Re: [OSList] Open Space as Yarning Space (long)

[Anna Caroline Türk via OSList]

Wow! 
Thank you for sharing!!!

Anna Caroline 





Anna Caroline Türk

+ 49 (0) 176 248 72254
Skype: AnnaCarolineTuerk

www.TruthCircles.com


> On 18. May 2018, at 09:54, Jeff Aitken via OSList 
>  wrote:
> 
> 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 
>>  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 

Re: [OSList] Open Space as Yarning Space (long)

[R Chaffe via OSList]

Brendon, a Rose by any other name is a Rose!  We are facilitating conversations 
(yarns). Not selling a product.  The challenge for us is to follow your lead 
and use the local indium to get to the conversation as quickly as possible so 
that we can get the best nap time!

Regards
Rob

> On 18 May 2018, at 5:54 pm, Jeff Aitken via OSList 
>  wrote:
> 
> 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 
>>  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 

Re: [OSList] Open Space as Yarning Space (long)

[Jeff Aitken via OSList]

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 

Re: [OSList] Open Space Discussions with the Tessitura community members

[Brendan McKeague via OSList]

Thanks for sharing this Tom

Such a delightful and colourful expression of an ‘iressistible invitation' to 
shared conversations…well done to all who contributed.

I will enjoy referring this to others, potential sponsors and facilitators, as 
a great illustration of how we can creatively adapt the OS process and 
intention to multiple contexts

Looking forward to hearing how it goes in due course…

Cheers
Brendan 


> On 1 May 2018, at 8:33 AM, Tom Brown via OSList 
> > 
> wrote:
> 
> 
> For all of my OST friends.  We are getting ready once again to start our 
> invitation process for OST based open Space Discussions.  Here is a little 
> video we created that is part of that invitation campaign. Thought you might 
> find it of interest.  
> 
> https://youtu.be/VhnEIyviybw 
> 
> --Tom Brown
> tgb...@gmail.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 
> 
> 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

[OSList] Open Space as Yarning Space (long)

[Brendan McKeague via OSList]

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