Thanks a lot for this Harrison. What an incredible blessing this List! My best wishes to you all, Paul
From my iPad On 24/06/2013, at 17:29, Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> wrote: > All good points Adriana! To me it is all about the sincerity/integrity of the > Invitation. The actual time taken, even the words spoken don’t make that much > difference. But sincerity/integrity does. If the facilitator is just “doing a > job” – (running a process) everything comes out pretty flat. No Spirit, as it > were. But when the words/actions of the invitation come from a deep sense of > conviction and respect for the group – that this really IS a unique moment in > time with unique and marvelous people – the effect is markedly different. I > suppose the critical thing is that the facilitator really does care for the > people and their efforts – even if the language they speak and the task they > confront is totally foreign. For me this is being “Totally Present.” And also > being “Absolutely Invisible” which means getting out of the way so the People > can get on with their business. > > 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 Lourdes Adriana > Diaz-Berrio Doring > Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 10:16 AM > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: Re: [OSList] Smallest group OS > > Harrison: > Yes you are right, (this case, when to long) will be boring but I saying the > opposite case the opening was to short and they did not take time to look in > the circle at the people. I was fast, and I felt that the connection was not > established so well, in the group. > > But this group had a lot to share so at the end it was really Ok buy I fell > like the open space was more like a protocol for them, not something that was > really deepening the level of consciousness about "we as a unique once in > time group being together in this moment here and now" and the quality of the > presence. It was superficial ...to me... > Adriana > > 2013/6/24 Harrison Owen <hho...@verizon.net> > Adriana – There may be a secret in what you observe. OS is not a “process” we > do or explain, and so at some level what we “do and explain” really doesn’t > make any difference. Self Organization is what we are and OS is simply an > invitation to be what we are. However, when the invitation is fussy, > elaborate, endless, boring – it is really annoying. But if the conditions are > right (“hot issue,” people who care, lots of diversity, etc) it all works > out. Of course when the invitation is offered in a sloppy, endless way that > is annoying, but thankfully it passes quickly and The Facilitator can retire > to the shadows where he/she belonged in the first place. J > > 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 Lourdes Adriana > Diaz-Berrio Doring > Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 8:37 PM > To: World wide Open Space Technology email list > Subject: Re: [OSList] Smallest group OS > > Lisa thank you for sharing this! > I went to 2 OS recently with a lot of people from Agile community, coaches > and srcum masters and what I noticed is that they did not take time to focus > the group and neither to really explain the principles. They just read those > and I feld that the energy was not the same. They are using OS without event > reading the book so they dont get that part. On the other hand they have a > lot of energy and topics they want to talk about together so the event was OK > but I had an impression of something related to the quality of the presence > was missing there. > This happend 2 times. > I have the impression that people just take the "external format" of OS but > they are not getteing the essence but as, I said in the other hand, the space > was opened and the guys enjoyed a lot. > > Adriana > 2013/6/23 Lisa Heft <lisah...@openingspace.net> > Hello, dear colleagues - > > I know of some of you who have done Open Space with... yourself. > That is a very small group indeed. > > Erich and Arturo, I smile. (your message is copied below). > And I give you a hug from across the world. > > My smallest group was... > I was asked to give a post-conference workshop for an international > facilitation conference. A day-long workshop - which I was simply going to do > as an Open Space session for whatever the facilitators might like to talk > about. > The mistake in conference design (which I have remembered since, to inform > future such experiences) - was to have that post-conference day (instead of > pre-conference) and to have it on a holiday weekend (when participants would > rather either go home early to be with family or spend the day in the lovely > location enjoying and touristing around). Oh. And also to have zero > pre-registration. Which is something I now require - in the interest of > planning, materials and resourcing as well as the relationship formed when > someone says 'I choose to come'. > > I set the room up - agenda wall with (the way I do it) brightly colored > session times posted across the wall, big Open Space guidelines posters > (principles, law, insects) posted around the room, markers and paper like a > lovely little mandala in the center of the big circle of chairs. And because > the room was large enough - 5 pre-set little circles of chairs around the > sides of the room. > > I had a great conference volunteer - who had chosen to be the volunteer > helper for my session because he wanted to learn more about Open Space. > > Okay so eventually we decided to begin because... he was the only person who > came. > > I asked him if he wanted to join me in an experiment - how small can an Open > Space be. Can it be with one participant. > He was excited, and off we went! > > At that time, my part of the experiment was - I was wondering in my head - > one reason Open Space can work so well is because of the diversity of > participants and the diversity of ideas. So in this experiment, I decided to > do the unusual. I never post topics when I am facilitating. Because it is the > participants' work, not mine. But for the sake of experimentation, I decided > to post some topics - to throw in some diversity. I decided he was the expert > on all things Texas - because it was in Texas and I was a visitor to that > region. > > So we both sat on the floor and make topic signs and topic signs and topic > signs. And then posted them on the Agenda Wall. > > (I decided after this experiment that it was not necessary for me to 'help' > in this way - in future if I had a group of 1 I would let them simply make > their own topic signs, without adding any of my own. However in this > experiment, I did indeed join the discussions with him - which is also > something I do not do when I facilitate.) > > This Open Space event went from 8:30 in the morning until 3:30 in the > afternoon, and it included 16 discussion topics. > > We started in one discussion area, and because I knew that Open Space engages > the body as well as the mind and heart, I recommended that we have > conversations in different locations rather than stay in one location. > Remember we had 5 little breakout areas - circles of chairs, around the room. > > My one participant decided to take clusters of discussion topics to each > small discussion circle - so we would see them and discuss them. Whenever he > felt our discussion about a topic was over, it was over. And we went on to > the next. > > And guess what? We also had international visitors. > > Why? > Because our session room was near the bathrooms. ;o) > > We kept the meeting room doors open. So people coming by would look into the > room, see us engaged in conversation and the whole set-up with circles of > chairs and posters and signs, and ask what was happening. > So of course, we would say, 'We're currently talking about this, and you see > on the wall all the things we have and will be talking about. You are welcome > to join us." > > And as you may guess... That person would reply (to whatever topic we were at > that moment discussing) - "That is exactly what my dissertation is about!" / > "I have been thinking so much about that!" / "That is exactly what my > research / my organization / my interest is about!" > > And they would stay with us for that session, adding their diversity, > insights and energies. > Then they would go to the bathroom, and be on their way. > > I am sorry I did not document the conversations - I have since that time > gained more understanding of the importance - for both post-meeting > reflection and for integration of the experience - of the power of > documentation. So we could have done some cool mapping or notes-taking of any > kind that worked for us. > > Anyway - it was a wonderful day-long session. And a wonderful experiment. > > I have had other experiences with (for example) 4 participants - who were the > only ones who came. > Yes, I recommend other processes sometimes when there are less people - as > always, I am looking at fitting process with objective, desired outcomes, and > so many other things. > But when Open Space fits, I have done tiny Open Spaces. > I simply remind people (as I do anyway in larger participants groups) - > 'Whoever comes is the right person' also means that if nobody comes to your > session, you could be a visionary. We need your diverse thought and > exploration. It deepens our understanding of the issue or task. And (I add) > 'when do you ever get an hour to write - and write and write - about a topic > for which you have such passion?' > > If it is a small group also do as was mentioned earlier in this conversation > - 'try it first without all joining together or compressing the agenda' and > as was mentioned, people never go back to the other once they experience the > power of reflection, law of two feet, opportunity and possibility. > > In my workshops, I share this story. > And as those of you who have recently been in my Open Space Learning Workshop > know, when I share this story, I also share the story of when Brother Chris > Corrigan did Open Space in ... I think it was an Inuit community... and > nobody came. And at the end of the day, as I recall, the head of the > community said they got a lot of work done that day and could they hire Chris > back again please. > > So did I Chris do the smallest Open Space ever... or the largest - where an > entire community was held in his spacious open arms? > > Cheers, from a gray California afternoon, > Lisa > > Lisa Heft > Consultant, Facilitator, Educator > President Emerita, Open Space Institute US > Fellow, Columbia University Center for International Conflict Resolution > Opening Space > > > The lovely Arturo wrote... > Recently I facilitate an OST with 2 people including me. We had 12 topics, > which became 5 conversations. Its was a very learning experience and we where > positively surprised as always in every OST. Lisa Heft has also a beautiful > experience of a OST with two people. > > The wonderful Erich wrote... > At this occation I would remind you of the report of fabulous Lisa Heft who I > guess 10 years ago gave a report to the list on the smallest open space ever > been held in the world: Only one participant! > It must be able to find the story somewhere in the archives - perhaps Lisa > would like to tell again ;-) ? > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > > > > -- > > Adriana Díaz-Berrio Ph.D. CRHA > (514) 739 2268 > www.diazberrio.com > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > > > > -- > > Adriana Díaz-Berrio Ph.D. CRHA > (514) 739 2268 > www.diazberrio.com > > _______________________________________________ > 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
