縱身躍入開放空間 Author作者：Jim Clark
The first time I facilitated a meeting using Open Space Technology, I was pretty nervous. It was a very important meeting to me, and the company. The President, the CEO and all of the VPs were attending, and it was the first time I had facilitated any meeting with this group of people, let alone an OST meeting. I was worried that half way through the opening, they would stand up and say, “Hey, lets get on the meeting! Where the heck is the agenda anyway?” 對我、對公司而言，這都是一次非常重要的會議。董事長、執行長以及所有副執行長都來參加，而且這是我第一次引導這一群人開會，更別提是第一次用OST了。我很擔心開場白說到一半，他們會站起來說，「我們快開始開會好不好！我們會議的議程到底在哪裡？」 Besides having the heads of the company in the room, we had four distinct groups from different regions where we operate, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and America. These groups had no love for each other, and the emails that had been flying around the months before the meeting were full of blame and antagonistic in nature. As we were preparing for the meeting, people “warned” me that things were not going to go well. 除了公司的大頭目們都到場參加之外，還有從四個地區的同仁來參加—香港、台灣、日本及美國。這些地區的同仁彼此之間早有間隙，會議之前幾個月，內容充滿敵意與推諉塞責的電子郵件滿天飛。我們準備這場會議時，很多人跑來警告我，這場會議一定會開得很不順。 So on Friday morning when I rang the bell, and we started to breathe as a group. I felt a little like I did the first time I Bungee Jumped. I had seen others jump, had listened to the training, and now it is time to see if the cord is going to hold or not…we had spent three months working with Senior Management on developing the theme, and making sure that we had the key “givens” or non-negotiable items. I guess that pre-work was like connecting the bungee to the bridge, and getting harnessed up. Nothing to do now but jump! 所以那個星期五早上當我敲了鈴，邀請整個團隊一起做深呼吸時，我的感覺就好像在作高空彈跳似的。我曾經看過別人跳過，也在訓練課程當中聽過，現在是自己嘗試那條繩索是不是穩固的時候了。我們在會議之前，花了三個月的時間與高階經營團隊將會議的大主題研擬出來，同時釐清「既定事實」或可稱之為「無商量餘地的項目」。我認為會前準備工作就像是連結高空彈跳台與橋樑本身，並且把繩子設定好。一切就緒之後該做的就是縱身一躍！
YYYYEEEEEEEHHHHHHHAAAAAAAWWWWWW!!!!!!! Topics were posted in a fury, with some “taboo” topics showing right away. Everyone looked to the President to see if he was going to react, but he kept his word that he had given me before, the space was open for discussion, as long as they weren’t proposing topics that were outside of the “givens.” 參與者如火如荼地提出子題，甚至馬上有人提一些平常在桌面下的禁忌話題。每個人都看著董事長會不會有所反應，但是他信守曾經答應過我的承諾，只要能夠遵守既定事實的範圍，他將維持討論空間的敞開。
The groups spread out and within 20 minutes our first bumble bees showed up…and then the butterflies fluttered around the coffee table. Within an hour, the room was buzzing, and I quietly left to take a walk in the garden, relishing the fact that this was THEIR meeting, being run their way, and that I was not necessary! Was pleased to find out that the bungee held the weight of the group just fine. For the next two and a half days, the group never let up. There was always a number of groups going, and many volunteered to continue their conversations during lunch (something I had never experienced facilitating a group before). People didn’t seem to get tired, and were genuinely surprised to find out that it was “already 5 o’clock.” 我非常高興，我們的高空彈跳台將整個團隊的重量把持的剛剛好。接下來兩天半的時間，整個團隊仍舊維持討論的熱度。總是有許多子題熱烈討論，甚至有人希望邊吃午餐繼續討論(這是我以前引導團隊從未見過的場景)。大家好像都不累，而且發現「已經是五點了」時還非常驚訝。 After two and a half days of meetings, the group changed…transformed is probably a better word. People started getting a little softer around the eyes, smiled more, and the four regions melded into one big team, sitting in a circle, with nothing between them. Exposed, and yet safe. During the closing circle there were apologies made, recognition given, and a general sense of surprise at how enjoyable sleeping with the enemy had become. 兩天半的會議之後，整個團隊改變了。用蛻變還可能比較貼切。人們的眼神較和緩，更常微笑同時四個地區的人都融合成一體，中間全無隔閡。坦誠且安全。在結束的對話圈中，有人表達了歉意，有人給予了肯定，同時氣氛中瀰漫著「與敵人共枕」沒想到變得如此愉快的驚訝感受。 As for me? I became addicted to Open Space that weekend, like a thrill seeker needing another adrenaline rush. But instead of speed or danger, I became addicted to people solving their problems in an open and respectful manner. I became addicted to the giddiness of participants exploring and solving problems. I became addicted to being unnecessary to the meeting process. Most of the work that a facilitator does in an OST meeting comes long before the opening circle, so the actual time spent with the group is like harvesting the fruit of that labor. 至於我呢？從那個週末之後我就對OST上癮了，就好像喜好刺激的人會需要下一次腎上腺素突然上升的激勵。然而，讓我上癮的不是危險的這個部分，而是那種人們能夠在開放與尊中的方法當中解決他們的問題。我也對於看著眾多與會者以令人眼花撩亂的方法探索及解決問題的過程深深著迷。我變得喜歡在會議過程中成為「不是必要的」一份子，因為所有OST相關的準備工作是在事前發生，所以會議本身就好像豐收的時
 About the author 關於作者:
Jim Clark
Originally from Seattle, Jim has been living in Asia for more than 13 years, having worked in Mainland China, Thailand, Philippines, Japan and Taiwan. His educational background is in Cross Cultural Communication, and has many years of experience in leading experiential educational events for thousands of participants all over Taiwan.
來自西雅圖的Jim已經住在亞洲十三年，曾旅居中國大陸、泰國、菲律賓、日本及台灣。他的教育背景是跨文化溝通，同時在台灣領導體驗式教育方面有許多年的經驗，舉辦的活動接觸過數千名台灣參與者。 |
|
|