Cohousing-L Mailing List: Using Open space in meetings

[Rob Sandelin (floriferous]

Jenny Guy asked:    Does it ( open space) work to address issues where there
are a lot of hurt feelings, in this relatively
unstructured way? 

 I'd say, probably not, at least not in my community. Its just a way to get
conversations about any topic going.  It does subdivide the large group and
so it might be easier for some people to share their feelings in a smaller
circle, and of course anybody who had hurt feelings and wanted to talk about
them could call a circle. The smaller open space circles allow for
conversations and back and forth dialog, where the big meeting circle has
more prescribed processes for input which make conversation style dialog not
possible.   For feelings issues we tend to use a separate, Talking Circle,
which is designed to be more intimate for sharings. Talking circles can be
called by any member and are at a different time than the large, monthly
meeting.  

Rob Sandelin
Sharingwood 
Snohomish County, WA