Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
Annemarie... I did have to chuckle. Self organization in a garden? Gardens are (at the end of the day as well as the beginning) self organizing. No matter what we may do or think. So let the Garden be your teacher... or something. ho Winter Address 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 301-365-2093 Summer Address 189 Beaucaire Ave. Camden, ME 04843 207-763-3261 Websites www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org -Original Message- From: OSList [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Annamarie Pluhar via OSList Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2014 8:15 PM To: Michael Herman Cc: OSLIST Subject: Re: [OSList] Community Gardens Yes it does! And thanks for taking the time to write it all down. The last paragraph is most salient to me - since that's the stuff we struggle with - I was Hoping that an OS-run garden would magically cause everyone to pay their fees on time and do their part in the work of maintaining the garden. Our garden starts with an organic requirement! Easier to do in southern Vermont. And if anyone reading this finds themselves motoring around Putney Vermont we are the garden opposite the Putney Coop - it's very public and visible and an easy stop off the interstate. : ) Farmers market on Sundays.. 10-2, in the summer. Peace, Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 15:04, Michael Herman wrote: hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
Annemarie... I did have to chuckle. Self organization in a garden? Gardens are (at the end of the day as well as the beginning) self organizing. No matter what we may do or think. So let the Garden be your teacher... or something. ho Winter Address 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 301-365-2093 Summer Address 189 Beaucaire Ave. Camden, ME 04843 207-763-3261 Websites www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org -Original Message- From: OSList [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Annamarie Pluhar via OSList Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2014 8:15 PM To: Michael Herman Cc: OSLIST Subject: Re: [OSList] Community Gardens Yes it does! And thanks for taking the time to write it all down. The last paragraph is most salient to me - since that's the stuff we struggle with - I was Hoping that an OS-run garden would magically cause everyone to pay their fees on time and do their part in the work of maintaining the garden. Our garden starts with an organic requirement! Easier to do in southern Vermont. And if anyone reading this finds themselves motoring around Putney Vermont we are the garden opposite the Putney Coop - it's very public and visible and an easy stop off the interstate. : ) Farmers market on Sundays.. 10-2, in the summer. Peace, Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 15:04, Michael Herman wrote: hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
Annemarie... I did have to chuckle. Self organization in a garden? Gardens are (at the end of the day as well as the beginning) self organizing. No matter what we may do or think. So let the Garden be your teacher... or something. ho Winter Address 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, MD 20854 301-365-2093 Summer Address 189 Beaucaire Ave. Camden, ME 04843 207-763-3261 Websites www.openspaceworld.com www.ho-image.com OSLIST To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org -Original Message- From: OSList [mailto:oslist-boun...@lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Annamarie Pluhar via OSList Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2014 8:15 PM To: Michael Herman Cc: OSLIST Subject: Re: [OSList] Community Gardens Yes it does! And thanks for taking the time to write it all down. The last paragraph is most salient to me - since that's the stuff we struggle with - I was Hoping that an OS-run garden would magically cause everyone to pay their fees on time and do their part in the work of maintaining the garden. Our garden starts with an organic requirement! Easier to do in southern Vermont. And if anyone reading this finds themselves motoring around Putney Vermont we are the garden opposite the Putney Coop - it's very public and visible and an easy stop off the interstate. : ) Farmers market on Sundays.. 10-2, in the summer. Peace, Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 15:04, Michael Herman wrote: hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am
[OSList] Community Gardens
Hi! (I started to write just to Michael - but realized that others might find the question and answer of interest.) How does the nominal leader run the community garden in OS? Most particularly how does the work that needs to be done to manage the garden as a whole get done? I ask as secretary of a Governing Committee that came into existence when the original founders alienated too many people (by being arrogant and punitive and authoritarian) and it was decided we needed to have some structure and governance. 'Nuff said, interested in the answer! Peace, Annamarie Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 11:26, Michael Herman via OSList wrote: i woke up this morning thinking about this game, thinking in a direction similar to paul levy. i am the nominal leader of a community garden now for four years. my management is deeply informed by my learning in and about open space. does it count as 1 or 4? i once had a client who flew me in to facilitate a meeting. we also built a weblog and they contacted me a number of times, over several years, with minor technical questions. do the meeting and the blog count as one together, or two separate? i taught my grandma to say ah, as she began the active process of dying. she then repeated that seed syllable, a one-syllable mantra for peace, on every breath of her last week of life. she never opened her eyes but over that week completely relaxed her whole body. was that open space? what about up all night rocking a tiny, sick, neice? i saw some new neighbors moving in the other day. our neighborhood has a lot of old houses and everybody moves in and starts updating everything. i offered my tools and experience. if they never take me up on that offer/invitation, does it count? what if they just look for me at my desk in our front window, and wave when they see me, while out walking their dog? that could happen a lot. must count as only once? or maybe it doesn't count at all? what about three opening briefings, on three consecutive days of open space trainings i've done? and what about all the things that happen after an event, does the original opener get partial credit for things his/her participants open later on? to paul's point, i can ask questions like this about almost every situation where i facilitated a meeting in an open space way, and about many other situations where i was not facilitating anything, apparently. this is one of the ways i understand that we live in open space. my approach to training folks in and about open space is significantly focused on the crafting of invitations, in the belief that if we make enough invitations, over time, people, groups and good work are going to show up. i also focus on discovering all the different ways that whomever i'm training has already been opening space in their own lives. i don't think anyone could come to this work without having already done it before. it would be completely un-understandable to them without prior experience. i think people ask for training so they can do what they already know/do better. so i try to build on and from whatever understanding they bring. so this question of seven or more is not so easy for me. not sure it's even helpful. i'm more interested in questions like: 1. when did you first hear about os or ost? 2. what was the hook? how did you notice it might have value? 3. when did you notice that you'd started letting it inform how you live? 4. what has happened since then? what difference does it seem to make? and so on. a new game? the next round? maybe. or maybe it's just the game Murli called OSLIST back in 1996? michael -- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates 312-280-7838 (mobile) http://MichaelHerman.com http://OpenSpaceWorld.org On Sun, Dec 14, 2014 at 8:47 AM, Eva P Svensson via OSList oslist@lists.openspacetech.org wrote: I have also stopped counting :-) But love doing it whenever it’s possible. :o) Eva Sweden Bästa hälsningar Eva P Svensson *EPS Human Invest AB* *Co owner Genuine Contact Group Inc* *Medlem i Beyond Performance Group* *Verksamhetsutveckling genom människor skapar långsiktigt välmående företag och organisationer* Anåsbergsvägen 22, 439 34 ONSALA Besöksadress; Norra Allégatan 8, Göteborg Tfn: 0300-615 05, Mobil; 0706- 89 85 50 www.epshumaninvest.se Skype: eva.p.svensson Facebook sida: EPS Human Invest AB twitter:@EvaPSvensson *Jag kan inte lära dig något. Allt jag kan göra är att ställa frågor till dig, och låta dig själv finna svaren. Sokrates* 13 dec 2014 kl. 18:05 skrev Gray via OSList oslist@lists.openspacetech.org: Um...I've facilitated, at this point, a little over 60. Smallest was 8 people on Maui. Largest was about 375, in Chicago. Been doing it since 2007. And I say um... Because I am still learning, still figuring it out, and
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am also the keeper of the neighborhood contact info directory page and the neighbors email list. in the garden there are a set of rules posted, as guides, but enforcement is left to the group. i guess i should also say that this land is held by a non-profit in chicago that holds or leases claim to 70 or 80 green spaces. they handle insurance, water bills, and other admin issues and contract with a community group (the neighborhood association, in our case) and at least three local garden leaders. the way i came into this is that i saw the previous leadership running a very exclusive, controlling process and happened to meet the director of the non-profit, who mentioned that he'd not heard from our garden leaders for years. i helped him reconnect, but also helped him re-write their contract with community group and leaders, adding a larger section for stakeholder signatures. expanding the circle, if you will. so i went around and had this new contract signed by lots of neighbors and had a chance to talk to a lot of folks about what they thought of the park and the garden and the neighborhood. then the old leader got bothered that he'd not be in sole control, and walked out. the neighborhood association took a while to figure out that i wasn't the devil, but over time that's been borne out by the work i've done to engage everyone in an open, expanding, resilient, emerging sort of process. for my next trick, i try to get out and go take a nap for a year, or at least get out of some of the stuff like collecting fees, assigning plots, inviting the tiller day to happen. we'll see! does that answer the question? -- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates 312-280-7838 (mobile)
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
Yes it does! And thanks for taking the time to write it all down. The last paragraph is most salient to me - since that's the stuff we struggle with - I was Hoping that an OS-run garden would magically cause everyone to pay their fees on time and do their part in the work of maintaining the garden. Our garden starts with an organic requirement! Easier to do in southern Vermont. And if anyone reading this finds themselves motoring around Putney Vermont we are the garden opposite the Putney Coop - it's very public and visible and an easy stop off the interstate. : ) Farmers market on Sundays.. 10-2, in the summer. Peace, Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 15:04, Michael Herman wrote: hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am also the keeper of the neighborhood contact info directory page and the neighbors email list. in the garden there are a set of rules posted, as guides, but enforcement is left to the group. i guess i should also say that this land is held by a non-profit in chicago that holds or leases claim to 70 or 80 green spaces. they handle insurance, water bills, and other admin issues and contract with a community group (the neighborhood association, in our case) and at least three local garden leaders. the way i came into this is that i saw the previous leadership running a very exclusive, controlling process and happened to meet the director of the non-profit, who mentioned that he'd not heard from our garden leaders for years. i helped him reconnect, but also helped him re-write their contract with community group and leaders, adding a larger section for
[OSList] Community Gardens
Hi! (I started to write just to Michael - but realized that others might find the question and answer of interest.) How does the nominal leader run the community garden in OS? Most particularly how does the work that needs to be done to manage the garden as a whole get done? I ask as secretary of a Governing Committee that came into existence when the original founders alienated too many people (by being arrogant and punitive and authoritarian) and it was decided we needed to have some structure and governance. 'Nuff said, interested in the answer! Peace, Annamarie Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 11:26, Michael Herman via OSList wrote: i woke up this morning thinking about this game, thinking in a direction similar to paul levy. i am the nominal leader of a community garden now for four years. my management is deeply informed by my learning in and about open space. does it count as 1 or 4? i once had a client who flew me in to facilitate a meeting. we also built a weblog and they contacted me a number of times, over several years, with minor technical questions. do the meeting and the blog count as one together, or two separate? i taught my grandma to say ah, as she began the active process of dying. she then repeated that seed syllable, a one-syllable mantra for peace, on every breath of her last week of life. she never opened her eyes but over that week completely relaxed her whole body. was that open space? what about up all night rocking a tiny, sick, neice? i saw some new neighbors moving in the other day. our neighborhood has a lot of old houses and everybody moves in and starts updating everything. i offered my tools and experience. if they never take me up on that offer/invitation, does it count? what if they just look for me at my desk in our front window, and wave when they see me, while out walking their dog? that could happen a lot. must count as only once? or maybe it doesn't count at all? what about three opening briefings, on three consecutive days of open space trainings i've done? and what about all the things that happen after an event, does the original opener get partial credit for things his/her participants open later on? to paul's point, i can ask questions like this about almost every situation where i facilitated a meeting in an open space way, and about many other situations where i was not facilitating anything, apparently. this is one of the ways i understand that we live in open space. my approach to training folks in and about open space is significantly focused on the crafting of invitations, in the belief that if we make enough invitations, over time, people, groups and good work are going to show up. i also focus on discovering all the different ways that whomever i'm training has already been opening space in their own lives. i don't think anyone could come to this work without having already done it before. it would be completely un-understandable to them without prior experience. i think people ask for training so they can do what they already know/do better. so i try to build on and from whatever understanding they bring. so this question of seven or more is not so easy for me. not sure it's even helpful. i'm more interested in questions like: 1. when did you first hear about os or ost? 2. what was the hook? how did you notice it might have value? 3. when did you notice that you'd started letting it inform how you live? 4. what has happened since then? what difference does it seem to make? and so on. a new game? the next round? maybe. or maybe it's just the game Murli called OSLIST back in 1996? michael -- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates 312-280-7838 (mobile) http://MichaelHerman.com http://OpenSpaceWorld.org On Sun, Dec 14, 2014 at 8:47 AM, Eva P Svensson via OSList oslist@lists.openspacetech.org wrote: I have also stopped counting :-) But love doing it whenever it’s possible. :o) Eva Sweden Bästa hälsningar Eva P Svensson *EPS Human Invest AB* *Co owner Genuine Contact Group Inc* *Medlem i Beyond Performance Group* *Verksamhetsutveckling genom människor skapar långsiktigt välmående företag och organisationer* Anåsbergsvägen 22, 439 34 ONSALA Besöksadress; Norra Allégatan 8, Göteborg Tfn: 0300-615 05, Mobil; 0706- 89 85 50 www.epshumaninvest.se Skype: eva.p.svensson Facebook sida: EPS Human Invest AB twitter:@EvaPSvensson *Jag kan inte lära dig något. Allt jag kan göra är att ställa frågor till dig, och låta dig själv finna svaren. Sokrates* 13 dec 2014 kl. 18:05 skrev Gray via OSList oslist@lists.openspacetech.org: Um...I've facilitated, at this point, a little over 60. Smallest was 8 people on Maui. Largest was about 375, in Chicago. Been doing it since 2007. And I say um... Because I am still learning, still figuring it out, and
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am also the keeper of the neighborhood contact info directory page and the neighbors email list. in the garden there are a set of rules posted, as guides, but enforcement is left to the group. i guess i should also say that this land is held by a non-profit in chicago that holds or leases claim to 70 or 80 green spaces. they handle insurance, water bills, and other admin issues and contract with a community group (the neighborhood association, in our case) and at least three local garden leaders. the way i came into this is that i saw the previous leadership running a very exclusive, controlling process and happened to meet the director of the non-profit, who mentioned that he'd not heard from our garden leaders for years. i helped him reconnect, but also helped him re-write their contract with community group and leaders, adding a larger section for stakeholder signatures. expanding the circle, if you will. so i went around and had this new contract signed by lots of neighbors and had a chance to talk to a lot of folks about what they thought of the park and the garden and the neighborhood. then the old leader got bothered that he'd not be in sole control, and walked out. the neighborhood association took a while to figure out that i wasn't the devil, but over time that's been borne out by the work i've done to engage everyone in an open, expanding, resilient, emerging sort of process. for my next trick, i try to get out and go take a nap for a year, or at least get out of some of the stuff like collecting fees, assigning plots, inviting the tiller day to happen. we'll see! does that answer the question? -- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates 312-280-7838 (mobile)
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
Yes it does! And thanks for taking the time to write it all down. The last paragraph is most salient to me - since that's the stuff we struggle with - I was Hoping that an OS-run garden would magically cause everyone to pay their fees on time and do their part in the work of maintaining the garden. Our garden starts with an organic requirement! Easier to do in southern Vermont. And if anyone reading this finds themselves motoring around Putney Vermont we are the garden opposite the Putney Coop - it's very public and visible and an easy stop off the interstate. : ) Farmers market on Sundays.. 10-2, in the summer. Peace, Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 15:04, Michael Herman wrote: hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am also the keeper of the neighborhood contact info directory page and the neighbors email list. in the garden there are a set of rules posted, as guides, but enforcement is left to the group. i guess i should also say that this land is held by a non-profit in chicago that holds or leases claim to 70 or 80 green spaces. they handle insurance, water bills, and other admin issues and contract with a community group (the neighborhood association, in our case) and at least three local garden leaders. the way i came into this is that i saw the previous leadership running a very exclusive, controlling process and happened to meet the director of the non-profit, who mentioned that he'd not heard from our garden leaders for years. i helped him reconnect, but also helped him re-write their contract with community group and leaders, adding a larger section for
[OSList] Community Gardens
Hi! (I started to write just to Michael - but realized that others might find the question and answer of interest.) How does the nominal leader run the community garden in OS? Most particularly how does the work that needs to be done to manage the garden as a whole get done? I ask as secretary of a Governing Committee that came into existence when the original founders alienated too many people (by being arrogant and punitive and authoritarian) and it was decided we needed to have some structure and governance. 'Nuff said, interested in the answer! Peace, Annamarie Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 11:26, Michael Herman via OSList wrote: i woke up this morning thinking about this game, thinking in a direction similar to paul levy. i am the nominal leader of a community garden now for four years. my management is deeply informed by my learning in and about open space. does it count as 1 or 4? i once had a client who flew me in to facilitate a meeting. we also built a weblog and they contacted me a number of times, over several years, with minor technical questions. do the meeting and the blog count as one together, or two separate? i taught my grandma to say ah, as she began the active process of dying. she then repeated that seed syllable, a one-syllable mantra for peace, on every breath of her last week of life. she never opened her eyes but over that week completely relaxed her whole body. was that open space? what about up all night rocking a tiny, sick, neice? i saw some new neighbors moving in the other day. our neighborhood has a lot of old houses and everybody moves in and starts updating everything. i offered my tools and experience. if they never take me up on that offer/invitation, does it count? what if they just look for me at my desk in our front window, and wave when they see me, while out walking their dog? that could happen a lot. must count as only once? or maybe it doesn't count at all? what about three opening briefings, on three consecutive days of open space trainings i've done? and what about all the things that happen after an event, does the original opener get partial credit for things his/her participants open later on? to paul's point, i can ask questions like this about almost every situation where i facilitated a meeting in an open space way, and about many other situations where i was not facilitating anything, apparently. this is one of the ways i understand that we live in open space. my approach to training folks in and about open space is significantly focused on the crafting of invitations, in the belief that if we make enough invitations, over time, people, groups and good work are going to show up. i also focus on discovering all the different ways that whomever i'm training has already been opening space in their own lives. i don't think anyone could come to this work without having already done it before. it would be completely un-understandable to them without prior experience. i think people ask for training so they can do what they already know/do better. so i try to build on and from whatever understanding they bring. so this question of seven or more is not so easy for me. not sure it's even helpful. i'm more interested in questions like: 1. when did you first hear about os or ost? 2. what was the hook? how did you notice it might have value? 3. when did you notice that you'd started letting it inform how you live? 4. what has happened since then? what difference does it seem to make? and so on. a new game? the next round? maybe. or maybe it's just the game Murli called OSLIST back in 1996? michael -- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates 312-280-7838 (mobile) http://MichaelHerman.com http://OpenSpaceWorld.org On Sun, Dec 14, 2014 at 8:47 AM, Eva P Svensson via OSList oslist@lists.openspacetech.org wrote: I have also stopped counting :-) But love doing it whenever it’s possible. :o) Eva Sweden Bästa hälsningar Eva P Svensson *EPS Human Invest AB* *Co owner Genuine Contact Group Inc* *Medlem i Beyond Performance Group* *Verksamhetsutveckling genom människor skapar långsiktigt välmående företag och organisationer* Anåsbergsvägen 22, 439 34 ONSALA Besöksadress; Norra Allégatan 8, Göteborg Tfn: 0300-615 05, Mobil; 0706- 89 85 50 www.epshumaninvest.se Skype: eva.p.svensson Facebook sida: EPS Human Invest AB twitter:@EvaPSvensson *Jag kan inte lära dig något. Allt jag kan göra är att ställa frågor till dig, och låta dig själv finna svaren. Sokrates* 13 dec 2014 kl. 18:05 skrev Gray via OSList oslist@lists.openspacetech.org: Um...I've facilitated, at this point, a little over 60. Smallest was 8 people on Maui. Largest was about 375, in Chicago. Been doing it since 2007. And I say um... Because I am still learning, still figuring it out, and
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am also the keeper of the neighborhood contact info directory page and the neighbors email list. in the garden there are a set of rules posted, as guides, but enforcement is left to the group. i guess i should also say that this land is held by a non-profit in chicago that holds or leases claim to 70 or 80 green spaces. they handle insurance, water bills, and other admin issues and contract with a community group (the neighborhood association, in our case) and at least three local garden leaders. the way i came into this is that i saw the previous leadership running a very exclusive, controlling process and happened to meet the director of the non-profit, who mentioned that he'd not heard from our garden leaders for years. i helped him reconnect, but also helped him re-write their contract with community group and leaders, adding a larger section for stakeholder signatures. expanding the circle, if you will. so i went around and had this new contract signed by lots of neighbors and had a chance to talk to a lot of folks about what they thought of the park and the garden and the neighborhood. then the old leader got bothered that he'd not be in sole control, and walked out. the neighborhood association took a while to figure out that i wasn't the devil, but over time that's been borne out by the work i've done to engage everyone in an open, expanding, resilient, emerging sort of process. for my next trick, i try to get out and go take a nap for a year, or at least get out of some of the stuff like collecting fees, assigning plots, inviting the tiller day to happen. we'll see! does that answer the question? -- Michael Herman Michael Herman Associates 312-280-7838 (mobile)
Re: [OSList] Community Gardens
Yes it does! And thanks for taking the time to write it all down. The last paragraph is most salient to me - since that's the stuff we struggle with - I was Hoping that an OS-run garden would magically cause everyone to pay their fees on time and do their part in the work of maintaining the garden. Our garden starts with an organic requirement! Easier to do in southern Vermont. And if anyone reading this finds themselves motoring around Putney Vermont we are the garden opposite the Putney Coop - it's very public and visible and an easy stop off the interstate. : ) Farmers market on Sundays.. 10-2, in the summer. Peace, Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) On 14 Dec 2014, at 15:04, Michael Herman wrote: hi annamarie, in our space, we have 18 plots in one large raised bed. plots are assigned on first-come basis. the previous garden leader and the guy who cut the grass in the park took 6 of the 18 plots for themselves, what seemed like the sunniest and best plots. the first thing i did was take no plot. one other garden leader takes one plot. everybody's equal, nobody gets more than one plot. the next thing i did was set up an email group. when people ask for a plot, i ask them to join the list. if they don't join, they never get the information needed to sign up. so i ask them to take some responsibility for their interest right away. it's not about a transaction that they pay their little fee for their little plot. they have to actually show up in the list. then all the info goes out on the list. everything is done as transparently as possible. assignments are done on a tenure basis, first pick to returning gardeners, then in order of joining the list. i invite/suggest tilling the whole bet together in the spring. my wife and i live without a car, so i ask for somebody to pickup the rental tiller, and volunteers come out throughout the day to take turns using it. some don't show, and a few guys have a lot of fun giving the whole thing second and third coats with the powertool. some people have perennials to be saved, and they are responsible for getting those marked for the tillers. through the summer, the list allows folks to ask others to water their stuff while they go away. ask questions about various issues, who's stealing tomatoes, what to do about the homeless guy sleeping in the park, is he the guy stealing tomatoes? what about tree trimming? or what about the big tree that shattered in the storm, the expert says it should come down, but can it be saved? always my thing is putting out as much info as i have and asking what anyone thinks, and what anyone can do to contribute. and yes, the shattered tree has been saved for a few years now because a couple of people on the list jumped to do what was needed to make that happen. we've had conflict of sorts, at least differences of opinion/agenda over spreading weed poison in the park where the plots are. so that required a fair amount of space holding on the list and in relations with my neighbors. the neighbors were mostly willing to chip in and buy the poison service. the gardeners we're willing to chip in and help dig up the dandelions, also to do research on alternative sprays. one gardener's father was an ag scientiest for one of the chemical companies. so we ended up having a lot of good information, found an organic alternative, had to have only one nasty treatment, and the gardeners worked to dig weeds within the area closest to the garden bed. mostly i ask a lot more questions and feed a lot more info into the list, our wall and don't hardly ever tell anyone what they need to do. got a little dicey in the weeds process, when a good friend and neighbor who lives right next to the park, and led the weed poison charge, wanted and expected me to do just that -- tell everybody how it was going to be. in the end, my mailbox ends up being where organic weed treatment donations are dropped off by neighbors and gardeners. of course, i am also the keeper of the neighborhood contact info directory page and the neighbors email list. in the garden there are a set of rules posted, as guides, but enforcement is left to the group. i guess i should also say that this land is held by a non-profit in chicago that holds or leases claim to 70 or 80 green spaces. they handle insurance, water bills, and other admin issues and contract with a community group (the neighborhood association, in our case) and at least three local garden leaders. the way i came into this is that i saw the previous leadership running a very exclusive, controlling process and happened to meet the director of the non-profit, who mentioned that he'd not heard from our garden leaders for years. i helped him reconnect, but also helped him re-write their contract with community group and leaders, adding a larger section for
[OSList] Community Gardens and crucial conversations
Re: Community Garden Dear Annamarie Pluhar I was involved in helping establish a community garden. I've been gone from the project for 7 years and it's still running strongly. We used formal Open Space every six months or so, or more often if needed, for everyone to check in with each other. A kind of general topic like, 'how are things going with the garden and where to next?' This enabled irritations to be surfaced. It also enabled some important questions to be posted and revisted from time to time like 'governance' and 'day to day management/co-ordination'. getting clarity on who was doing what, who was authorised to sign cheques; etc etc. Although it sometimes sounds like it, Open Space is not the same as Laissez Faire. Communities, to function, generally need some decision making disciplines. As Harrison helpfully points out in 'The Spirit of Leadership' and in 'Waverider' the main principle is to have 'sufficient structure to support Spirit', rather than trying to Squeeze spirit into structure. The latter is the way things tend to evolve if we don't keep opening space and asking the questions 'is our day to day structuring still working for us - is it still supporting Spirit?'. And of course to never think we are in control. The kind of challenging situations you describe will continue to arise, and I admit can be challening to deal with in 'voluntary organisations' where we don't have the coersive powers of an employment contract. This gives us the opportunity to ask the question, 'how do we do effective (non-violence) communication when we can't resort to coercive power? Community Gardens provide a great opportunity to explore such questions I think. Convene an Open Space and throw the question to the group - harness the collective wisdom... Michael Wood Perth, Western Australia HI all, Slightly off topic, maybe, but I'd be interested in your thoughts. HO says (copied below) we are self-organizing top to bottom, beginning to end. So how does one handle in a community garden the one person who consistently doesn't act in the best interests of the community but only insists on her perspective? Flouting agreements, signed contracts.. etc. etc. I think the answer is in total transparency? That the folks who knew this was going on didn't broadcast it and make it apparent to everyone else? Of course this is relevant to anytime you have a group of people doing something together: teamwork, project management... I often think of the adage One bad apple spoils the barrel .. I wonder if there are versions of this is German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Hebrew... ? Unlike in Open Space the gardeners can't pick up and move their gardens to another space (though I do fear some are opting out which will eventually kill the garden) Your thoughts? Thanks! Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com http://www.pluharconsulting.com/ 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) ___ 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] Community Gardens and crucial conversations
Re: Community Garden Dear Annamarie Pluhar I was involved in helping establish a community garden. I've been gone from the project for 7 years and it's still running strongly. We used formal Open Space every six months or so, or more often if needed, for everyone to check in with each other. A kind of general topic like, 'how are things going with the garden and where to next?' This enabled irritations to be surfaced. It also enabled some important questions to be posted and revisted from time to time like 'governance' and 'day to day management/co-ordination'. getting clarity on who was doing what, who was authorised to sign cheques; etc etc. Although it sometimes sounds like it, Open Space is not the same as Laissez Faire. Communities, to function, generally need some decision making disciplines. As Harrison helpfully points out in 'The Spirit of Leadership' and in 'Waverider' the main principle is to have 'sufficient structure to support Spirit', rather than trying to Squeeze spirit into structure. The latter is the way things tend to evolve if we don't keep opening space and asking the questions 'is our day to day structuring still working for us - is it still supporting Spirit?'. And of course to never think we are in control. The kind of challenging situations you describe will continue to arise, and I admit can be challening to deal with in 'voluntary organisations' where we don't have the coersive powers of an employment contract. This gives us the opportunity to ask the question, 'how do we do effective (non-violence) communication when we can't resort to coercive power? Community Gardens provide a great opportunity to explore such questions I think. Convene an Open Space and throw the question to the group - harness the collective wisdom... Michael Wood Perth, Western Australia HI all, Slightly off topic, maybe, but I'd be interested in your thoughts. HO says (copied below) we are self-organizing top to bottom, beginning to end. So how does one handle in a community garden the one person who consistently doesn't act in the best interests of the community but only insists on her perspective? Flouting agreements, signed contracts.. etc. etc. I think the answer is in total transparency? That the folks who knew this was going on didn't broadcast it and make it apparent to everyone else? Of course this is relevant to anytime you have a group of people doing something together: teamwork, project management... I often think of the adage One bad apple spoils the barrel .. I wonder if there are versions of this is German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Hebrew... ? Unlike in Open Space the gardeners can't pick up and move their gardens to another space (though I do fear some are opting out which will eventually kill the garden) Your thoughts? Thanks! Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com http://www.pluharconsulting.com/ 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) ___ 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] Community Gardens and crucial conversations
Re: Community Garden Dear Annamarie Pluhar I was involved in helping establish a community garden. I've been gone from the project for 7 years and it's still running strongly. We used formal Open Space every six months or so, or more often if needed, for everyone to check in with each other. A kind of general topic like, 'how are things going with the garden and where to next?' This enabled irritations to be surfaced. It also enabled some important questions to be posted and revisted from time to time like 'governance' and 'day to day management/co-ordination'. getting clarity on who was doing what, who was authorised to sign cheques; etc etc. Although it sometimes sounds like it, Open Space is not the same as Laissez Faire. Communities, to function, generally need some decision making disciplines. As Harrison helpfully points out in 'The Spirit of Leadership' and in 'Waverider' the main principle is to have 'sufficient structure to support Spirit', rather than trying to Squeeze spirit into structure. The latter is the way things tend to evolve if we don't keep opening space and asking the questions 'is our day to day structuring still working for us - is it still supporting Spirit?'. And of course to never think we are in control. The kind of challenging situations you describe will continue to arise, and I admit can be challening to deal with in 'voluntary organisations' where we don't have the coersive powers of an employment contract. This gives us the opportunity to ask the question, 'how do we do effective (non-violence) communication when we can't resort to coercive power? Community Gardens provide a great opportunity to explore such questions I think. Convene an Open Space and throw the question to the group - harness the collective wisdom... Michael Wood Perth, Western Australia HI all, Slightly off topic, maybe, but I'd be interested in your thoughts. HO says (copied below) we are self-organizing top to bottom, beginning to end. So how does one handle in a community garden the one person who consistently doesn't act in the best interests of the community but only insists on her perspective? Flouting agreements, signed contracts.. etc. etc. I think the answer is in total transparency? That the folks who knew this was going on didn't broadcast it and make it apparent to everyone else? Of course this is relevant to anytime you have a group of people doing something together: teamwork, project management... I often think of the adage One bad apple spoils the barrel .. I wonder if there are versions of this is German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Hebrew... ? Unlike in Open Space the gardeners can't pick up and move their gardens to another space (though I do fear some are opting out which will eventually kill the garden) Your thoughts? Thanks! Annamarie Pluhar Pluhar Consulting http://www.pluharconsulting.com http://www.pluharconsulting.com/ 802.451.1941 802.579.5975 (cell) ___ 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
