Hosting Conversations about Questions that Matter
For me, the heartfelt experience of the European Salon is the ongoing, co-evolving story of life. In the rich fullness of life’s diverse nature, I see the spaces opening up to invite meaning, discovery, connection, pain, uncertainty and love.
I experienced and contributed to a process of exceptional courage, shared leadership, deep dialogue and creative design. Surprise, engagement and connection were equally present as part of the intense exchange of ideas, compassion and contact.
And in the midst of all this, a three legged cat who had the uncanny ability to repeatedly find the centre of our group and, once there, to exude peacefullness and calm in a way that only creatures can.
The European Salon included insightful acts of designated and spontaneous leadership. Creating and holding space, stepping back and inviting others to fill this space with their emerging abundance. The effect was truely startling and a revelation of how leadership can facilitate and invite empowerment and strength in individuals and groups.
Truely, I experienced moments of uncertainty, disconnection and disturbance. And in other circumstances, this might have been the end of the meeting for me. But the shared trust in the people and the design as well as the joy of being part of this amazing gathering helped me over the tough moments.
And looking back, the difficulties were also times of wonder and discovery.
I am deeply grateful for the experience and thankful to all who made this possible (including myself as participant and hosting team member).
Please add your story, if you wish!
Hanno
I experienced and contributed to a process of exceptional courage, shared leadership, deep dialogue and creative design. Surprise, engagement and connection were equally present as part of the intense exchange of ideas, compassion and contact.
And in the midst of all this, a three legged cat who had the uncanny ability to repeatedly find the centre of our group and, once there, to exude peacefullness and calm in a way that only creatures can.
The European Salon included insightful acts of designated and spontaneous leadership. Creating and holding space, stepping back and inviting others to fill this space with their emerging abundance. The effect was truely startling and a revelation of how leadership can facilitate and invite empowerment and strength in individuals and groups.
Truely, I experienced moments of uncertainty, disconnection and disturbance. And in other circumstances, this might have been the end of the meeting for me. But the shared trust in the people and the design as well as the joy of being part of this amazing gathering helped me over the tough moments.
And looking back, the difficulties were also times of wonder and discovery.
I am deeply grateful for the experience and thankful to all who made this possible (including myself as participant and hosting team member).
Please add your story, if you wish!
Hanno
Tags: Egensbach, 2nd European Salon, European, Salon, Stories
Replies to This Conversation
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Permalink Reply by Charles M. Savage on -
Hanno and all,
From the reports I am receiving, confirmed by your good note, your European Salon was a powerful next step - with a lot of growth for all. Wonderful. This is such good news.
Charles -
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Permalink Reply by juanita brown on -
Hi dear Hanno...
How wonderful to hear your reflections! I know that David was very moved by the experience as well. And, it would be lovely to hear others perspectives, insights and discoveries.
With fondest regards,
Juanita -
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Permalink Reply by Benjamin Aaron Degenhart on -
Hanno, thanks a lot for settings this thread up! i am happily feeding in my story and look forward to more stories and Ullrichs documentation of our wonderful days together.... let me offer some spotlights from the collection of highlights i did for myself in the end.
specifically german patterns i am observing (being one myself): a fear of dissolving in a group through our history. and a tendency to nurture confusion more than reaching clarity - as soon as the confusion cracks open in the room it can grow very fast.
what are rooted rituals in a patch-worked culture?
"out beyond ideas of measuring and comparing there is value - we will meet us there" inspired by David Isaacs and Rumi
dare to name conversational leaders
there is a tendency to leave out the 4th or even 3rd round in a Café for time reasons - being aware of holding the depth...
some day when The World Cafe, Open Space Technology are so naturally in use that we don't even name them anymore... when they fade into the background and have lead us to a new field of intuitively structuring meaningful conversations - what's the new tools/methods then, what's on the horizon?
the purpose of almost any process design is to get spacious around an inquiry and invite broadening the territory and inspiration from other metaphorical levels...
when the space from where the symbols that we interprete come from is coming closer and closer to the source from where the interpretation comes from...
"what's the next level of us growing together as an organism and how can we invite each other into contribution"
local presence and/or global presence
from problem solving to possibility seeking
"being hear is all-ready enough" three notions in that, inspired by David -
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Permalink Reply by Hanno Langfelder on -
Marvellous thoughts! Thank you for sharing!
So much of what you write trigger inspiration in me! What a horizon it will be when we are designing new tools of collaboration. I will meet you on the way there!
I wonder about your thought that a German culture likes inviting more confusion.....?
What is a patch-worked culture to you? What is that about?
I was also struck by the significance of SPACE during out Salon. It seemed to be continuing theme, which I can relate to very well. Perhaps in coming conversations we can include the phrase "Take your space as well take your time".
I hope to hear more about possibility seeking in future!
Cheers! -
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Permalink Reply by Amy Lenzo on -
Ahhhh, hearing from you who were there in Egensbach is so nourishing to me...
As one of the hosts for the first Salon, I can "listen in" to your experiences and "receive" a little of it myself, even though I sense it is quite a different experience than last year's gathering was. I feel the sadness of not having been with you at the same time I feel the excitement of how this event is growing, and I look forward to being part of it again in the future. -
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Permalink Reply by Hanno Langfelder on
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I send an "Ahhhhhh" back to you all the way to the Bay Area! Good to hear your feelings on the Salon and its development. There will be more!
Hugs! -
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Permalink Reply by Ulrich Soeder on -
Hey all,
it will take a little time for me to come up with the documentation of this 2nd European Salon. In the meanwhile, find a few first impressions from the meeting in Egensbach!
Hanno, thank for starting this thread!
Take care, Ulrich -
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Permalink Reply by Ilona Christl on -
My dear friend Amy,
you were with us, don't worry. Benjamin has brought some of your talents into our house and thus some of your topics. Connecting the world. You would have loved the crazyness we (especially Hanno, Benjamin and Norwin) wich we have invited, you would have enjoyed our house and its possibilities I think, Findus was really funny and connecting us with something else, the big trees up in the hills where we connected us with our ancestors were giving us roots and space, yes...I missed you and I'm looking forward to learn how to communicate such and "event" online. Big hug my dear friend. -
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Permalink Reply by Ulrich Soeder on
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The three legged cat is called Findus. Find-Us in the middle ...
Cheers, Ulrich -
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Permalink Reply by Ulrich Soeder on
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and our agenda ...
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