Re: Facilitators calling sessions.
Hi Isaac,
Interesting discussion. One that I have juggled with myself. It depends a lot on the situation. If I have been hired by a group to facilitate for them, I am an outsider and I think I should remain an outsider. The process and the content of the meeting are their property and I should not trespass. Two reasons why that is extra important: 1. I want the outcome of the meeting to be 100% theirs. They did it, they own it. And 2. As the facilitator, I have a special authority. Not all participants may be influenced by that position to the same extent, but it has influence. Even when you think it doesn't. Even when you are anti-authoritarian and you don't want it to have influence: it still does. At the start of the meeting, when the sponsor / senior manager (or whoever kicks off) has welcomed everybody and introduced me, the authority is passed from this person to me. Even when we sit in a circle and there is no spatial expression of authority, I am the one leading the process and that does something in a group. The best thing an authority can do in Open Space is leave the work to the people who are most qualified to do it and disappear. Posting a session is contrary to that.
It is similar to the flipcharts on the wall in any type of workshop, Open Space or otherwise. I never do anything to their flipcharts. Sometimes, when the process calls for a rearranging of the limited space on the walls, I either have them do it or I explicitly ask for permission and when it is done I check if they are OK with it.
Just my $0.02
To all my beloved friends: yes, I am still here, even though I have not posted much in the past few years...
Koos de Heer
De Bilt, the Netherlands.
On 8-12-2024 12:10:32, isaac a via OSList everyone@oslist.org wrote:
Thanks Michael. It took me a few attempts to try and fully understand what you mean.
My question now is what exactly is a "Space Invader", and how does a space invader behave that's detrimental?
I'm imagining that if a facilitator went around somehow interfering in other people's sessions and trying to control and direct proceedings and outcomes, then that would clearly be 'invading' space. However, if a facilitator called their own session and had their own space, how is that invading? I understand the risk of not being fully present, but isn't that most important for when the facilitator is facilitating, i.e. during opening and closing circles, and not so much during the breakout sessions, especially if in OS the facilitator is 'allowed' to disappear and even put their feet up.
So, is a session called by a facilitator in a far off corner or in a separate room not essentially disappearing? What's the difference and more importantly, what's the actual crux? What exactly is it that makes it matter or not.
Many thanks.
Isaac
From: Michael M Pannwitz mmpannwitz@posteo.de
Sent: 06 December 2024 17:30
To: isaac a isaac48@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: [OSList] Facilitators calling sessions.
Facilitators that turn into space invadors can not hold time and space for the unfolding of the forces of selforganization, and are not able to even approach the simple but tough requirement to be fully present and at the same time be invisible.
Following this, your belief that facilitators shouldn't call sessions is not only your belief.
And don't forget, we facilitators get paid for our intervention to do nothing.
Greetings from Berlin
mmp
Am 06.12.2024 um 18:00 schrieb isaac a via OSList:
Hi all,
I seem to have the belief that facilitators shouldn't call sessions.
What's the OS etiquette around this, and why?
I can only think that it's either; to have a separation of the facilitator's 'leader' role, from the attendees' non-hierarchical status (in the spirit of OS), or by not taking up potentially valuable breakout sessions, it's to leave more opportunities for attendees to be able to have sessions.
I'd love to hear your views on this.
Thank you!
Isaac
OSList mailing list -- everyone@oslist.org [mailto:everyone@oslist.org] To unsubscribe send an email to everyone-leave@oslist.org [mailto:everyone-leave@oslist.org] See the archives here: https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org [https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org]
Michael M Pannwitz Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany +49 30 7728000 mmpannwitz@posteo.de [mailto:mmpannwitz@posteo.de] See the Open Space World Map with 535 Open Space Workers living in 81 countries and active in 145 countries worldwide: www.openspaceworldmap.org [http://www.openspaceworldmap.org]
Thanks Koos! What you've said makes perfect sense. I'm hearing, from responses so far, that it's a lot about insider/outsider (in the best sense), ownership and power. Also trust ( in how power is used)?
And, insider/outsider will, necessarily, be nuanced because it's probably not always as binary as it sounds. I'll give it some deep reflection.
Many thanks.
Isaac
From: Koos de Heer koos@auryn.nl
Sent: 08 December 2024 11:49
To: isaac48@hotmail.com isaac48@hotmail.com; isaac a via OSList everyone@oslist.org
Subject: Re: [OSList] Re: Facilitators calling sessions.
Hi Isaac,
Interesting discussion. One that I have juggled with myself. It depends a lot on the situation. If I have been hired by a group to facilitate for them, I am an outsider and I think I should remain an outsider. The process and the content of the meeting are their property and I should not trespass. Two reasons why that is extra important: 1. I want the outcome of the meeting to be 100% theirs. They did it, they own it. And 2. As the facilitator, I have a special authority. Not all participants may be influenced by that position to the same extent, but it has influence. Even when you think it doesn't. Even when you are anti-authoritarian and you don't want it to have influence: it still does. At the start of the meeting, when the sponsor / senior manager (or whoever kicks off) has welcomed everybody and introduced me, the authority is passed from this person to me. Even when we sit in a circle and there is no spatial expression of authority, I am the one leading the process and that does something in a group. The best thing an authority can do in Open Space is leave the work to the people who are most qualified to do it and disappear. Posting a session is contrary to that.
It is similar to the flipcharts on the wall in any type of workshop, Open Space or otherwise. I never do anything to their flipcharts. Sometimes, when the process calls for a rearranging of the limited space on the walls, I either have them do it or I explicitly ask for permission and when it is done I check if they are OK with it.
Just my $0.02
To all my beloved friends: yes, I am still here, even though I have not posted much in the past few years...
Koos de Heer
De Bilt, the Netherlands.
On 8-12-2024 12:10:32, isaac a via OSList everyone@oslist.org wrote:
Thanks Michael. It took me a few attempts to try and fully understand what you mean.
My question now is what exactly is a "Space Invader", and how does a space invader behave that's detrimental?
I'm imagining that if a facilitator went around somehow interfering in other people's sessions and trying to control and direct proceedings and outcomes, then that would clearly be 'invading' space. However, if a facilitator called their own session and had their own space, how is that invading? I understand the risk of not being fully present, but isn't that most important for when the facilitator is facilitating, i.e. during opening and closing circles, and not so much during the breakout sessions, especially if in OS the facilitator is 'allowed' to disappear and even put their feet up.
So, is a session called by a facilitator in a far off corner or in a separate room not essentially disappearing? What's the difference and more importantly, what's the actual crux? What exactly is it that makes it matter or not.
Many thanks.
Isaac
From: Michael M Pannwitz mmpannwitz@posteo.de
Sent: 06 December 2024 17:30
To: isaac a isaac48@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: [OSList] Facilitators calling sessions.
Facilitators that turn into space invadors can not hold time and space for the unfolding of the forces of selforganization, and are not able to even approach the simple but tough requirement to be fully present and at the same time be invisible.
Following this, your belief that facilitators shouldn't call sessions is not only your belief.
And don't forget, we facilitators get paid for our intervention to do nothing.
Greetings from Berlin
mmp
Am 06.12.2024 um 18:00 schrieb isaac a via OSList:
Hi all,
I seem to have the belief that facilitators shouldn't call sessions.
What's the OS etiquette around this, and why?
I can only think that it's either; to have a separation of the facilitator's 'leader' role, from the attendees' non-hierarchical status (in the spirit of OS), or by not taking up potentially valuable breakout sessions, it's to leave more opportunities for attendees to be able to have sessions.
I'd love to hear your views on this.
Thank you!
Isaac
OSList mailing list -- everyone@oslist.orgmailto:everyone@oslist.org
To unsubscribe send an email to everyone-leave@oslist.orgmailto:everyone-leave@oslist.org
See the archives here: https://oslist.org/empathy/list/everyone.oslist.org
Michael M Pannwitz
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
+49 30 7728000 mmpannwitz@posteo.demailto:mmpannwitz@posteo.de
See the Open Space World Map with 535
Open Space Workers living in 81 countries
and active in 145 countries worldwide:
www.openspaceworldmap.orghttp://www.openspaceworldmap.org