Hi all OSers! I'm Elena Marchuk, from Novosibirsk, West Siberia - the geographical center of Russia.
I want to thank you all whom I write personally and who helped me with their advises and inspiration... that is Harrison Owen - first, then Peggy Holman - the book of whom I'm in love - I mean The Change Handbook, Michael Pannwitz with his equipping me with 1 and 2 hours design of OSs and his report on Moscow training. And all who participate in the discussion on OSlist about 2 hours OS which I just followed silently... THANK YOU! I had 3 hours. So I feeled a little bit relaxed with timing but very worried what those Russians will do with the method and small timing - from 2 to 5 pm. The topic was "Civic Initiatives" in the afternoon of the Conference "Local governments and NGOs - from interconnection to partnership" . two sessions were very traditional - one with 13 speakers (in a hot day), another like round table - also with honoured speakers and ours - with OS... it was 40 people first we moved to a more fresh aired room from 2:00 pm to 2:15( from 2-nd to 5-th flor, those who was very tired - by the lift) and then installing in a circle then 15 miniutes of instructions. and you should see this frustraited faces - what we have to do with this? then one after another we had about 15 topics.. then signing and organizing 6 groups. 2:45. I desided that there will be one session of 45 minutes as we had to prepare the general presentation for the plenary session (from 5 to 6 pm), and that's why we have to listen what groups would working on and decide to present. So I told them that they have 45 minutes for discussing their topics and for preparing the report on a flipchart, 3:30. two groups from 6 were ready and all others asked for 5 minutes more... 3:45 we started presentations - they were nice and everybody listened as the topics was intersting for all. one group presented two reports on different topics - one evaluation of the work of NGOs and the other - Working through Internet one woman after working in a group, as nobody signed on her proposed topic, wrote quicly on a flipchart the presentation on her topic and made a report - why not - ecological education... we ended in 4:20 with presentations (a little bit less then 5 min each together with the applouds) and discussed 15 min the results we shoul present on a plenary and then 15 min of closing session where people surprised that it worked somehow and it was great experience where NGOs representetives and local government officers worked together as normal people...and very democratic and wonderful... Marina, my friend, said that I always had a smile on my face and smoothed all hard parts by saying - that is your chance to say everything you want and find partners right here in the room... So it looks like we all won! we shall print all the results tomorrow and will put them in the newsletter Thanks a lot to everybody and for OS and for Harrison who invented this method. he said that I have just to try. I did Best wishes to all! elena marchuk, Ph.D. director of the Regional Development Center "Ceres" -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of Doersam, Laurel Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 12:03 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: I need advice . . . Thanks, Michelle. The time factor is a huge caution for me, too. I wonder if they care enough to devote the time they need to resolving the issue? I think I'll need to take a firm stand on this. What is your opinion of spreading the space over several subsequent sessions? (When I voiced my concerns about the time issue, they were prepared to devote a couple of followup weekly sessions of two hours - but again the same issue of opening space "a little" - just as people start to become engaged in the process, it's time to go scrub!) The other complicating thing is that the physicians have the largest interest in getting home on time because they don't get paid any extra for being there late - the others get compensated, so there are certainly power issues involved. Do you think this could be spread over a few weeks, or should I hold out for a full day? Laurel. -----Original Message----- From: Michelle Cooper [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2000 11:34 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: I need advice . . . HI Laurel; I would suggest not using open space for two hours for this particular scenario. OST is just the right process for the problem, but anything less than 4 hours would have the potential to backfire and a day would be minimal in my opinion for this issue. It sounds typical of the desire for instant fixes to huge problems that is rampant in health care. My other concern is that they will be so caught up with being ready for the OR to start, they may not be fully present. I would suggest that if they are truly committed to resolving the problem, they will dedicate more time to it and they will find a way to make the time happen. Sometimes that requires investing in time on a weekend or (god forbid) closing down the OR for a half day. This is often done when anaesthetists go for their annual conference!! My thinking is that a 2 hour event in any form is not going to help them resolve the issues. They are likely looking at many 2 hour sessions which would have the same effect on productivity as closing the OR for a day and not nearly as effective as just one day in open space. One of my nursing colleagues participated in a 2 hour "demonstration" event recently at a conference where there was not particular passionate issues. She said that people got into the discussion so deeply, that they were angry when they were forced to stop. Not in the spirit of OS and could particularly backfire if volatile issues got raised that could not be discussed until "it is over". Two hours might get you an opportunity to do some story telling to start people getting a handle on the issue and then follow with a longer open space. My humble opinion; Michelle Michelle Cooper, RN, MScN The Cooper Group Consultants 200 Crestview Avenue Ancaster, Ontario Canada L9G1E2 Telephone - (905) 648- 4633 Fax - (905) 648-1763 E-mail [email protected] The paradox of control is simple. The more we try to control life, the less control we have. Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., Minding The Body, Mending The Mind
