Meg Salter wrote:
> First of all - hello to all! I believe this is my first time speaking > up with this group, though I have been following the conversations > avidly for some months.Your spirit and words are a real inspiration, > and often a good laugh too! Here's the situation. I am a member of a > local professional group "ACCORD" (Association for Creative Change and > Organizational Renewal and Development - what a mouthful!) It is a > small, primarily Toronto/ southern Ontario based group of OD types, > some academics, community people, a few students, etc. - in my > experience, a neat group of people! About half are self-employed > consultants (like myself!) The organization has offered inexpensive > learning programs with leading edge types, and opportunites for > networking and informal learning.They have also had, at least some of > the time, a focus on spirit. Their "Spirit at Work" conference in '96 > is still talked about (I believe Harrison, that you gave a session > there!). Anyway, the organization is unravelling, membership > declining, program attendance declining, $ dwindling........... the > usual. I am on a task force of volunteers that have agreed to advise > the Board on the road they should follow/ the type of large scale > intervention they should use to engage the membership and determine > their future - if they have one! I am going to present how Open Space > would work..... and then we'll see if that is the way they want to > go! SO - here is the question!! How do you provide the opportunity > for input and participation from those who can't actually attend the > OS day(s)? Many of the membership are self-employed consultants, who > book their time well in advance, or may be struggling financially and > can't afford to give up billable time. Other members or ex- members > may care about the issues, but not enough to give up their time!! I > was thinking to include with the invitation: 1)a fax-back/ e-mail back > response sheet (e.g. "give us your thoughts around...theme...) which > could then be posted on the marketplace, and sorted and incorporated > by those there in person, as they saw fit and 2)a tick list indicating > their desired degree of involvement in action going forwardI've also > been pondering some sort of dial-in teleconferencing input, e.g. at > agenda creation time, and at convergence time, but I don't like this > as much because it creates the illusion of involvement without any > real responsibility. I'd really appreciate your feedback and ideas on > how to create opportunities for involvement for those who truly care, > but just cannot be there at the time. (For those who don't care - > well that's a different story!) Many thanks........ I'm looking > forward to some interesting stuff! Meg SalterMegaSpace > [email protected] > Dear Meg, > > From the perspective of a member of Accord for six years,an Open > Space Facilitator and a human being ;here are my thoughts- > > -whoever comes are the right people ( even sole practitioners will > find the space to come if the passion is there) so I wouldn"t to try > hear the voices of members at that time. You are doing a lot of survey > work anyway. > -whatever happens is the only thing that could have( I remember > Harrison telling a story about a company that decided to close after > being in Open Space ) > -the facilitator should come from outside ACCORD membership > I was involved in the Organization Spirit at Work conference The Open > Space facilitated by Larry Peterson.You can contact me at any time to > discuss > my experiences. Thank you , Meg, for working so diligently on this. > > Audrey Coward > Audrey Coward & Associates > Catalysts for Change > 2281F Lakeshore Blvd.W > The Mews at Grand Harbour > Toronto,Ontario > M8V1A6 > (416)259-6215 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
