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Mentoring people getting started in Open Space
Convenor: Kerry Willis
Participants: Allison Baensch, Andrew Donovan (briefly)
Discussion:
We found it useful to observe, assist with and participate in other Open Spaces.
We are looking for a way of practising (not necessarily paid – yet).
Andrew:
- is generously willing to have assistants/observers at his events and suggests the OST Institute (contact Brian) to have a “Market Place” in its newsletter offering or asking for observers/assistants for Open Spaces in different settings or scenarios.
Allison and Kerry:
- to contact the OS Institute to follow up Andrew’s suggestion.
- told our stories and found lots of compatibilities, pleasures, excitement and complementarities.
- will meet to dicsuss possibilities of working together in the local area.
One piece of advice from me: giving it away works. I have mentored people ever since my third or fourth OST, and several of those I mentored have gone on to use OST in their practice on a regular basis. Long ago I decided that offering OST meant inviting people to learn how to do it too, in what ever form that took. Certainly I do paid trainings, but I have never said no to bringing people along with me to learn and help. Usually I ask my client if it's alright if I bring a helper and they hardly ever object. Only on strictly in house jobs have I not bothered asking.
So keep inviting, facilitating and encouraging learning. It's amazing how quickly your reputation grows. Cornering the market on OST just doesn't seem practical. Growing a lot more of it seems to generate a lot more of it.
Good luck!
ChrisCorrigan?