Board Minutes October 2014

In attendance: Suzanne Daigle, Linda Stevens, Harold Shinsato, Karen Davis, Tricia

Guests: Jasmina Nikolic

Board Elections

Suzanne, President. Tricia, Vice-President. Harold, Treasurer. Linda, Secretary.

WOSonOS in Serbia Report From Jasmine Nicolik

Where do I start? It was amazing. First of all?

Some asked: How did you facilitate the event?

When everything started I opened the space. I just wasn't feeling ok with that because I wanted to participate. I thought about co-facilitating. Everyone wanted to help. We did the morning news and evening news in turn. Different people. She just closed the space in the end.

It was strange in a way, but powerful. It changed into more freedom. So especially they were talking about that and approached her that the first night felt strange, and then saw how free they felt.

It was very touching. People tried to share to things. Space was shared. Noticed for example Harrison was also much more involved than normal. He spoke more.

Access Queen. Face to face conversations. Didn't have time to organize the online things. People come, really to be there, be there, in the now. Couple of conclusions around that point I think Michael Pannwitz or someone else, he never felt so much in the now, in the present, as in that open space. Access Queen was really strange. I didn't have the capacity life changed unexpectedly. Wanted to keep things simple. I will do what I can, I want to create a space. I couldn't organize Access Queen. It felt strange to get connected with the idea. It was too much. Then I read something on the OSList, that people talked about the Access Queen, and self-organize it. People found capacity for that and it was really good. So when we came, they put in the AQ and silent auction. The first topic that opened the space - how to make the AQ sustainable. So there was no breakout room for that, and just went and set up the silent auction. People felt totally ungrounded during the first circle. They went outside the room. All the rooms were out on the roof. Just the AccessQueen was on the inside. Every occasion they talked about the AQ. Taking too much space. It didn't feel right. Didn't want to say anything. Then they talked about money also. It echoed in the room. There was no transparency. Strange. People asked. Not much money. Situation when we needed to write an invoice people paid in cash. Then we asked, there was money from one person. To who to address the invoice. They're sending their money to Lisa Heft.

Suzanne Daigle asked, How was your budget? Did some people have no money?

We had 3 people asking during the event if they could pay less. The lowest was $200. 3 asked if could pay $100. One asked before coming to Serbia. There were three, didn't want to insist, there are more people that are not paying as much as they said they would.

Suzanne Daigle: Willing to give us a report, share transparency, what it cost, all the inputs. Will share it right now. Whatever happened with Towa?

There were a lot of people, I didn't assist. Long lunch. Met early in the morning. Towa was the convener. Still raising the action reports. This was after the WOSonOS. The whole Monday. The purpose to help the world change. Complete project to make a difference in Open Space. Who was in this group, Israeli Girls, Foreign Girls, people who had one more day.

Opened a lot of space for herself. Went to Scrum Gathering. Energy was there. Strangest day in her life.
Session on enoughness. That was "wow" , Christine Koehler, what is enough for us, what happened to her, I was taking care of the space, catering and all the things. All of a sudden, I spoke with Iwa over something trivial, hey come on you are in politics now. What is the name of the party. The name of the party is enough. Round breakout room on enoughness. Then she approached them. The faces were in another dimension, not trivial at all, they didn't react - they were in space, but then she couldn't leave. It was strange - can see on the photos - sat on the chair - guy - space creating - then she listened - Christine shared something super deep, part of her life. Everyone else shared. We sang this song. Suggested. Like a healing song. And hug each other. Really tight.

Then what happened next, personal, felt a hug from someone sitting next to me. Didn't want to leave the hug. Stay there forever. Had a talk. This was really powerful. We continued talking. Speaker from Hamburg. More emotional, Going to Berlin - Scrum Gathering - Open Space was life changing for him. One of his topics. Berlin Scrum Gathering.

His topic was - we know so much - we trained ourselves - been to so many open spaces. Reading a lot. How can I use it to help myself. So vulnerable. His post on his FB. He finally found his place. Thanks to the Open Space - he feels more relaxed. Everything has more meaning. It's much much nicer spoke. Markus Wittwer. Story continues - session in Berlin - more on facilitation than on Scrum. Very very impressed that their technique - six chairs - paired - you have a pair of I chairs, pair of You chairs, a pair of We chairs. Speak from my own. Check sitting in the right chair. Should I be sitting in an I chair, or You chair. WE chair -start coming to solutions. Happens then ,someone from Open Space, there was france. This was the first open space for her, she decided just before. Wrote an email - registration was closed - just come. She was amazing too. Now it seems that they will gather to have that training, people from Open Space, interested in attending the training on 6 chair method.

Suzanne Daigle: What were your comments about Harrison?

I felt somehow maybe it was a projection. I should leave a lot of space to him. Not inviting him all the time, I think he felt grateful for that. He felt Belgrade as an open space. He had a story about sitting in a pedestrian walk. He could feel the open space, the essential one. I think also there is this big political thing, you know the Balkans, and then creating some energy during the event, because people in the Balkans and the Ukraine. Not only Ukraine, like tip of the iceberg of something else, Harrison talked a lot about that. One thing he said, it's difficult to be here and to know what is going on and not to feel scared. There is a lot of, you can feel it, a lot of war narrative, there is something wrong going in the world. Balkans in the middle. Putin from Russia, 2-3 days ago. It was military parade. And the last one we had 30 years ago.

Harrison was involved with everything in the Cold War, communism, the U.S., he could sense it. And then the vice rector - he spoke at the opening and he also spoke about that. Pretty much, no one asked for it. And then Pernilla wanted to talk about the politics also, come to Serbia, politics so much was a topic. Towa also wanted to talk about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Action planning had a lot about how can we make peace.

Right now I'm not an optimist about politics in the region, what we are doing is not random - has an agenda. We'll see what happens.

It's like right on the skin - more senses involved. Like Poland - less tolerance somehow - I got registrations from people, over the phone, guy from Poland asking is there anyone from Poland - use the same car and share the cost. Then I started laughing - 12 people from Poland. Realized that they didn't know each other. Some knew each other, groups didn't know each other. Sent him an email, and they did share the cost and came by 2 cars, 8 people from Poland. Then I knew Poland the next host, because you can tell. People coming, and eager - eager to talk about Poland. Situation of Open Space - want to aggregate somehow and correlate. They had some initiatives like self-organized training for Open Space. At least 5 topics on Poland. There was a conflict between 2 of them. And then I remember Towa supported one of them to take a stand and talk about Poland. So they had a separate round table for themselves in breakout room. When we came to invitations because we had it in the schedule, last day: contacted China and would not ... and then what happened - Harrison said we have a tradition - in Europe and outside Europe. Here we have people that clearly want to invite and there is energy, and they are really inviting. And then it just I don't know how to say it, people gathered - it's Poland. There wasn't an invitation was in the air all the time. Everyone said ok it's Poland.

Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. Sunday afternoon ending. And I'm not sure haven't checked, have doubts about the place. Krakow or Warsaw.

Glad, Happy I did this. It was like, it has ontological presence. Some how.

Suzanne Daigle: We just missed out on Tricia right now. We were all in Florida together. We can all remember standing up.

Jasmina Nicolik had said to herself back in Florida at the 2013 WOSonOS: Am I doing this really?

In the moment, Harrison was surprised, really alive. This guy is really alive. He's amazing. Harrison and Towa quarelled. Tomas - let us talk.

Linda Stevenson: Harrison will be 80 in 2015. We all need to go to Poland.

Karen Davis: People are coming in Indigenous attire. I will try to hang in a little more. Thank you so much Jasmina for sharing. Very much resonated with what Harold said experiencing the pain and the beauty.

Suzanne Daigle: Feel close. You all have post its and kanbans behind you.

International House in January

Suzanne Daigle led the conversation about the International House event in January in NYC. Opening Space for Peace and High Performance. Karen don't know if you want to talk about it. At one of our prior board meetings, Karen had indicated that she'd like the board to collaborate with her in hosting the event, and do it in an official way like for example like people are paying that it could be done through the OSI-US donation place, and indicate that they are coming to International House, and just partner officially, like what we did with Florida. It assures compliance with 501(c)(3) status. It has been a money loser. Last year Suzanne helped. Chuni wants to invite for January. The first decision - do we all agree that the conduit to receive the money for the event would be through us? All approved.

Future of Work

Could have blended the Peace Theme and also include High Performance - The Future of Work. It screams. It would entice - Doug Kirkpatrick - a lot of people working in freer more open workplace. To Transform the way work is done. Other dream connected to this - wouldn't be wonderful if OSI-US had a technology methodology - when doing the summary notes - people could go and format is all there, and just add the logo - and just type your notes. A service we offered. There's a place that the format is there, just would be there. When I mentioned it to Karen - doing the newsroom - just an idea. Pilot test it. Maybe we could invite Kevin O'Brien - he's done open space - very entranced by OST. Helped in Canada - try and figure things out. All kind of connected to a pilot project in NYC?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18LNRQapJKSYh1G_-XlB3493JMwG4FRHFjwWZMmP0bkA/edit?usp=sharing

Jasmina Nicolik: Kept talk to 5 minutes. He said it would be really great to use your method in teaching. Very supportive. Harrison didn't want to them to pay for the hotel, but they assisted.

Using Our 501(c)(3) Status

We have been dealing with a request for the use of the OSI-US 501(c)(3) for an Open Space facilitator to receive accomodation discounts. We need to be careful. It's hard to get it 501(c)(3) status now. It was suggested we could call Doug Germann who is a lawyer. If Karen has the event, there's a total transparency. Everything that she has spent and everything that she does.

Ask Doug if this is ok. Karen says - totally for getting counsel from Doug. Just share with him last note from the person who made this request. We should clarify things with International House with insurance in the event for January.

Invitation to Kevin O'Brien To Join the Board

Linda Stevens supported inviting Keving. He would be a delightful addition. In terms of the future of work project - an incredible gift to the OST world. Bill Jensen doesn't have the experience of OST that we do - knowing his work - match made in Heaven. This report will be coming out mid November. The timing is perfect. And Suzanne - like to help work on the theme sub-theme. Alan and Doug were in the same room - Suzanne - still a legal opinion - appreciate.

Maestro Conference Demo

Brian Burt wanted to show all the bells and whistles of Maestro for an hour - it was a disaster. Sharon Joy Kleitsch - the way - you open space - you don't have your process around.

We would be willing to experiment? To choose the group, poorly facilitated, our team would like to get involved to see if we can make it good. Sharon Joy - just a maestro - she sent a note.

The online service for facilitation "Blackboard collaborate", they customize it - can't recall the name of the organization

OSHotline

Building on the Skype weekly calls explore working partnership with Maestro Conference to sharpen the saw of their technology so we can open bigger space. Would Paul Levy, others want to join in?

Future Projects

• Collaborate with Karen officially on the International House January event in New York
• Plan a face to face New York OSI US retreat in January
• Explore how we can use the Research findings from the Future of Work project that Linda and I have been part of with Bill Jensen to open more space. We seize the screaming opportunity of the findings.
• Partner with tech community tapping into what Harold has been doing with Daniel Mezick. Make the Open Space Technology partnership live up to its name.
• Connect with World OS institutes picking up on what got discussed in Florida and also reach out to Tova as s group seems to have explored similar goals while in Serbia
• Support Poland WOSonOS in any way we can if only making known what they are already doing in OS already and in Poland