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Volume 4 Issue 1 Published
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Varied
responses and opinions demonstrate the richness of Open Space – OSONOS VI demonstrated again,
as Birgitt commented in a recent posting to the OSLIST: "The good news is that Open
Space works. The bad news is that Open Space works :) " Having attended the OSONOS IV and V in
Washington D.C and The following are three excerpts of inputs
to the OSLIST posted shortly after the event in November. Judy Gast
Birgitt Reporting about Open Space on Open Space
(OSONOS) is hard to put into words. For sure, this is my own experience and
opinion, which may not be similar to others. The story does have a happy
ending, garnered on the day after OSONOS, when those interested in developing
the institutes convened for a day. OSONOS was a huge and, at times for me,
unbearable, learning experience. By the end of Sunday (we had gathered for an
hour or so on the Saturday eve, space was opened on the Sunday morning and
closed on the Monday late pm) I was ready to leave, not sure if I would come
to an OSONOS again. I don't read what is happening only from an intellectual
level as I go through life, but rather largely from an intuitive level. My
intuition was saying much was wrong and it was not good for me to be there.
Quite why, I didn't know, although some reasons became clear later. As we gathered on the Saturday, it felt
good, greeting people I had met before at OSONOS, many of whom I consider
dear friends from around the world. And greeting at least one person from the
list who I had not met before, and others whom were new. I had known all day
that In the morning on Sunday, a team of three
opened the space. There were very different styles at work, and they didn't
blend well. Each person did a good job with what he/she individually believed
and practiced. There was a lot of learning for all involved. Some
acknowledged that we were new at this, at doing it without My next experience, was what happened after
I posted the topic "Growing capacity as an Open Space facilitator",
devastated me. I was used to OSONOS being a place for deep discussions with people
who had awareness of Open Space through their facilitation, their experience
in Open Space, or at least having read at least one of the books. Of the 60
or so people at the event, almost half came to my session. And it soon became
clear that the majority of the group had never read a book about Open Space
or experienced it in any way. This meant that we were overbalanced by those
who were there wanted to learn quickly – by participating in OSONOS
(instead of participating in OS training, which was scheduled after OSONOS).
The good news is that they were interested. The bad news was how this showed
up in my session. One fellow will always stick in my mind. He wanted me to
answer detailed "how to questions". I stated that this was not the
way to learn OS- that it was a practice that had both form and essence, and
that I would do him and others a disservice to have them feel that getting
their questions answered in this way would prepare him to do OS. This fellow,
and some others though, never let up. They overpowered with their questions.
When it was over, he shut his notebook and thanked me and those who remained
and said he had all his questions answered. Soon after, I believe he left.
Some of the other new people understood Open Space as a responsible practice
and were keen to go about learning by reading, training and so on. So all was
not lost I was disappointed and bewildered. I wanted
to be sure the needs of those attending were met, and yet trying to do so
conflicted with my values about OS. I wanted to run away and keep running. As
I saw it, OSONOS had turned into a cheap and inappropriate training ground.
OSONOS was intended as an event where practitioners could continue their
learning together. Well, I guess we did at that! Just differently, and for me
it wasn’t always pleasant. On Monday morning, one of the newer people
spoke up, saying that she felt something in the air, that she was not
welcome, that OSONOS was not what she had expected. I then expressed my
reasons for being upset with the previous day, and said that I felt I could
not deliver what was I thought was being asked of me, and I was frustrated
about not making the newcomers feel welcome. If we had known how many of them
were present, we might have done things differently. For sure, this is not the whole story.
There were other painful struggles. Also some very special things happened
that had to do with friendships, new and old. And the fact that we had
representatives from six countries, four continents.
Larry Peterson - Larry Peterson & Associates in Transformation This is a rather long story about Open
Space on Open Space VI where some of the "Dead Moose" got on the
table and some didn’t but Spirit still soared. I was a knowledgeable
participant but I, like others there, also helped to hold the space in some
ways. There were in fact two open space "events"--one called OS on
OS and the other was a smaller event of those who wanted to work on the Open
Space Institutes. The dead moose(s) arose in the first event. I will begin
with my mindset going into the event because it shaped my perspective and
actions. A few days before travelling to OS on OS I
had an internal dialogue about what I might want to learn from this year's
event, since I could be a full participant and not the one Opening the Space.
I found myself wanting to learn more about Appreciative Inquiry and its
possible links to Open Space. I also felt the need to re-read Ken Wilbur, The
Marriage of Sense and Soul. I don't know why, but I trusted the intuition
and re-read much of the book on my journey. I also have a continuing interest
in "research" and the OSI’s and I knew those would be on the
agenda. I knew this would be a different event for
me from last year's for another reason. Becky, my life partner and occasional
Open Space colleague decided to use her conference budget to come. We came
early to spend some time at Big Sur Lodge in the Coastal Redwoods so I came
to the event with positive energy and already active in relationship. After some brief introduction by Peg Holman
and Linda Olson, some US OSI folks, Father Brian Bainbridge, from I was
however sad to hear that Harrison Owen would not be joining us, because he
had the "Berlin Flu". I sensed this was certainly interesting if
not providential turn of events, but I have come to expect those in Open
Space. I expressed my sense of loss to him by e-mail and still wish he could
have been there. On Sunday morning, Fr. Brian opened the
space and there was both energy and a good range of topics. I was attracted
to my first Open Space session because it had Appreciative Inquiry in the
title. However, imagine my shock when the session convener began with his new
application of Ken Wilbur's analysis to organizations, teams and leadership
and how that related to an Appreciative Inquiry approach. He was wondering
were Open Space fit. I was amazed at the links to my own preparation. Later in the day, I attended two sessions
where the story of a 1000 person Open Space led by Chris Schoch in I enjoyed the connections I made or
deepened and the new learning at OS on OS. I also saw some patterns to the
Open Space sessions. There were usually 2-5 very experienced practitioners
who were from a variety of countries. There was a small group of those who
were new, but had opened the space at least once. I also began to see that
more than half of most groups had not experienced Open Space before. In the
groups I attended, the initial conversations were largely between the more
experienced folks with newer folks asking good questions to unpack this or
that point. Fortunately, I did not have Birgitt's experience of people who
where trying to get detailed training for free at the sessions I attended. I did sense a "dead moose"
emerging at the evening news on the first day. I saw some people, who I would
normally expect to be spirited, acting wounded and saying so in some fairly
obtuse ways. I connected to one to find out what was up and got a perspective
on tensions that appeared to be behind the scenes. That dead moose did not
get on the table. The one that got on the table came up the
next morning. One of the people new to Open Space stated her experience of
"the dark cloud of not being welcomed by the group". Birgitt stated
her frustrations that some "newcomers" were demanding what felt
like training in the sessions and that it was not possible to meet those
needs in an OS on OS context. This led to quite a discussion between
newcomers and the "inner circle". This discussion went on for a
good hour and a half. Many of us stated our feelings and perceptions about
the event, A critical point for me was when Ralph
symbolically removed I think that morning news conversation was
a true "dialogue". I felt that truth was spoken and discovered,
clarity emerged and we were more of a community at the end of it, even with
our real differences. The closing of the space was almost
anti-climatic after that discussion. However, it was still moving to me and
was a time of expressing appreciation. It was also a time to acknowledge a
stranger who had appeared, with all kinds of connections to the UN and a
newcomer to boot. He had participated in the morning news and stayed. He then
got actively involved in the discussions about the future of Open Space
Institutes in one group discussion. I was also pleased that Becky had made
some great links and that her group had decided to Open the Space to save the
planet. Her Faculty of Environmental Studies is a great place for pursuing
this. I was in a good mood, but the following day
focused on the Open Space Institutes was still quite amazing to me. There were
plenty of positive "signs". During our first set of Open Space
discussions a double rainbow appeared right outside our widow and just the
length of the hotel. It was beautiful and we all stopped and experienced
wonder together. Soon after this, we were in discussion as
to how to relate OSI's across the globe. We explored possible words because
we knew "global" would not work. Birgitt and Michael, who were
involved in the OS on OS discussion, then proposed "World Wide Open
Space", not "institute" but just as it is, to symbolize our
connections. I then realized and stated that we had just "formed
it". In fact we had just come to consciousness of what was already there
at another level. It was awe-inspiring for all of us and we sat stunned for a
moment. Soon thereafter, the phone rang and our stranger with the UN links
informed us that he had contacted the UN. He came to lunch to tell us how he
had been paving the way for the formation of World Wide Open Space as a
registered NGO related to the UN. The importance of the UN connection and
consciousness is that no one country owns our worldwide intention. We
acknowledged that the UN is not seen positively everywhere, but is as good a
vehicle as we currently have to ground World Wide Open Space. Other discussions during that day also
helped us address the "newcomer" dead moose by enabling us to be
clearer what we and OS on OS are about. The report from Peg Holman will soon
provide the details, but I want to emphasize a couple of points.
As for furthering that learning, I also
want to reflect on the dead moose that did not get on the table. Since I was
not party to the discussions, I can only speak in generalities. I do believe
that there are differences in the way all of us organize an event, set the
context and then open space. The differences relate to who we are as people
and to our life journeys. Some of us have found rituals and approaches to
setting context that seem to work over time and that include some elements
that we think are critical to a powerful event. Given that a different individual or group
is now opening the space at OS on OS each year, it is a marvelous opportunity
to learn from our corporate experience. I think we need to be intentional
about this and do it in an appreciative way no matter how substantial the
differences. If not, critical comments can easily be experienced as hurtful
power plays where the "inner circle" tries to impose the right
answer. I believe strong opinions are great learning opportunities, if both
the giver and the receiver own them as such. This could be done as the space
is being closed at OS on OS, but it would require the sponsoring group to
clearly state this learning objective as part of context setting before the
space is opened. It is something for Sheila and Michael, who have agreed to
host OSONOS VII, to consider. When a dead moose gets on the table, the
truth about "dis-ease" and unhealthy actions can be addressed. As a
voluntary group of people learning how to Open Space in ourselves and our
organizations, I believe we will have the assertion of personal power and
"dis-ease" as part of our experience. Our ability to sustain
spirited connection will depend on the extent to which we can keep the space
open for the dead moose to get on the table and for our own learning and
healing. Peg Holman, Open Circle Company (Co-Founder Open Space Institute of
US) As I reflect on OSONOS VI, which I expect
I'll be processing for quite a while, here are some of my thoughts and
conclusions: Opening space with 3 people requires deep
preparation among them. We didn't take the time to really be in tune with
each other's needs and whom we were serving. I suspect that would have better
prepared us to hold the space together when things got rough. Communities require a mix of old timers and
new comers. They have different needs. I remember at my first OSONOS in 1996,
a number of people expressed frustration about the number of old timers and
the need for fresh perspectives. So, the learning I take away from the two
(1996 and 1998 ONONOS) experiences is the importance of the mix. Old timers
need newcomers to bring their questions and challenges. Newcomers need old
timers to provide context, perspective and experience. My learning is that
part of what keeps a community healthy is the continual flow of membership. Understanding who is participating is
always important. Had I better understood who was coming this year, I would
have suggested we use the opening evening to make the mix visible. It would
have given us a different launch point. Perhaps the most frequently expressed
sentiment I heard from participants was the extraordinary learning that took
place. At Morning Announcements on Monday (day 2), we spent about an hour in
very concentrated conversation about experiences of belonging. Perspectives
from newcomers (do I belong? am I welcome?) and old timers (can I have the
deep, meaningful conversations I expect with so many newcomers?) were heard.
The dissonance that bubbled on Sunday was expressed publicly on Monday. And
done with respect and deep listening. Many people told me how valuable it was
for them to have witnessed or participated in this kind of expression among 60
people. They had never before seen conflict handled so effectively by a
community. I for one rejoice in the depth of learning that would not have
occurred had we anticipated every nuance. There will ALWAYS be things that happen
that are not anticipated. I rejoice in them because they are the grounds for
the community to learn and grow together. This was a rich experience because
it wasn't always smooth. March 13: OSI May 28-31: Open Space Training in June 29-July 3: 17th
Organizational Transformation Symposium in July 10-13: Open Space Training in September 16-19: Open Space Training in September 25-27: OSONOS VII in November 3-6, 1999: Open Space Training
with Harrison Owen in November 15-18: Open Space Training in February 22-23, April 21-22, September
22-23 and December 16-17: Small Group Process Facilitation Workshop with Birgitt Bolton - designed to assist Open Space
practitioners and other facilitators help their clients plan and implement
effective meetings by working through pre and post planning and follow up
sessions with "sponsors" and facilitating meetings that engage the
whole person (Contact Jacquie McNeilly as listed above) Open Space Books Harrison Owen’s Books are available from Larry Peterson (Open Space Institute) or through Resources Connection. Information is available via their website http://www.resourcesconnect.com/ To order call 1-800-295-0957, fax 905-473-4219 or email info@resourcesconnect.com Expanding Our Now and Open
Space Technology are available from Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Their
distributor in Barry Owen continues to keep the Worldwide (formerly Global) Open Space Website up to date and informative. The URL is http://www.geocities.com/athens/oracle/9215 Check it out! The OSONOS VI Proceedings are available at URL: http://www.tmn.com/openspace/osonos/htm. Check it out for ideas, thoughts, information on these and other topics:
Open Space at an by Monica Stewart I was first introduced to Open Space at a
meeting of The Learning Partnership, an organization promoting the
collaboration of schools and business. It was a large and controversial
meeting, with protesters handing out leaflets encouraging participants to
boycott the event for the good of education. I
was there because my friend and I were planning to open an alternative high
school for bright but economically challenged teenagers, and we wanted to
know if business was interested in being part of funding such a venture
without wanting to use our future students as captive consumers. For the Open Space part of the conference,
there were three questions posted around the theme of business/education
partnerships, and three ballrooms with about 100 chairs each, set up in large
circles. We chose which circle to join based on the three questions. I had
never sat in such a large circle before and was quite anxious to see what
would happen. What happened was the ringing of some very small but very
resonant bells and the hush of expectancy. I was fascinated by what followed: Birgitt
Bolton began walking the circle and explaining the principles and law of Open
Space Technology and inviting us to examine our passions around the theme and
to post them as items for discussion. Her evocation of both passion and
responsibility struck a cord with me. The focus of our school was leadership
and the motto was "A culture of achievement in a framework of
compassion". We, too, wanted our students to be passionate and responsible
in their learning and in their communities. As a veteran of many types of meetings with
other educators, I was skeptical of the group’s ability to rise to
Birgitt’s challenge to identify their passions on paper and take
responsibility for leading a discussion on them. I was very nervous in those
few seconds after Birgitt sat down. What if no one came forward? What if all
they wanted to do was discuss the process without ever getting to the
"meat" of the meeting? What if we got stuck in the "us and them"
rut that seemed to characterize previous attempts to discuss this theme? In a
very few minutes the agenda wall was filled with fascinating topics and then
the conversations began. The rich, open and productive nature of the
discussions between business people and educators was something I never
thought I would see. I was convinced that we needed Open Space
to be part of our school life. We met with Birgitt and decided to use Open
Space for both our staff orientation in the summer and student/community orientation
during the first week of our new school. The staff orientation was productive
and useful in many ways. Discussion topics included conflict resolution
strategies, involvement of parents and volunteers, interdisciplinary learning
and teaching and evaluation. We got a great deal of practical planning done,
and we got to know each other much better (although we had been meeting
monthly for over a year to plan), and started to realize that we were perhaps
not as aligned in our educational philosophies as we had assumed we were. A few weeks later we had a large Open Space
with our new students, staff, administration, some parents and volunteers.
Our board members chose not to participate. Topics at this Open Space ranged
from freedom of expression, creativity, and community service, to sports and
dress code. Here’s what we learned about the students: they had
passion, and ideas, and hopes and fears and questions; they jumped in and
took up the challenge to help create the school within the givens we had
established; they tested us and trusted us with their vulnerability. Here’s what we learned about the
parents: they were knowledgeable about education, were in tune with the
school’s mandate of social responsibility paired with academic
excellence, and they were supportive of the Open Space approach. We, the administrators, were thrilled. We
felt that an open, creative, and collaborative environment was being born.
But then there was what we learned about some of the teachers: they were
intelligent, well educated, hard working, but they were not willing to let go
of control. Where we saw the students as showing initiative, they saw them as
rude. Where we applauded the challenges they handed us, they saw impudence
and insubordination. While we, by using the Open Space process, were
endeavoring to break down barriers, they were desperately trying to shore
them up. It was a glaring example of the saying,
"The good news is that Open Space works. The bad news is that Open Space
works." Open Space had brought the "truth" of the school on
the table: we had a dynamic group of students and parents who were eager to
carry out our mandate, and we had core group of teachers who were not willing
to relinquish the control necessary to enable the school to effectively pursue
that mandate. And we had a board not interested enough to be part of the
process. We struggled for a year with this
inconsistency. In our classes and in the school leadership lab, my fellow
administrator and I tried to continue to operate with Open Space principles,
but a core group of teachers ran very traditional, teacher-dominated
programs. The board continued to be absent from our meetings until the
tensions became too overwhelming to ignore. Rather than help us deal with our
difficulties according to our philosophy and charitable mandate, the board
took the easy way out. They followed the lead of the core teachers back into
the realm of the traditional command-and-control driven private school. I
think we made some gains overall, but ultimately the tension was too great
and we had to come to a parting of the ways. I wish this was one of those Open Space
stories where everything got sorted out and we were better than ever. In
reality, my friend and I left, and the school is (in my opinion) limping
along in a lackluster fashion with little or no resemblance to our original
dream. My friend and I, on the other hand, were moved by the experience to
become an energy therapy practitioner (that’s my friend) and an Open
Space educational consultant (that’s me). And who knows what the
effects were on the students and the positive ramifications it may have for
them in the future. In my opinion without Open Space, we may have ended up in
about the same place, but it would have taken a lot longer and taken a larger
toll on all of us. Calling the Circle,
Christina Baldwin 1998 Bantam Books, A Quick Personal Review by Larry Peterson For Open Space Technology practitioners,
sitting in a circle is a critical part of gathering and bounding of Open
Space. We acknowledge the circle and that leadership must come from anywhere
around the circle where there is passion for the theme. We often close the
space with a talking piece or stick. Shamans and indigenous councils have
used this approach for millennia. Christina Baldwin with her colleague Ann
Linnea has created PeerSpirit to foster the calling of circles in a
particular way. They call councils of people who create sacred space in order
to accomplish specific tasks with mutual support. There are some definite
connections to Open Space Technology and some real differences. I am writing
this to help clarify my own thinking and feelings about both. Having never
experienced a PeerSpirit called circle I can only go from what I have
experienced through reading the book. I resonate to some of the conditions they
see needing to be present before calling a circle:
The process they use with the circle is
certainly not Open Space, but has some connections.
They describe the "Three Principles of
Circle" as an essential part of "holding the rim".
These are not the only principles they feel
are critical to holding the rim for a successful council. "Council"
is the term used for the dialogue, the conversations or the words that fill
the circle. The "Three Principles of Council" are as follows:
To me these principles are similar to those
stated by most good group dynamics folks. The author has clearly had those times when
the "circle did not hold", when the bonds of the community that
gathered were not strong enough or the connection to the center was not deep
enough to contain the struggles. She has had circles explode and even wonders
if there are some people who are so threatened by the bonds that being in a
circle triggers the need to break those bonds. She recognizes that
"being woven" into a circle can sometimes trigger rage and desires
to find escape routes. PeerSpirit circling does not have a "Law of Two
Feet". This approach is more guided than Open
Space and I can't see it working with large groups. However, it emphasizes
the spiritual center of the circle in some helpful ways. I have noticed that
as a stronger part of OS on OS events and it plays more of a role in my own
thinking and work now. Their struggle with the shadow side of their
experience and the metaphor of being "woven" into the circle are
related for me. People are not forced to be "woven" in Open Space
but choose to connect. However, participants (even me) get frightened when
they experience the extent of connection or of when the truth of the shadow
of an organization emerges. Their emphasis is on the circle holding the
space, not the guardian (who is one of the group). We emphasize that the
facilitator "holds" the space by protecting it against space
invaders. They emphasize that the circle and the commitments made by the
participants actually hold the circle (rim) with the sacred (and purpose) at
the center. I hunch it is both in Open Space. They mention that there is a lot of work
now proceeding with circles. They acknowledge Angeles Arrien's impact but do
not mention Open Space. I enjoyed comparing Open Space to another sacred use
of the circle for meeting. Next OSI The Open Space Institute of Canada is
hosting a one day opportunity for those who have experienced or are using
Open Space Technology to explore... Open
Space:From Passion to Action Over the past year there has been much
discussion among OS practitioners about how to carry forward and gain the
most value from the ideas and spirit generated in Open Space. Come if you are interested in questions as:
Please bring your thoughts, concerns,
caring and willingness to create community. Details: Centre
for Creative Ministries Cost: $ 40.00 OSI members
(includes lunch) $ 50.00 non-members ($10 can be applied to membership) Please pre-register so we can ensure
sufficient lunches are provided. Three ways to register By
Phone: 905 338-8933 By Fax: 905
338-5726* By Email: OSI@pdesigns.com *REGISTRATION FORM and MAP ATTACHED For more information Phone: 905
338-8933, or Email:OSI@pdesigns.com Join or
Renew Your Membership Please remember that you need to renew your OSI Joining or renewal is quite easy. Complete the Attached Membership Form and send it, along with your membership fee to: OSI C/O Larry Peterson |
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