Thank you. Very rich. Lots to appreciate here. One initial question stands out: how do billabongs act in open space?
(We know about the butterflies and bees.) With thanks Jeff San Francisco On Fri, May 18, 2018, 12:38 AM Brendan McKeague via OSList < oslist@lists.openspacetech.org> wrote: > > Hi folks > > Here is a story (Irish style) of a recent Open Space meeting 'in > disguise'. I hope it adds something to our ongoing learning and collective > wisdom. > > Cheers > Brendan > > > *Open Space as Yarning Space - an Australian story* > > *Context* > A group of five different ‘language/family groups’ wishing to pursue their > intention of working together to submit a claim for native title over a > certain area of land that their families had continuous connection with for > many years. There was a history of disagreement, division and destructive > conflict between some of the group during the past 10 years, illustrated by > separate, competing claims over parts of the area in question. They had > arrived at a place where most of the elders had decided it was time to work > together otherwise their chances of achieving a successful claim in the > national Native Title Court would be unlikely. In order to prepare > themselves for the next steps in submitting a formal legal claim over the > region, they suggested it would be appropriate to spend a couple of days > together so that ‘they could sit and yarn' about the issues that divided > them in the past, about how they might reconcile with each other and how > they might work together in the future. The sponsor, a representative of > the regional Land Council that would be responsible for resourcing the > meeting, wondered if an Open Space style meeting would be appropriate. > > > *Naming the Process* > Another part of the context was that the sponsoring body did not have a > favourable disposition towards Open Space. I’m not sure of the details, > although it sounded like someone in senior management had previously > experienced some sort of Open Space meeting and wasn’t impressed. My > contact within the system asked that we not call it an Open Space meeting. > I was happy to oblige and we came up with the loosely described notion of > creating Yarning Circles ('yarning circle' is frequently used in indigenous > vocabulary in Australia to describe a group, often referred to as 'a mob’, > sitting in a circle discussing/having a yarn about whatever mattered to > them. So the underlying concept was similar, without the structure of an > OST meeting). > > From an introductory meeting with the family leaders, we formulated an > invitation that asked the questions: ‘how will we work together AND respect > our individual differences and identities?’ > > In describing the process, I simply renamed the main circle as the group > Yarning Circle, and the break-out spaces as Yarning Places…everything else > pretty much the usual set-up. I shortened the principles on the posters to > read: Right People; Right Time; Right Place; Right Yarning…the Law of Two > Feet; Butterflies, Bees and Billabongs; Be Prepared to Be Surprised…and > linked my introduction to each of these. > > > *The Event* > There was a lot of anticipation about what might happen. The complexity of > longstanding inter-familial, inter-generational disputes is well known in > the world of native title in Australia. Security guards were hired for the > meeting so that only those who were entitled to be there (another > interpretation of 'the right people') were admitted. This was to do with > the requirement that only those who are directly descended from the > original ‘traditional owners’ of the particular areas are entitled to be > part of the discussions and eventual decision-making process. There are > strict protocols around anthropologist 'connection research’ to ensure that > this is the case and these reports often generate additional conflicts > among family groups. > > On the first morning of the two-day event, while people were beginning to > gather in the meeting space, there was a very animated and highly charged > interaction between two rather large men (I subsequently discovered these > were two brothers who had not spoken directly to each other for nearly ten > years) and this generated a burst of high tension energy. A security guard > intervened, in a very professional, low-key way, creating a pause between > the men and providing an opportunity for some of their mutual relatives > (mostly the older women) to exert a calming influence on them…fortunately, > they seemed to be well practiced at such interventions! > > I was certainly wide awake now! Too soon for a nap…and I wondered, rather > nervously, how the rest of the meeting might go > > The men calmed, the senior elder (one of the women) gave a ‘welcome to > country’ asking that everyone in the room (about 60 participants) respect > the ancestors, and each other, during this very important time together. I > was then invited into the circle…I did my usual intro, with slight > variations of language, verbal and body, to adapt to my environment. A the > end of my introduction, as I usually do, I wished them well for the work of > the day, handed the space over to them and exited the circle…. > > As I was heading towards the edge of the meeting area, I noticed a couple > of people dive straight in the centre for their paper and pen…and to my > surprise, the first topic announced was from one of the family members of > the feuding brothers who invited the whole family to meet in the first > session to sort out the issues that had been dividing them for the past > decade. And it was an amazing ‘yarning place’…for much of an hour, there > were loud voices, quiet voices, shouting, tears, hugs, reconciliation, > laughter, resolve and agreement to disagree on what had caused their > disturbances and, beyond that, agreement to work together in the future so > that they could contribute constructively to the collective claim for > Native Title….amazing to witness. > > For the remainder of the first day, people wandered, sat, stood and > lounged around the room, energy and passion flitting and flowing in their > own time, with differing degrees of high intensity, laughter and lightness. > > And for good measure, we also had a ‘space invasion’ in the afternoon, > when another group that had been seeking to prevent this combined claim > going ahead, and had convened a separate meeting in another part of the > conference venue, entered the space uninvited. Some of the leaders in the > room stood up and started towards the exit saying they would not stay while > this new group was there. In the pause of surprise and wonder, I could only > think of asking a question: ‘I don’t really know what’s happening here, > would someone please explain?’ That led to the incoming group, some of > whom were related to the meeting group, requesting to read out a short > prepared statement to the meeting group and then to leave. The meeting > group agreed to listen. The statement was delivered, there was silence and > no return comments, the incoming group left the room and the existing group > spent the rest of the afternoon discussing how they would respond to the > information in the statement…a new agenda emerged for Day Two. > > The second day of the meeting saw the group working together in the > Yarning Circle, as an extension of ‘morning news’, for the first part of > the morning, then breaking out into yarning places in response to new > issues that were emerging. After a stretched-out lunch, the group converged > to feed back the Action Plans before a very emotional, enthusiastic and > energised closing circle (that included a short impromptu dance of > celebration…) > > > *The Outcome* > On the next day, following the two day Yarning Circle, there was a formal > meeting with their legal representatives to ratify agreements made and > provide instructions to be taken forward into the due process for native > title claimants. Needless to say, this meeting was nothing like an Open > Space meeting. However, the group on the previous afternoon had decided how > they wanted the room to be set up for the formal meeting and, guess what, > they chose to have five different circles for each of the five family > groups and one centre circle for the elders from each group to enter when > it came to delivering decisions to the legal representatives…creating a > very different environment from the usual 'top table and rows'. That’s > another story! > > > *Concluding Reflections* > A few thoughts: the presenting context seemed suitable for Open Space; the > meeting methodology was renamed, the underlying structure was retained; the > conflictual energy that appeared prior to the meeting provided a catalyst > for release of built-up tension and the courage to address what had caused > it by those who lived within it; the stunning significance of self > organisation at work, developing resilience to cope with a potential > distracting/de-railing invasion; the use of the opportunity (the space > invasion) to generate new agenda, to strategise and commit for the > follow-up formal legal meeting (a complex adaptive system at work?); the > presenting signs of relationship building, collective commitment and deeper > levels of trust. > > > *Sponsor feedback * > > *1) Why did you chose to use Open Space?* > > *We held a two day OS community consultation followed by a native title > authorisation meeting. * > *For the community consultation we needed an approach that allowed for a > general theme, linked to progressing a native title claim, that allowed for > the native title group to work out for themselves the best way to work > together on a native title claim and beyond. OS provided the environment > for this to occur. * > > > *2) What did you notice about the process, the engagement and the > outcomes in this particular context?* > > *The OS approach to the meeting allowed for the attendees to take > ownership of the direction of the two day meeting and, as a result, the > outcomes/undertakings that were generated. In turn, the outcomes provided > a roadmap for how the different traditional factions within the larger > native title group could effectively cooperate while acknowledging and > respecting differences. The outcomes will feed into the rule book and > policy manual for the corporation earmarked to be the PBC. * > *We used some OS concepts to good effect in the authorisation meeting. * > > > *3) What did you learn from this experience?* > > *That our clients can truly benefit from an OS meeting and that certain > elements of OS can be introduced even into meetings with an agenda > prescribed by legislation. * > *I am convinced that an OS meeting should be convened early in the process > of working with a native title group, particularly if there are internal > divisions. * > *If used properly, I consider OS could also be useful in some overlapping > claims. * > > > > Who knows what will happen next…indeed, that's not ours to know in the > complex and mysterious world of emergence! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > Past archives can be viewed here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.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 Past archives can be viewed here: http://www.mail-archive.com/oslist@lists.openspacetech.org