Diversity, invitation, self-organization! How I revel in these OS conversations. Bountiful and beautiful.
Sitting in them in a spirit of such gratitude and the enjoyment of just savoring like fully savoring... As in life with "one less thing to do"! On Feb 1, 2014 9:11 AM, "Harrison Owen" <[email protected]> wrote: > Christine - no question Diversity is a movable thing, but I think it is > also true that we surely know a diverse group when we encounter it. And > another truth (for me) is that Diversity is infinitely more that the color > of skin, etc. But the bottom line is all about the enormous gift that > Diversity confers - multiple, often conflicting, points of view. Some > people take this as a problem, but I've always found it to be an enormous > plus. The reason is pretty simple; intractable (unsolvable) problems > usually pop up when we try to solve the same old issues in the same old > ways, again and again. The gift of diversity is new and different eyes. So > the need for diversity in Open Space has little to do with social reform, > etc - It is purely practical, and the more the better, I've found. > > > > And I think you've hit the nail on the head! You said --"Does it mean > that, for it to be a real invitation, it should have been done outside of > the regular , traditional, annual, management seminar ?" My sense is that > there could have been a sense of "real invitation" for the annual "do," but > context is a powerful thing - No matter what you say or how, "Everybody > knows that the Annual Do is a command performance." So yes, opening space > at a different time and place could well have made a real difference. > > > > ho > > > > > > > > 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 *christine koehler > *Sent:* Friday, January 31, 2014 5:28 PM > *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Our dilemma... > > > > Thank you for your answer Harrison about when to say No. > > the most tricky conditions for me are "diversity" and "voluntary" > > What diversity means depends I think on the eyes of the person who sees > it. Is a group of 100 managers a diverse group, when there are lots of > divergent views, conflicts, situation ? Or are they only the same type of > stakeholders, even if the issue is about management ? If I see that with > the eye of the system, management means managers + managees .. at least... > Is that level of diversity necessary for a rich OS event ? > > > > Regarding the voluntary self-selection, I had an interesting experience > lately. > > I did an OSevent for a very traditional organization that wanted to have a > different management seminar : more collaborative. Not everyone sitting > there and complaining but doing nothing as in previous years. We discussed > this invitation part and they did "invite", as opposed to previous year > where they just announced the management seminar to be held on x/x/xx. > Everyone came, but from what I heard here and there more because they did > not believe it was a real invitation they could have refused.. This time > they sat, waited for topics to be proposed, joined breakout sessions and > discussed. But did not jump in the circle to suggest topics. > > Does it mean that, for it to be a real invitation, it should have been > done outside of the regular , traditional, anual, management seminar ? What > do you think ? > > Christine > > > > On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 6:21 PM, Harrison Owen <[email protected]> wrote: > > Christine, I have changed the title as I think we are well out of the > classroom - but not out of the dilemma. You said: "- 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.." > > > > All good questions and few easy answers. And the easy ones are almost too > obvious to mention. I have no problem quickly saying No when it becomes > clear that: > > > > 1) The client just wants an OS demonstration. And the reason is simple. > There is not much to demonstrate and if all you do is go through the forms, > the usual response is, Is that all there is? Followed by a dismissal. > Without a "real business (life) reason there will be no passion, no > responsibility because nobody cares. > > > > 2) The client is interested in controlling the group in order to achieve a > particular (narrow), predetermined outcome. To achieve this result, the > space cannot be open, and if it is open the outcome will be unpredictable. > > > > Beyond these two particulars, the critical thing for me is the presence of > what I have come to understand are the essential preconditions for Open > Space. 1) A real business issue that people really care about. 2) High > levels of diversity in terms of points of view, people and groups. 3) > Serious complexity in terms of the issue, its causes and ramifications. 4) > Obvious passion and conflict - People really care. 5) A clear sense of > urgency - Something needs to be done NOW. > > And last - but really first and foremost - that participation is a matter > of voluntary self selection. > > > > There is no easy metric that I have discovered, but when all the > conditions are clearly present, you don't need a careful survey with > detailed data. It hits you right in the face. Situations will vary and not > all of the preconditions will show up at maximum levels. But two of them (1 > and 5) are pretty critical. If the convening issue is not one of genuine > concern, nobody will really care. And if there is little or no sense of > urgency, little will get done. But voluntary self selection is for me the > "deal breaker or maker." When people are forced to come by some external > power the space is not open. Simple. > > > > I understand that there are situations where this can be a little tricky, > but there are ways to make it happen, even in very hierarchical > organizations. Finding such a way is a most useful task for "Prework." > Sometimes that takes a little time, and sometimes not. My favorite and most > recent example occurred with a large division of the US Government. When > they first came to me, it was obvious to anyone, even if they didn't want > to admit it, that the first 5 preconditions were present to the maximum. > But when I mentioned "voluntary self selection" we hit a serious snag. To a > person the senior folks were of the opinion that if it were voluntary, > nobody would come. I just let them sit there with those thoughts for a > moment and then remarked, "Well if nobody would come they didn't have a > just a dysfunctional organization, they had a mutiny. And neither Open > Space, nor anything else I could think of would do much good. After some > more silence, they bit the bullet (took the leap, whatever). As it turned > out there were 178 people in the organization and 177 came. The one who > didn't was a pregnant lady who went to the hospital instead. > > > > 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 *christine koehler > *Sent:* Friday, January 31, 2014 4:16 AM > *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list > *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space classrooms > > > > 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 > >
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