Harrison - as ever - clear and simply brilliant!! I would not dream of adding anything to what you have said.
Thank you for sharing this. Very best wishes Jon ___________________________________________________ Jon Harvey Director <http://www.jonharveyassociates.co.uk/> www.jonharveyassociates.co.uk +44 (0) 7771 537535 +44 (0) 1280 822585 <mailto:j...@jonharveyassociates.co.uk> j...@jonharveyassociates.co.uk cid:image001.png@01C99835.30F040B0 Helping you connect the prose and the passion to deliver superlative results <http://smallcreativeideas.blogspot.com/> http://smallcreativeideas.blogspot.com/ for ideas about how to improve public services Jon Harvey Associates Ltd Registered Office: Chandos House, School Lane, Buckingham, MK18 1HD Company Number 6661588. VAT Registration Number 936 2921 11 From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison Owen Sent: 31 March 2009 13:55 To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: [OSLIST] FW: Open Space research, University of Groningen Several days ago I received the following note from two graduate students in Holland. They had some questions and I tried to offer some answers. And I thought you might have some more (answers). So take a look, and if you have anything to add, let the good folks in Holland know. Their email is i.iprenb...@student.rug.nl Harrison Dear Mr. Owen, Our names are Tom Steffens and Ivo Iprenburg and we are Master students Strategy and Innovation at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. We received your email address from Professor Caroline Quispel, our supervisor for the course Management Consulting. For the next weeks we are working on a research about the positive and negative elements of the Open Space Theory. Due to the fact that you are the founder of this groundbreaking approach to group-interaction and organization enhancement, we would love to hear your perspectives on this topic. Could you answer the following questions for us? . What are the main advantages of Open space, according to you? . How does Open Space create value for its participants? . What could be the disadvantages of an Open Space conference? . How can a consultant try to prevent these disadvantages like political games, mutany, etc.? Your cooperation will help us gain valuable background information for the article we have to write in the Netherlands on this topic. If you need some more information please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you so much in advance. Yours sincerely, Tom Steffens Ivo Iprenburg My response: I will do my best to answer your questions -- and with your permission I will post your letter on OSLIST -- which is the listserve for the Open Space community. There are about 600 people world wide, and it is likely that they will have some interesting contributions. Or you can post it for yourself. OSLIST is free. To join go to: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To Your Questions--- . What are the main advantages of Open space, according to you? The major advantages are that it is very efficient, effective, and fun. Efficiency occurs because there is little to no time wasted before a gathering preparing an agenda (all those endless, boring meetings which never work out the way the planners planned). It is also efficient because no effort is wasted with multiple facilitators and program managers during the meeting attempting to do what they can never do -- keep in control. And if they did succeed, the meeting would be a disaster because nothing new or innovative would have emerged. Lastly -- OS is fun. When people address issues they really care about in a way that is efficient and effective they always have a good time -- even when the issue is a very serious one. I can remember Palestinians and Israelis working together on really tough issues and laughing as they did their work. . How does Open Space create value for its participants? In Open Space the people who care about an issue care about what they do and they do what they care about. Caring people working carefully create enormous value every time. . What could be the disadvantages of an Open Space conference? The only disadvantage I have ever seen is that the participants become inspired, creative, innovative, and energized. When this happens, all those other people who thought they were in control and made all the plans typically become upset and try and regain control. If such people are successful all the inspiration, creativity, innovation and energy are wasted and/or destroyed. . How can a consultant try to prevent these disadvantages like political games, mutany, etc.? I can't begin to tell you how many Open Spaces I have done over the years, but I can tell you that world wide, space has been opened something in excess of 200,000 times in 136 countries over 23 years. In all of the Open Spaces I have done, and all those I have heard about -- the "disadvantages" you identify have never been a problem PROVIDED the essential pre-conditions for doing an Open space were met. These conditions are: 1) Participants are there because they care (voluntary self-selection). 2) The issue is a real business issue they care about. 3) There is lots of complexity such that nobody could possibly know all the details or the answer. 4) Lots of conflict and passion. 5) There was a decision time of yesterday. -- The issue is an urgent one. In every situation when I have ever heard of anything like what you are talking about becoming a "problem" some of the pre-conditions were not met. The "issue" was just a "pretend" issue. The people were forced (assigned) to come. The issue itself was so simple all you really needed was two cups of coffee and you had it solved. There was no real sense of urgency -- something could happen some day. . . But when the conditions are fully met, the "right" people show up, the job is done (usually with excellence) and nobody is playing "games," political or otherwise. ******************************** So there is a fast bunch of "answers." Off the top of my head! I would understand if you felt they were somehow shallow or "flip" -- but that has been my experience. I know of no way to "prove" to you that what I say except to invite you to try the experiment for yourself. The experience (experiment) has been that if the conditions are met, and the procedure is followed (sit in a circle, create a bulletin board, open a market place, and go to work, and the facilitator -- that's me -- takes a nap J) -- "it" always works. Have fun. And you might enjoy my latest book, "Wave Rider: Leadership for High Performance in a Self Organizing World" (Berrett-Koehler, 2008). Amazon will get it to you and I think you will find a more robust set of "answers" to your questions. Please say Hi! to Caroline Q., your professor. She is a wonderful person, and you are very fortunate. Harrison Harrison Owen 7808 River Falls Drive Potomac, Maryland 20854 Phone 301-365-2093 Skype hhowen Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org Personal website www.ho-image.com OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
