A few thoughts on facilitating

Yesterday I facilitated a workshop with some people from a rural community to explore their future in light of the changes that are occurring around them. I’d heard a cool quote on television the night before that I used:

“Knowledge is knowing you’re on a one-way street; wisdom is looking both ways anyway.”

It seemed appropriate, and set the scene for some ‘knowledge transfer’ via presentations and time for conversation. Making sense of a complex, changing world isn’t going to happen in one workshop. Facilitating in this situation is so much about getting out of the way - allowing time and space for people to explore what interests them. Of course, Open Space is ideal for this.

The crunch comes when it’s time to decide what to do next. I wonder if this is necessary at all. We’ve been programmed to have beginnings, middles and ends. What’s wrong with something that continues? Conversation, collaboration and space. Three elements of community that are increasingly being squeezed by the pace of modern living.

Open Space Training

One of the questions I’m often asked is ‘how long does it take to open the space, get the agenda on the wall and open the marketplace’? the assumption seems to be that the more people you have, the longer it takes. It’s marginal really. My answer is almost always - 45 minutes.

One of the advantages of the OST process is that it gets people going quickly. I remember one open space event I participated in that took a very long two and a half hours to open. Apart from not being necessary, it was tedious and the participants became increasingly fractious. Is it any wonder! I think I’d find it really hard to stretch the opening for that long. There was also a really well organised grid on the wall indicating all the available rooms and spaces that the organisers had spent half the night preparing. Again, not necessary. I’m always reminded when I think I can improve on open space by ‘just doing x or y’ that the only ‘improvement’ open space needs is to ‘do one less thing’. This has become a mantra in all of my facilitation work now. It’s the embodiment of ‘trusting the group’ anyway.

If you’re going to be in Melbourne in mid-April and would like to learn about the nuts and bolts of using OST AND understand the philosophy underpinning open space, come along to our training. You can read all about it here.

More work to do in the world for women

At an International Women’s Day event I heard an Aboriginal woman talk of her family’s struggle to remain together; of the ignorance of others in declaring, when, as a teenager she took her siblings to the local swimming pool and was told she wasn’t allowed to swim there ‘because they would turn the water black’; of her joy in being reunited with her brother; and of her pride in herself, her family and her culture - simply for surviving.

I grew into feminism in the 1970s - nurtured by my mother’s indomitable spirit. I argued for women’s rights, fought for equality and today enjoy many of the results. Yet I see many, many women throughout the world who continue to struggle for basic human rights.

This TED video says it much better than I can, through the power of story. And epitomises the open space ethos in the world of passion and responsibility.

Role of facilitation in reconciliation

Facilitator as group leader; facilitator as organiser; facilitator as strategist; facilitator as innovator; facilitator as guide; facilitator as teacher; facilitator as visionary; facilitator as healer; facilitator as warrior; facilitator as peace maker.

Facilitator as peace maker - now that’s something you don’t hear very often. Maybe we should hear it more. Harrison Owen of Open Space Technology fame describes Open Space as a peace-making process, and Open Space facilitators as engaged in peace-making. That’s not to deny that other forms of facilitation can, and do, contribute to peacemaking. There’s no doubt the world needs more facilitators. There’s no doubt the world needs more peace.

PASSION

I’m enjoying this blog of Stephen Shapiro’s and particularly like this piece about passion.I think it works well with the uses of passion and responsibllity as experienced in Open Space. Don’t think I’ll ever look at the word passion the same again.

Opening Space for ideas and dialogue at PM Rudd’s Australia 2020 Summit

This week, Australia’s Prime Minister announced a 2020 Summit

AS Melbourne University vice-chancellor Glyn Davis said yesterday, it is all too rare for Australians from a vast range of areas to come together to think about the future. Kevin Rudd’s planned summit, titled Australia 2020, which has drawn bipartisan support from Brendan Nelson, is a welcome opportunity to unleash the creativity and energy of some of the nation’s best and brightest minds. At the summit, they will be invited to put forward ideas on 10 long-term issues facing the nation. Working in 10 groups of 100, the thousand people to be invited to Parliament House over the weekend of April 19-20 will tackle such issues as the economy, economic infrastructure and the digital economy, sustainability, rural industry, health, social inclusion, indigenous people and services, the arts, governance and national security. As the Prime Minister said, the summit is a chance to “shake the tree” and see what ideas fall to the ground.

What a fabulous opportunity. But we Aussies are a cynical bunch. In today’s Age newspaper, Warwick McFadyen, posed questions about the process of the Summit. He writes:

So that’s 100 people to a group, talking, debating, arguing, agreeing and disagreeing in 48 hours…(take some time out for eating, sleeping etc)…Now if each person in a group is allowed to speak, and fair’s fair if they’ve travelled from all around Australia to be there everyone should get a turn, that works out at 1200 minutes divided by 100 people, which equals 12 minutes each. Plenty of time. Most Australians can tell you what’s crook and how to make it better in five minutes, which leaves time for debate. Of course if everyone talks at once…

I’m no journalist (well, that’s not actually true - I was once) but I do know a thing or two about process. And there are lots of processes that would enable 100 people - let alone 1000 people - to have fantastic, robust, productive conversations. Search Conference, Appreciative Inquiry, World Cafe and my personal favourite Open Space Technology.

Is anyone out there listening? It’s called OPEN SPACE and has been used around the world to bring together people with quite different views and experiences - even hostility towards each other - to explore their passions. It’s quite an extraordinary process really - works with just a handful of people or even thousands. There’s examples of street kids in South America; electors in the US; companies and communities across the globe meeting in Open Space and achieving extraordinary results.

If only…

*Ring..ring*

Me: Hello, it’s Viv speaking.

PM Kevin Rudd: Hello, Viv, this is Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia. I believe you have some ideas about how we could get the best out of the 2020 Summit.

*swallows - and fans self with anything that comes to hand*

(Now if I was from North America I’d probably say “Yes, Sir! How can I help.” I’m not though - I’m Australian, so I’d probably say…)

Me: Hi Kev, glad you called. Did you read my blog?

PM Kevin Rudd: Urm, yes - you wrote something about open spaces I think.

Me: OPEN SPACE - it’s called OPEN SPACE and it would be just BRILLIANT. BRILLIANT!

PM Kevin Rudd: There’s no need to yell, I can hear you quite well…

*keeps breathing*

How DO you explain a process like Open Space Technology to someone who’s used to the political process? How do you explain a (Open Space Technology) process that doesn’t make sense in the telling but makes perfect sense when you experience it? A process that can deliver dozens, if not hundreds of productive conversations, ideas, commitments and the complete proceedings of every discussion and decision before people depart the summit on Sunday afternoon? How do you explain the energy and synergy, and the passion and the responsibility, the use of free will, self-organising systems, Law of Two Feet, and transformation? How do you explain that Open Space Technology promises, and does, deliver all of these?

World Open Space on Open Space

This will be a MUST DO in my calendar this year. Here’s some information from Open Space guru and friend Lisa Heft…

World Open Space on Open Space 2008 – San Francisco, California, USA

Monday, July 21 and Tuesday, July 22, 2008 – Open Space Learning Workshop
(for anyone who has not yet experienced Open Space – to learn about process and pre-work so that your explorations at the WOSonOS event with others can go deeper – for those who will be unable to come to the WOSonOS who would like to learn how to facilitate Open Space – or for those who may use Open Space but wish a chance to learn more with others.)

Tuesday evening, July 22 – A casual conversation with Harrison Owen and the launch of his 3rd Edition of “Open Space Technology: A User’s Guide”
(some time with ‘the guy in the hat’ and opportunities to be the very first owners of this latest greatest edition of this incredibly useful book)

Wednesday evening, July 23 – Welcome reception
(casual evening with little things to eat as we all arrive from our various homes around the globe and visit with each other)

Thursday, July 24 through mid-afternoon on Saturday, July 26 – World Open Space on Open Space
(exploring learning, inquiry, applications, variations, use across cultures and industries, tools and resources, complex questions, initiatives you are working on or would like to start
– whatever it is that *you* would like to convene a session about as together we learn and share from each other about - and in - Open Space)

For any of you who may be staying over - Monday, July 28 – Fabulous Facilitators lunchtime conversation with facilitators from across the San Francisco Bay Area.

And be prepared to be surprised – there are one or two more events in our WOSonOS 2008 week and season!

You may wish to plan your trip to arrive a few days early – to acclimate yourself from your travels and time zones, and to explore lovely San Francisco and surrounding areas.

The possibilities are rich and diverse –

…from flying a kite or walking along a foggy beach in a reclaimed marshland ecosystem…

…to a windy walk across the Golden Gate Bridge…

…to taking field trips with your family or friends to Muir Woods to see the redwood trees…

…to exploring the great neighborhoods of San Francisco – for example:

o enjoy an Italian pastry and attend the North Beach Jazz Festival
o look for lost hippies and love beads in the Haight Ashbury
o enjoy the Balmy Alley murals in the Mission District
o walk hand-in-hand with your partner (of any gender) in the gay Castro District
o sample local organic produce at the Farmers’ Market at the waterfront’s Ferry Building
o take your kids to Zeum the kids’ museum or visit the Museum of Modern Art
o ride the cable cars up and down the city’s hilly streets
o eat around the world via cuisine from Vietnam, Italy, Thailand, Central America, Spain, Morocco and many other cuisines and ethnic cultures
o see diverse explorations of identity, struggle, humor and culture at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival…
o drive out to Wine Country to taste local wines and foods and attend the Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival…

…or just hang out with your old and new friends, sip cool beverages, talk about life and watch the world go by.

Soon we will open our registration process and give you more details about the events and opportunities associated with WOSonOS 2008.

New Year resolutions/thanks

I’ve been reading a lot of blogs lately where New Year resolutions / intentions / aspirations and the like are discussed. There’s been a lot of reflection of the past year too. Not surprisingly given that the calendar has just clicked over to a whole new year bringing with it the opportunity to stop and reflect, regroup and maybe even contemplate the future.

I’m not good at reflecting. I’m just too much attune to  ’when it’s over, it’s over’ and I’m trying to live more in the present, so reflecting is too much like going backwards. I think I’ve probably internalised my learnings, parked them in my subconscious and, when needed, I’ll draw on them.

I wonder if reflecting is more of a cold-weather-short-days-dark-outside activity? Maybe not. Lying on the beach, sun-hat firmly in place, hearing the sounds of the southern Aussie summer (blowflies, waves, kids calling, seagulls screeching) and smelling summer (salt, sun-screen, Aerogard) is as good a place as any for any reflecting and pondering I might do.

I’ve taken Steve Shapiro’s advice and have come up with two intentions for 2008  - be adventurous and let go. They are very closely related. Being adventurous is about jumping in, having a go, doing something and letting go of my need to know - in advance - that it will be successful and that I’ll be competent. I want to live by the improvisational maxims to ‘be average’ and ‘celebrate failure’. I want to let go of expectations - mine and others’. And if something’s not working, I’ll stop it. Many years ago I read an article in New Scientist about the Sunk Cost Fallacy and the tendency for humans (cf animals) to not know when to call it quits - to put too much importance on what has already been invested. Which leads neatly to another improvisational maxim about living in ‘the moment’ - not worrying about what went before and not worrying either about what might happen. Living in the moment, what Harrison Owen calls ‘now’ is linked to letting go. I’ll try and do more letting go, more living in the moment and be more adventurous. And what all this is saying to me is to continue to strive to live more by Open Space Principles, AND be more adventurous - be prepared to be surprised! 

I’ve also noticed that many bloggers use this time of year to acknowledge people. Here’s a few people I’d like to acknowledge and why.
Pete - for giving me space to do what I do and always being there for me
Nic - for teaching me about appreciative comments and for her ongoing faith in my abilities
Vera - for being the best client EVER (how many others would say ‘I trust you completely - do whatever you think is necessary’?) and for being a great friend
Anne - for pushing, cajoling, encouraging, supporting and challenging
Lenny, BJ and Tim - for a great collaboration experience and for expanding my understanding of post-traumatic facilitation
Antony - for his wisdom and friendship, and for further expanding my understanding of action methods in general, and difficult conversations, in particular
Script Bare - to everyone in my local community who has turned up to our local improv workshops and Script Bare performances for the games, the laughter and the fun
Jen - for suggesting I take one day a week off from face-to-face work and meetings (and I do!)
Fiona - for great companionship, conversation and work challenges
Mark - for asking the great question ‘how on earth do you explain to people back home what you do?’ while travelling in rural Armenia on a bus - and for giving me a good explanation of Armenian culture and politics
Victor - the Kenyan shop assistant who went to amazing lengths to get me a battery charger for my camera just before I embarked on a 3-day Masai Mara safari
Sue - who made the work in Uganda so enjoyable, asked insightful questions and shared G & Ts at the end of the day
Simo - for his insight, demonstrations and explanations of status - and for the laughs and companionship
You - for visiting and reading my blog. You may not know it, but you influence what I write and how I say it. Thanks. Happy New Year!

An Open Space Christmas

I’m applying Open Space principles to Christmas this year - I think they’re ideal, especially the maxim to ‘do one less thing’!

Learning facilitation - what’s significant? part 2

I’d just opened space. About 60 or so people were sitting in, not really a circle, more an amoeba. They’d done well, considering. Pillars and curves in an oblong room was not really conducive to creating a nice neat circle. No matter. They’d just sat through a tedious powerpoint presentation so I guess they were pleased to be doing something physical - moving their chairs from the traditional theater style set up to this ‘circle’.

There were three sessions, topics were posted on the wall. People were milling around - some not sure what to do next, others grabbing the chance for a cuppa, others talking about…WHOOP - WHOOP - WHOOP. The siren couldn’t be ignored. It was a fire drill and the whole building - all 20+ floors were to be evacuated. About an hour later we wandered back into the building and took up where we’d left off.

Open Space is like that - it can even accommodate fire drills and I’m pretty sure those folk standing around on the footpath in the cold wind took the opportunity to chat to one-another. Whether it was about the topic or not is irrelevant - they had a shared experience and were connecting. I can imagine future meetings:

“Hi - I remember you”

“Me too.”

“Weren’t you at that workshop with the fire drill - the one where we were allowed to talk with each other.”

“Yeah, that was a bit different.”

So what did I learn as a facilitator?

Hold space - be present - be flexible - trust (especially them) - allow conversations to flow - do nothing more.