SPEAKING FROM THE CENTER (II)

Briefing of the answers to the message cited in part I of this post:

Advance: The opening was easy, I really enjoyed it  and your support was a key

The event ran very well (I'll post about it next time)

Thanks so much, friends!

LONGISH:::

I asked my questions on Wednesday, 2 days before opening space. The next day I was attending a workshop, and I spent Friday morning training a group of teachers on mind mapping... Today I could finally take the time to read all this amazing messages and now I answer them.

So, before opening space on Friday afternoon, I had just had time to percive the quick reaction to my questions on the first messages of this thread. And first, I was again so impressed of the support one can receive from this community! This gave me an important message: "there are some people over there that care about you, be calm, everything is ok...:-)!"

I also picked (and then followed them "on stage") some invaluable ideas: walk the circle slowly; if you do so some hours before the event when you are alone in the room, much better; breathe consciously; move over the place when speaking; if you feel nervous just say so; practice the days before (you can watch here the mind map prepared last week based on Harrison´s OST user´s guide-a DIN A3 real size- on opening-holding-closing space);... and, painfully, I had to discard the option to hide at the edge of the circle :-)!

Now I'm doing the proceedings draft and hope it will summarise quite good such a rich thread.

SPEAKING FROM THE CENTER (SUMMARY) Participants: (Harrison, Suzanne, Elisabeth, Anna Caroline, Christine, Lisa, Harold, Michael, Anne,... Convener: Eleder

1. BEFORE

attitude/feeling:

• think of the gift that participants will receive through Open Space...a gift of freedom and of choice.
• soaking in the energy of the group.
  Before starting remind yourself: "Enjoy: If it ain't fun - it ain't work!" 
  
• Realizing that the 15-20 minutes are kind of the only time that I am visible that day makes me expand them in a feeling of gratitude... what a priviledge and joy!
• it is of course not about you. It is about them. So if you focus on them and on making your voice and the instructions something they can hear and that invites them, then once you begin you are in partnership with them - and they can feel it...
• be youself and enjoy.

practice:

But I think you will become more and more comfortable as you practice, sort how you like to say things, and experience yourself doing it more and more.

just.... breathe.... and ... go.... and be amazed, as I know you are....

organizing physical space:

setting up the whole space the day before

inviting people home, just expalining where things are and inviting them to feel at home...

circle:

do make a nice big circle with room in between each chair (It is true that having too small a circle and towering over people is hard for them).

If it is too small on the inside I see no problem with walking the outside of the circle (though when I have done this some of my OS colleagues have *gasped* !.  But it is so I do not close everyone in too tightly, in those instances.

inclusion: 

ask on registration forms who has any access / ability / mobility issues they would like to bring to event coordinators' attention. Then you have this extra info if you need it for some individuals, and can give them extra eye contact or some notes as well.

(self) preparation:

on the evening before the event and twenty minutes before the opening -  silently walk in nature. Fresh air and the sky above maintain balance.

think of them, who they are and what they care about. .. as if opening space before being even there

visualize: ...And I envision the participants and their listening faces, and I smile and welcome them before they get there.

reading:

page 81, Third edition ("open space technology guide") ... its a great read every time
ps:page 118 in my (mmp) book, it gives the actual o-tone
Dale Carnegie  "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
www.scarletwindmill.blogspot.com]

training:

Lisa's training was so valuable - getting experience walking and talking in the circle "desensitizes" (llama care metaphor) to the discomfort so one can spend more time tuning into the energy of the room and being what they need from me as a facilitator.

pre-work:

That's also a lot easier when I already feel I have a relationship with the theme and the people because of strong pre-work. It has also helped knowing a lot of the people in the room - getting a chance to talk make eye contact even before getting into the circle, and having some friendly faces to help remember it's all good.

I do work intensively with the sponsor and the planning group on all aspects of the event sometimes months before the OS event itself with the result that I get to know them, they get to know me and, of course, I also get to know about their theme and what it is they want to achieve.......My experience is that me getting into the theme (more than even the participants) or my relationship with the Planning Group becoming intensive (more than the relationship between the members of the Planning Group) can deflect the focus in a way that both my presence and invisibility necessary for my focus on space and time for the forces of selforganisation are deminished.

a journey of mutual courage to accompany a client and a team as they wrestle with the difficult moments of inviting people to something that they cannot fully describe as most often they have not experienced open space themselves.  I am always humbled by their trust and the deep relationship that develops.......I also realize now that by engaging too much on the theme with the host, it can make the post-work all the more difficult. I think that perhaps my relationship with the host/team may be too close. 

2. DURING

walking the inner cricle:

just want to convey from your heart and by walking slowly that we will all be safe, and that this will be fun. 
tell yourself self that it's not about you and that you´re just human so being nervous is ok. 

acknowledge the people I am passing and invite them to let their eyes go around the circle noticing all the people.

... By walking the boundaries you define the space and make it safer by your action. ... it is just a very natural act. It is the greeting and acknowledgement of the people of the journey which is about to take place.

walk the inner circle before people arrive, as slowly as I can (it's always too fast nevertheless) when the room is still empty, and the outer circle too (behind the chairs).It gives me the feeling of the space, and helps me later ajust the level of my voice .

if you look a few people ahead and keep moving (slowly, breathing, present) you are indeed never having your back to anyone for very long. If you turn your head as you move you are including people behind you as you travel, as well. If your voice is loud enough or you have a microphone everyone can hear you even if you are not facing everyone.

  when you start and walk the inner circle, do you speak or do it silentely ?

I now always take care to have a circle of at least 10 meters in diameter so that I am not too close to the seated participants, too towering as I walk

my habit is to walk it once or a bit more than once, sometimes two times... changing my mode of movement after that "focusing the group" part which I do with the idea that the group begins to focus on itself... and eventually using the entire space as a dancer would on a stage with the idea that it is a space that can be used in all ways possible

speaking:

speaking slowly 

breathing

remember you are in your walking, your breathing, your explaining - creating a container that is open and welcoming and has tools and a process - so that they can do their best work....

You are with your walk, your voice, your instructions, your breathing... weaving that open and inviting container. And in your walking you are invoking (calling in) energy. 

If you feel nervous, just admit it and move on. The transparency puts people at ease and you stop having to fight wondering whether anyone is noticing that you are nervous.

Breathing:

(during walking the circle:) slow your breathing to an easy in/out and match your paces to your breath. when you arrive at the point where you started you will notice a real change in you and in the group.  Anxiety levels are down and eager anticipation is up. ........

(before speaking) Take a deep breath in and out ........ and in and out and off you go!

looking:

During the introduction I walk the circle and I look at the people a few chairs in front of me to offer a close contact. I used to look at the people right in front of me, but I learned that looking straight down to them from my standing/walking position can offend people.

I have also learned from my workshop participants that if you have any nervousness about looking people in the eye, try instead....looking at the tops of their heads (!).It often feels like you are looking at them - try it.

What I really enjoy while opening the circle is to look at all the different expressions - most of the people have very relaxed or unemotional expressions when they listen, which doesn't mean that they aren't following (just think of your own expression when you listen to somebody).

leaving private space for people to breathe into what they are feeling, nervous, uncomfortable, etc. That's why as I let my eyes meet those of the participants walking the circle for the first times, with some people it may only be a split second, with others a tiny bit longer. I want to honor and respect their physical space and internal space.

Love,

Eleder

BM31_Bilbao: Mind Mapping-Open Space Technology-Creativity

www.burumapak.blogspot.com (Basque)
www.flowandshow.blogspot.com

Twitter: @Eleder_BM