These Board minutes are the Proceedings of the Annual Membership Meeting held simultaneous with our board meeting.

Theme

How to Open Space? Whenever, Wherever, Whoever

In attendance

Doug Marteinson
Linda Stevenson
Harold Shinsato
Suzanne Daigle
Mark Sheffield
Charlie Colpitts - scrum master - complex adaptive systems applied to teams. Best fit for encouraging emerging behavior in complexity science. Analogies and flocking behavior. Finding techniques for leadership as an emergent behavior as teams. Things like distributed cognition in an Open Space Session. Never facilitate a new technique until I experience it once.
Karen J. Davis - Love to have you in New York - circle is expanding and contracting. Making this happen again.
Kevin O'Brien - Sorry I missed the last couple meetings. Somehow I booked things. Looks like there are 4 new faces. Interested in learning more about them. Leave it at that.
Donann Stoicovy - Educator - done a lot of open spaces , in school system and in faculties. Make decisions around things. This is my first time joining the group. Very interested in the things to do in the future

Initial Dialog

Mark - Opening Space as an attitude instead of a format?
Charlie - Also interested in above question. A model of cognition, social relationships are based on our old brain. Keep them from running away. Dealing with fight flight response. First practice is to get people to feel safe in the room. For my 2 cents, my checkin - I don't use a facilitation technique until I participate.
Karen - I resonate with the things that people have been saying and also in this piece. My main focus has to do with opening heart, and not only the mind. That's virtually or face to face. Open Space certainly provides that option.
Kevin - People attacking Open Space, what is that about?
Donann - I've opened many open spaces in our district and my school. Kind of working with a group of people to figure the context so it doesn't go all over the place. It's been very successful. Want to see it in other situations. Have people walk away and.
Doug - I suffered an addiction to ?, now adays I work in the corporate world, in the field of effectiveness and leadership. Open Space is the hammer to hit everything. I've opened a lot of sessions. I've learned the kind of leader that is willing to work with me. It's not the norm. Tolerate the notion of inviting everyone in the organization. That's an exceptional kind of leader. I'm looking forward to the day for this to be the norm. Teamwork, we're all in this together. The leader who carries the idea is only one of the players, not only the big boss, except for standing by teams decision. Open Space really lends itself to getting rid of the hierarchy. Inviting across the departments, everyone is equal. You never know where the best ideas could come from. Donann. I'm in a place where the internet is real shakey. Sometimes your conversations are all broken up. And I don't know if you can hear a word that I say.
Linda - I don't know where to begin. I've been doing this for 22 years, and it's never failed. It must - corporate or non-profit. The leadership of that community understands they are just one person in the circle, you can't move forward. They are rare. Although, the pressures that are on our organizations right now, things get done in the real world. OST is the tool for that to happen in the organizations. Harrison - well over 30 years - I can't say enough to Charlie - please go to New York. Incredible 2 day OST. Holding space for opening space. Hopefully some people think about joining the board.Coming from the heart. Disappointed in political system. More small group open space. No answers, but
Harold - Open Space questions were great. Come to NYC. Also 2 AgileOpen events in February in 2017 on west coast.
Suzanne - People can facilitate without experiencing. Stop in my tracks. Most natural thing in the world. It was an invitation to freedom being responsible to ourself. Can't remember safety and feeling safe. 4 - 5 Open Space's, one in Manilla - the one - right after that with the AgileOpen in Florida. Both groups many had experienced OST for the first time. Striking that it always happens this way. I refer back to safety. It's not the way we meet. It's not the way we're invited. Our own freedom and speak out. We don't feel safe at the beginning. It's not the way of the world. What the heck is this. Hear that again and again this hear. Watch the tension, fear, curiosity. And closing circle, camp fire, everyone is with each other. Gratitude. I've had that opportunity everywhere however I feel yes yes yes, last week I was with a partner open space with the two of us, create an agenda wall really quickly. When we have a topic that we are really interested in, it's kind of a requirement until we get to be in open space all the time, in the beginning it's important to have a topic. Not every leader is open to wanting to give a voice to everyone. All of us as human beings, invitation and consideration has a right to life and contribute, and use your two feet. Look left, look right, we are all leaders, that is how we treat each other. I could talk for 3 hours. It has never abated being in love. Being with you gives me tons of courage. Heart connected. I'm done.

We chose to stay in one session and step through topics after this initial dialog

Attacking Open Space

Ignore, laugh, attack accept as truth.

It's great, makes me smile, no less deterimed. Not really, open
Threatened by it - billable hours -
There is only 2 things - don't have a wall, can't put anything on a wall.
Having a conversation with the CEO so he knows what his/her role is. If there is any understanding - I will not do the Open Space.
Have done anything without CEO's.
Lots of different leadership structures.
Mark - leadership has ability to take action to do things the teams can't do themselves. It can be helpful to see results, so the OST isn't just a fun event. It can lead to action being taken.
Karen - Open Space starts with self. I myself there are times start practicing Open Space within their context. Very realistic.
Suzanne - there are journeys ahead. I found that it's easier to not be talking about Open Space - not talking about ot too much. Worked with the packaging industry, focus on the issues. Some of the problems. Trying to fill it out. Be more broadly invited. And more broadly involved. And make the case for that. Things going so quickly. Have people on board and informed to the bigger picture. Here are some of the results. Look at the book of proceedings for after. Work with a planning team that is diverse. That is a bit of a microcosm. Informal leaders or diverse leaders, the CEO be involved, there, it's not a fast rule. Depends on the size of the company, underground in the company, when the results are good it doesn't become subversive, it's just working. How to talk about this, how to engage, describing the process. But before, focus on the conversation on questions and fears. Can't wrap their arms around, it's so annoying.

Opening Space from the Heart

I'm still discovering. A lot is how centered we are ourselves. How much we are balancing heart and mind. Maybe one of the reasons, at a gathering here in NY, international folks around dignitty and humiliation. One of the people from Somali Land, wonderful sharing of her journey opening up a maternity that is now expanded. How can there develop the skills and knowledge that she is doing. You don't need all that. You start with the heart, then the content will come! Open to exploring more.
Linda - heart = passion. Inviting what they care about. It touches their heart, it all happens. The heart is definitely important. Also reminded discovery of Zen. Harrison - I have a new love, Zen. Harrison said they are one and the same. We need good minds, we need great hearts.
Linda - Open Space really has existed since the beginning of time. Sitting in circle, and voices being heard. Aware of what is going on with Standing Rock. The history in this country in relationship to indigenous people. And the beauty and the teachings of nature. Nature and heart in all things.
Linda - what a beautiful tradition - Standing Rock did what everyone said was impossible. Who could have predicted that military vets would have apologized. Power of self organization and of heart. And honoring indigenous people are long overdue.

Peacemaking Circles

From Yukon first nation - four stage process - opening heart first, getting acquainted and getting in alignment, before moving to action and decisions. Large groups of 30-40 people instead of having a conversation. Especially for the first time. No models. Us as facilitators. If you find that your group is really really large, consider that everyone. Coming back to heart, it's as if the best open space happens when care and consideration happens really be with other people, is someone feeling frustrated or not-heard. With Open Space it has helped me push through. Feel the deep pain. Get up the next day. Realize. The conversation has gone to another level.  On the other side of that feud. So much closer and deeper, and it can happen between 3-4 people, or 2 people. So much easier. Can just take one open space. It is messy. But the mess is cleaned up. Avoiding is what we've been avoiding. It's so exhausting.
Kevin - Build a wall - make the space closed. Re-emergence of old thinking. Seems such a weird juxtaposition. Open Space can bring people together to make peace. Have to keep people from running away, what conversations are they going to work on. Not going to be easy. Interesting.

OSI-US Board Proceedings - August 18, 2016

Attendees: Daniel Mezick, Harold Shinsato, Tricia Chirumbole

1. Reviewed Google doc for Suzanne homage. We will collaboratively contribute. Send Suzanne a pdf and ask her if she wants a mailed document.
2. Mission – Harold on ticket
3. Harold is authorized to release funds of approximately $250 to support a QiqoChat for a South American Agile User group to hold an online open space.
4. Edit the invite doc outlining the offering to support projects and the criteria. Harold makes the criteria publicly available.
5. Mission - Collaboration

• Reviewing the definition of inviting, open space, defining, traditional mission statement, learning from others. DO not like the current mission, not clear enough for general public.
• Not sure how to change now, reviewed the possibility of an open circle
• Reference the definition OST – Harrison Owen book.
• Holding space for open space is stale or smells funny: learning, research and practice.
• We discussed (but did not agree on) this possible purpose: subverting illegitimate authority in support of the evolution of human consciousness worldwide.

OSI Board Proceedings May 16, 2016 - 5:30-7pm edt

Attending: Tricia, Kevin, Karen, Linda and Suzanne

Moment of Silence followed by Check-in

1. Meeting starts with an acknowledgment of the newly elected Board; this was their first meeting in their new roles though indeed hierarchy does not drive our conversations.
2. Karen Davis updates us on management changes at International House.
   • She has established communications with the new team, providing background information related to the logistic and costs of our annual event as most people are new.
   • Costs will be us: Not known exactly what the new costs will be though it is certain that there will be price increases on hotel rooms, meeting room rental and food.
   • The 2017 Open Space at International House is scheduled for January 13 to the 15th
   • Expected that we will be required to put a deposit soon (it seems that the deposit would be reimbursed assuming we meet their notice periods in the event our gathering did not take place.
   • A vote was taken by the Board to grant authority to place a deposit from our OSI US funds – proposed by Tricia, seconded by Kevin; All approved; Karen recused herself due to possible conflict of interest as she is the official organizer/host.

3. The Board then proceeded to review together the excellent document draft that Harold submitted which provide “guidelines for working with the Institute as a 501(c)(3)”
   • Agreement that we want to move this work forward as quickly as possible assuring that it is broadly communicated.
   • That said we also want to assure that the intent of the language is well understood and that it reflects the purpose and mission of OSI US
   • A suggestion was made that once we’ve agreed on any addition, edits and revisions, that it be sent to our Emeritus Members (Peggy, Lisa, Christine and Doug) for their input reflecting history and any legal considerations.