"...I have experienced that there is a very thin line between a
facilitator and a space invador."
What a great observation and insight. Such a useful idea to consider.
Regarding silence at the opening, I like to wait till they all assemble
and quiet down completely before starting. They always seem to, it's a
little spooky. Because of this I often coach the Host to refrain from
calling them to order but rather, to just wait till they become silent.
Based on this conversation here about silence, next time I facilitate, I
plan to experiment with coaching the Host to wait just a little longer,
well past "the beginning" of that self-organized, collective silence...
On 6/21/15 6:14 AM, Michael M Pannwitz via OSList wrote:
I have experienced that there is a very thin line between a
facilitator and a space invador. Best take on this for me is to
control the only thing that I can control (somewhat) and that is my
behavior. Of course, as facilitator, I can lavish all my control
before the event on having great food, usable markers, an elegant way
to quickly produce the documentation... and other such sturctural
matters.
The rest, it seems, is taken care of by the force of selforganisation,
much better, is my experience, than anything I could have dreamt up.
Including limiting or expanding silence.
cheers, see you in Krakow
mmp
On 21.06.2015 04:41, Harold Shinsato via OSList wrote:
Thanks Adriana!
It could be a wonderful cultural protocol if everyone agrees to it. If
everyone has been invited and accepts such a protocol. Asking for a
moment of silence can often calm things down when they're getting too
heated, and I've been in a number of circles where such a protocol has
been adopted and really helps. I can imagine having some bells and
singing bowls available for session conveners to bring to their circles
as an optional facilitation tool to invite silence when someone in the
circle senses the need. It sounds like it could be a wonderful helpful
tool in some communities - and I can imagine in the Peace Center - it
might be very welcome. I plan to offer it as something to think about to
our team.
At the post Open Space meeting yesterday where we debriefed the event,
there was a participant who noticed that there was not enough listening
in the circles he had attended. I had witnessed one of the circles, and
I noticed the same thing. Not enough listening. My sense was that if I
had really meditated enough before the event - as Harrison so strongly
recommends - I could have helped bring more spaciousness. That's my best
sense of what could have helped. And I also sense that this participant
had a *lot* to offer in helping to bring an awareness of the need for
silence. He doesn't need it to come from the facilitation team. He can
help teach it. In any case, I'm very grateful he has been invited to
participate in the organizing team for the event when we hold it again
next year.
And I can also see where this need for silence can be abused.
At the World Open Space on Open Space in London in 2012 - I was in a
circle and waiting patiently in a somewhat heated circle for some space
to speak. I had been quiet for some time, until finally there was the
slightest pause. The moment I opened my mouth, someone came from another
session that I believe was entirely silent the whole time. I think they
had only written their thoughts on paper. One of the participants came
out of that session, burst into ours, and flashed a "QUIET" sign a foot
in front of my face! It was so intense, I felt the need to leave the
building just so I could calm down. I hope I never see such behavior
again - and I certainly don't want to do anything to encourage such
behavior of silencing people.
Harold
On 6/15/15 2:10 PM, Lourdes Adriana Diaz-Berrio Doring wrote:
Harold: In some groups where I participated, but it was not Open Space
it was a workshop with some ritual we had a talking stick and also a
bowl. When some one needed silence they took the bowl and the meaning
of this is that they where asking everybody to wait in silence...until
they let the bowl in the middle of the circle again.
I don;t Know if this is appropriated in an OS circle, in any moment.
Some people like and appreciate silence and other people have a very
hard time with it.
When I was teaching at university the feedback of the students was
like this
"Teacher I just loved yous dinamics, yous should do more of them!"
In the same group I received another feed back
Teacher I hate the dynamics, why did you do so much of it!"
Thanks for the links that Herman sheared with us!
Adriana
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