Harrison Yes, this is THE dilemna we are facing so often. And I learn from you that sometimes it is better to NO beforehand. So now my question is : - when to say no .. - when to say yes and do more prework to help the organization get ready to what may happen - when to say yes and serve the group..
Right now I am in the "more prework" period. And if more prework is not possible, offer other ways to work with group. But it leaves me with a taste of uncompleteness (if this word exists in English) Would love to hear what other say.. Christine On Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 9:31 PM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > Barry said, “It worked so well that they didn't invite me back after the > 3rd time because the School Administration was not keen on the turmoil > caused by the students expressions of freedom and demands for change.” > > > > Nice Barry! And yes, for anybody who cares, Barry is my son. Nepotism is > always nice J And for anybody who may have questioned the “Trojan Horse” > character of OS, Barry’s story should be interesting. > > > > I think this story sharply focuses the dilemma most of us face when > offering to open space. Specifically: Who is our client? The traditional > answer, of course, is whoever is paying the bill, which is typically the > sponsor. In service to the client, it is understandable that we should try > to shape Open Space to fit their needs and expectations. This will often > take the form of identifying, and staying within, or away from, what some > have called the “Givens.” Those things which supposedly can’t be changed or > even talked about. But just suppose that those “Givens” are EXACTLY the > thing(s) that must be talked about if the participants are to experience > their own power and potential in order to bring their full force to bear on > the resolution of whatever difficulties the organization in question may > be facing? > > > > This can get pretty existential, not to say painful should it becomes > clear that the sponsoring organization is only a degree or two away from > being a prison camp – that most of the difficulties they have identified > with morale, creativity, lack of emergent leadership, innovation, etc. are > precisely what one would predict in the circumstances. And of course, one > of the “Givens,” spoken or unspoken, is that the prison guards and senior > staff are not to be questioned. Fortunately this sort of situation doesn’t > happen all the time, but when it does, what to do? > > > > I don’t think there is any easy answer, at least I never found one. You > can, of course, refuse to do the Open Space. But that leaves you in the > uncomfortable position of deserting a bunch of fellow human beings > wallowing in a miserable situation. Fortunately for our peace of mind, most > such organizations will back out of doing an Open Space before you are > confronted with the issue, but not always. Then what? > > > > For whatever it is worth, I have always made it clear to clients/sponsors, > especially in such situations described above, that they are my client up > until the time we actually open Space. From that time on my allegiance is > to the integrity of “The Space” as a place where every person and every > issue is honored, welcomed, and respected. After all that is what I mean by > open space. Of course, The Powers that be can shut the space down. And if > that is their choice, I leave. The Law of Two Feet applies across the board. > > > > I have only had to “walk” once, and I think that is due to the fact that I > made my position very clear before we started. But I do have to say there > were several situations where I came very close. Nervous making and painful > for sure, but Hey – That’s why we get paid the big bucks. J > > > > Harrison > > > > > > > > Harrison Owen > > 7808 River Falls Dr. > > Potomac, MD 20854 > > USA > > > > 189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer) > > Camden, Maine 04843 > > > > Phone 301-365-2093 > > (summer) 207-763-3261 > > > > www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20> > > www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website) > > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of > OSLIST Go to: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > *From:* [email protected] [mailto: > [email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Barry Owen > *Sent:* Thursday, January 30, 2014 1:39 PM > > *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space classrooms > > > > Tricia, > > > > I have done exactly this with a local MBA program > > It worked so well that they didn't invite me back after the 3rd time > because the School Administration was not keen on the turmoil caused by the > students expressions of freedom and demands for change. > > > > My "Way" was simply to Open Space as if it were a 3 Full Day Event. > > This Time/Place Post-it matrix reflected what any 3 day event would have > (Opening - Sessions - Lunch - Sessions - Evening News - Party . . . ending > with Closing) > > The opening was normal - No difference than if it were the full 3 days > > Each time I did it, the groups of 30ish students posted @ 30 Issues > > We had time for 1 session (45 minutes) and had 4 Break-out spaces > > Then we had Evening News. > > > > At the end of evening news, I simply made the suggestion that they could > complete the remaining 26 sessions at other times. What happened was > unfathomable to me and the sponsoring Professor . . . The students > self-organized and DID arrange times and places (Coffee Shops) and > "completed" the sessions on the wall in a period of about 3 weeks. > > > > The topic all three times was centered around "Rankings of MBA programs > and how their MBA program could improve their standings" > > > > The School Administrators were always invited but never showed up, and > they had all the power and squashed all efforts by the students to effect > change . . . I think the professor was ultimately forced to describe Open > Space Technology rather than demonstrating. > > > > DO-IT > > > > You'll have a blast. > > > > Best, > > > > b > > > > On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 1:30 PM, Tricia Chirumbole < > [email protected]> wrote: > > Hi all! > > > > I am writing to request your advice and experiences with open space in > classrooms - this is for a one time MBA class. > > > > *the upcoming engagement:* > > I have been invited to hold an Open Space style class for > MBA/International Affairs students in a Global Perspectives class on Feb > 24th at George Washington University (my former MBA program). The standing > theme of this class in the prof's curriculum is, "Putting it all together" > > > > *background: * > > This invite was born from discussions I have been having with the > professor of the aforementioned class, about the opportunities of > introducing some Open Space and Scrum practices into their MBA program - > she is also the Associate Dean and involved in program development. > > > > My real interest was to explore opportunities not just for actual > classroom time, but also for other components, such as: The kick-off > orientation week for FT MBAs, Curriculum/program planning, and for > executing projects. My pet titles include: Hacking my MBA, and the Agile > Classroom. > > > > *the conundrum: *So, this is cool, BUT, I am concerned about the short > time frame (2.5 hours) and the isolated nature of the engagement. > > > > I would very much like anyone's direct experience or insight on holding > classes OS style or holding similarly short, one-off Open Space > engagements. I know they are done, I can envision how I would do it, but I > still feel concerned that I may have jumped on low hanging fruit that may > not be the best format for sharing these practices. > > > > For me, I can definitely see open space style classes and "agile" > classrooms w/out multi-day OS summits, but I see them flourishing more as > part of an ecosystem of principles and cultures being practiced, rather > than as a one-off classroom brouhaha! > > > > All thoughts welcome - thank you in advance! :))))) > > > > Tricia Chirumbole > > Open Space Facilitator, Certified Scrum Master > > Mojo Collaborative > > www.mojocollaborative.com > > > > 571-232-0942 > > skype: tricia.chirumbole > > twitter: @themojozone > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > OSList mailing list > To post send emails to [email protected] > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > To subscribe or manage your subscription click below: > http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org > > -- [image: Christine Koehler, créatrice d'espace de Dialogue et de Coopération] Executive Coach, Médiateur www.christine-koehler.fr Tel : 06 13 28 71 38 Fax : 09 72 32 36 65 <http://christine-koehler.fr/2013/formation-de-levenement-au-processus-avril-2013/>
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