day starts early. > Beginning with a good meditation, followed by a walk and then on to the venue > at least an hour and a half (better two) before “Show Time.” I sit in the > center, before anybody is there, and if people do wander in, I invite them to > join me in the silence. No talking, no planning, no fixing. Just the space > and silence. After a bit, I get up to complete the site preparation, if that > is needed. No hurrys – sort a walking meditation. I particularly enjoy doing > the Post-its especially for a big gathering. It is really “zenish,” if that > communicates. A half hour before “Start” I stop everything. Maybe I look at > my watch, but I don’t recall doing so…just seems to happen that way. At that > point, I leave the venue, go outside if possible – and return at the > appointed hour. When I stand at the edge of the circle to invite the > festivities to begin, I am about as clear and focused as I can be. It feels > wonderful. Something about doing nothing and everything gets done. > > > > Harrison > > > > Harrison Owen > > 7808 River Falls Dr. > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > USA > > > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > > Camden, Maine 04843 > > > > Phone 301-365-2093 > > (summer) 207-763-3261 > > > > www.openspaceworld.com > > www.ho-image.com (Personal Website) > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST > Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > From: oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org > [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Tricia Chirumbole > Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 2:47 PM > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: Re: [OSList] Sticky dots Q > > > > shame on me! I messed up the flow, buy-in, and positive energy, by messing up > one of the simplest parts....the sticky notes time and session areas. Not > totally my fault, but each time I tried to remedy on the fly, made another > mistake!! > > > > 1) I was a little behind in some final preps bc of early call and have been > sick and have barely slept for past 5 days and then people came early..fine, > I'll put them to work...also, facilities had not removed the table and > equipment, so actually would not necessarily have been behind. > > - people were a little hard to get to help and a bit distracting and spent a > lot of the time standing around, watching me, and making sarcastic jokes > about the circle, the principles, the notes, etc....very distracting...I was > trying to manage people, go fast, ignore people, and get other work done...so > my mind was distraced and I messed up some of the time slots which messed > everything up... > > > > PLUS, I got resistance in the team picking out breakout rooms in advance and > so filled out day 1 notes w/ just the area indicators: 1, 2, 3...finally got > them to do it, but it confiused everything..... > > > > just whining....will try to salvage! Now I see already however that despite > all of the ideas I know everyone has, we have only 2 groups for the morning > and people def sitting around and not being engaged, but I don't want to mess > much more and start adding to many new topics myself (Iam unfortunately an > independent contracter "worker", so I am already violating by participating..) > > > > On Tue, Feb 12, 2013 at 11:08 AM, Chris Corrigan <chris.corri...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > I just want to add, that although I have dispensed with sticky dots years ago > as well, I HAVE used them since where they made sense. It's impossible to > say what tools are important and what should be jettisoned, but context > matters. If your senior people would like the group to prioritize the action > plans that were raised, you can create a process to do that that respects the > work that has been done and works within the constraints. There are all > kinds of ways of doing that. > > Open Space is an empty frame. We know what it does and how it works. But it > does not stand alone. You are using it in a context to accelerate something > in an organization and a community. I have found that it isn't wise just to > come in and do an open space the way I want to do it without being sensitive > to the need behind the call or the context in which you are working. > > For example a learning Open Space is very different from a product creation > Open Space which differs from a strategic planning Open Space which differs > from an engagement Open Space. The basic process works the same but the > invitation and harvest are very different and the pre-work with the > leadership team helps to set the ground for the most successful > implementation of ideas. > > For me if that means we use sticky dots, because that's the best thing to do, > we use sticky dots. > > Chris > > > On 2013-02-12, at 1:46 AM, Koos de Heer wrote: > > > Hi Tricia, > > > > I stopped using sticky dot voting in Open Space sessions years ago. > > > > In the beginning, the agenda process is perfect and does not need any > > voting. > > > > During the Open Space, if a topic needs more time, people will decide they > > are not ready and continue to do what needs to be done. > > > > In the end, when it comes to action planning, I find it much more elegant to > > reopen the space for action planning topics. > > > > So trust the process, trust the people and trust yourself. Take a deep > > breath and be present and it will roll (and rock). :-) > > > > Koos > > > > -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- > > Van: oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org > > [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] Namens Jeff Aitken > > Verzonden: dinsdag 12 februari 2013 08:52 > > Aan: World wide Open Space Technology email list > > Onderwerp: Re: [OSList] Sticky dots Q > > > > reminds me that the difference between a brainstorm and an open space agenda > > creation is that the latter is based on passion and responsibility. > > > > some items on the brainstorm list may not make it to the open space agenda > > wall if the person doesn't actually feel very passionate or responsible > > about it after all. > > > > or it may make it to the wall, but then nobody comes to the session, and the > > convenor writes a short report to handle it and moves to another topic. > > > > jeff > > > > On 2/11/13, Jeff Aitken <r.jeff.ait...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> I would allow the open space process to do the work. I don't see a > >> reason to do anything else. I could be misunderstanding of course. > >> > >> if you are using a 'standard' open space agenda creation process, > >> inviting people to put a topic on a sheet of paper and post it on a > >> wall with time and place, then i'd allow the wall to be filled with > >> topics, and then explain the process of moving topics around based on > >> the wishes of the convenors. and let them move things around. > >> > >> let the law of mobility take care of the rest. and then reflect at the > >> end of the day, and they might add and delete and move topics for the > >> second day. > >> > >> jeff > >> > >> > >> On 2/11/13, Tricia Chirumbole <tri...@investorswithoutborders.net> wrote: > >>> ok, so I just asked a question re: the need for prioritization of > >>> issues and an overwhelmingly large pool of issues in my previous post. > >>> > >>> I guess part of the answer is sticky dot voting. Cool. I will have to > >>> improvise asking people to keep track of their dots using markers > >>> since I will have no time to get dots, but that should be ok in a > >>> small gorup of 13...not ideal - other thoughts on this are welcome. > >>> > >>> my questions are - is it ok to do prioritization at outset of day 1? > >>> And, if so, would it be better to first generate a marketplace w/o > >>> times selected and prioritize them, then have initiators select > >>> time/place? or vice versa - neither sound ideal to me. > >>> > >>> thanks so much!! > >>> > >>> -- > >>> Tricia Chirumbole > >>> US: +1-571-232-0942 > >>> Skype: tricia.chirumbole > >>> > >> > > _______________________________________________ > > OSList mailing list > > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org To unsubscribe send an > > email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > > OSList mailing list > > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > > > > -- > Tricia Chirumbole > US: +1-571-232-0942 > Skype: tricia.chirumbole > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > > -- > Tricia Chirumbole > US: +1-571-232-0942 > Skype: tricia.chirumbole > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to OSList@lists.openspacetech.org > To unsubscribe send an email to oslist-le...@lists.openspacetech.org > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
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