In her Reflections post, Anne Stadler asks: Question?? Are these stories the new "normal" if we could step out of our own fears and needs and realize that??
Examples - focused on practical challenges and opportunities. *********** *Well here goes: now a personal story from me* which you can decide to read or not :-) Last evening at a dinner party hosted by friends with many who I did not know, I thought of OPEN (Ordinary People, Extraordinary Networks), of us in this worldwide community and our work in Open Space Technology. I thought of the genuine acts of leadership happening everywhere in spite of the shackled systems, structures, and ridiculous expectations that try to keep people in little boxes and small minded roles. One lady at the dinner was a former principal. Rather than living her life delivering edicts from atop to those below, she took it on herself to do "common sense" stuff as she called it. Her job was to serve teachers and with a smile, she says and to catch with those a lot smarter than me. Then the stories began: We had a dress code that no one understood. Girls could only wear "walking shorts". What are those? Who can understand this stuff? So she convened a group of students to work together with her to figure out a dress code that made sense. Then there were complaints from neighbors with kids parking and blocking their entry way. Again she convened students, with neighbors and the local police and they figured out some positive and amiable solutions. Next it was a drug problem, teams of students were convened, solutions found or at least the drug problems did not escalate. Now she is retired. This week out of the blue, she received a letter from a student thanking her. It was brimming with accomplishment. How she was a mom now, how she had completed university and how happy she was. She thanked her former principal for helping her kick a cocaine habit years ago. Not too long ago, this former principal stopped by her old school. Parking is again a problem. The current principal said it was not his job to handle such affairs. Other signs that the common sense things that the retired principal use to do convening and involving are also not happening anymore. She felt sad though no less convinced of having done the right things. As the conversation went between us at the table a music teacher spoke of how lucky he is that his principal lets him teach without interference. He has kids from Grade 1 to 6. The teacher does not worry if a child does not learn what the program says he should by grade 4. Perhaps he will learn it in grade 5 and that will be OK. Next year, he says they are bringing in rigorous testing of the sort that has invaded lots of classes leading to a teach to the test all year round. He wonders how that will affect the kids and his teaching and also notes, how interesting it has been that those students from whom one would have expected so much less are those later who rush to join the band, who pursue music and who excel at school. He takes no credit; he is not bragging, his thoughts and stories are only about the kids, learning and music. Next to me on the other side was a social worker working with families and dying patients in hospice. More stories there too of how a system seems to be going cross purpose to the right common sense thing to do, helping everyone navigate end of life issues and relationships to bring peace to everyone --those dying and those left behind. She bristles when young employees point out missing information on forms that they've been requested to complete, upset at how all the data collected to serve people above and endless paper work do little to comfort the people they are there to serve. The system leaves little room for mentoring and conversation between the staff. Yet in spite of all this, she loves going to work every day. None of these folks have given up or given in to the system though one can not deny that many have; many have lost that little spark inside that says they can make a difference. I sense the little and big acts of courage happening here. When they asked me about what I did and as I described Open Space where and how it happens, they seemed incredulous at first as to how their superiors, the establishment and they themselves could ever convene such gatherings. I felt the hope in their voices and saw it in their eyes. When the evening ended, in the listening and natural opening of space around a table with 12 people, many of whom had been strangers to each other, I knew that space opens everywhere and anywhere. I felt they understood a little more about Open Space without any words being said to explain it. They had lived its magic together as evidenced by the hugs, the not wanting to leave in spite of it being late. I felt the joy and warmth with the hosts. More than food had been served though it had been lovingly prepared and delicious indeed. And last night when I got home, I felt even more committed to continue opening space formally and informally, so that stories can be shared and perhaps systems can be changed to evolve in a "common sense way" to address practical challenges and opportunities so that all the Ordianary People, that we are, can become the Extraordinary Networks that we are meant to be. The beauty of OPEN in OST. Thank you Anne for your inspired post. I savored it all and will read it again many times on those dark *and* happy days in my work which is all of our work. Suzanne Suzanne Daigle Open Space Facilitator NuFocus Strategic Group FL 941-359-8877 Cell: 203-722-2009 www.nufocusgroup.com s.dai...@nufocusgroup.com Twitter @Daiglesuz
_______________________________________________ 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
