Birgitt, What an amazing story. What courage from this person, the Dean. And how beautiful the eventual support from other staff members. Like an ode to trust, or faith.
Thomas ___ All is possible together > On 2 Oct 2019, at 19.04, Birgitt Williams via OSList > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Rob, > I have read your thoughtful post again, and focused on "One other issue is > that we are always ready to blame things like OST for poor outputs, a > scapegoat. When things work and we have outstanding outcomes we must include > OST as part of the fabric of success. How much we include it is dependent on > the faith of the decision makers and their openness to the power of good > process. > > Much longer than I wished. The outcomes from OST events and process are far > reaching and very powerful we should try and track them through good > evaluation process." > > I was wondering about your experience of OST being scapegoated for poor > outputs. I feel this is worth exploring. > > I heartily agree with your guidance about the importance of evaluation of > OST events and processes. I have found that it is challenging to separate out > the evaluation of OST as separate from tracking the progress of the total > consulting assignment and the results. I am wondering what thoughts you or > anyone have about this. > > In our Genuine Contact way of Working with Open Space Technology, we > encourage our clients to have what we call an accountability meeting sometime > between 4-6 months after an OST meeting so that the participants express to > one another the progress as a result of the OST meeting. This has been > helpful. > > I remember an assignment for the school of business at a college. The > situation had intense conflict, grievances by the union against the Dean. The > Dean had the courage to engage us and to go ahead with a two day OST meeting > plus 1/2 day for prioritizing and developing next step actions. We chose the > theme'issues and opportunities for organizational excellence'. Day one was > challenging beyond belief, with harsh topics coming up including that the > Dean should be fired.Day two additional topics were posted. The 1/2 day of > prioritizing included a dominant theme of evaluating the Dean for the purpose > of getting her fired. Yes, she sat there throughout all of this, not shutting > this down. I admired her very much and she offered to be as transparent as > she could possibly be in answering what would be asked of her. > > Four months later, just before the accountability meeting, she phoned me to > say that she didn't think we would have a good meeting because she wasn't > sure that the groups that had formed had actually done their work. We agreed > to take no action but to let the meeting unfold in whatever way it would. > > The accountability meeting was done within the method Whole Person Process > Facilitation. When it came time for the 'champions' of actionable items to > report to their peers about progress, it turned out that lots of action had > happened, everyone had a report. Discussions took place regarding the reports > to further the evaluative/accountability/tracking process. > > The report and discussion that dealt with the performance of the Dean was the > big surprise. The group reported that within the constrains imposed on her by > the College and its rules, she had actually done a good job. > > Some months later, the union grievances against the Dean were being heard. As > a result of what happened in the OST (outcomes more than outputs affected > this), even unionized staff spoke on her behalf in the hearing and the > grievances were dropped. She phoned to tell me of this, in complete amazement > that this was possible. She thanked me for helping her hold steady in the > process so that the people could address what they needed to address. > > in genuine contact, > Birgitt > > > > Birgitt Williams > Supporting Next Level Leadership "Leading So People Will Lead" > Author, Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc > Founder Genuine Contact Program > Co-owner Genuine Contact Group, LLC > Founder Extraordinary Leadership Network > > Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and working > in the new leadership paradigm "Leading So People Will Lead" > > Upcoming learning module: Working with Open Space Technology. Three different > learning options to learn a process for facilitating meetings that engage the > people. Self-Study + One-to-One Mentoring + Mentoring Circle; Self-Study + > Real-Time Workshop + Mentoring Circle; and Self-Study + Real-Time Workshop + > One-to-One Mentoring + Mentoring Circle with real time workshop dates three > consecutive Fridays from 9am to 12:30pm EST on October 18, 25, and November > 1st. > > PO Box 19373, Raleigh, NC, USA 27613 > Phone: 01-919-522-7750 > > >> On Sat, Sep 28, 2019 at 10:19 PM Robert Chaffe via OSList >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> Birgitt, >> Thank you for your comments as you refer to "outcomes" or things that >> happened under the influences beyond your control. Some use the words >> "surprises" or "unexpected". These are often the game changers. >> >> Why do we not have a great list of these things? I think it is because we >> are often contracted to do a job in a very complex system involving many >> "jobs". In "Who moved my Cheese" we are reminded that the prudent operator >> spends some time looking around and checking the environment and changes. >> In the business world this level of thinking is not common. The Fortune 500 >> group do this and "we" developed a program called "Group Business Visits" >> that got business people out of their own business and into another business >> to confidentiality review that business and its practices, direction etc. >> A very powerful process and one that is much valued by those who have chosen >> to us it. "To see ourselves as other see us" and to be humble enough to >> accept what is said. >> >> The breakdown in most contracts is that the focus is on "outputs" things >> that can be directly controlled. Systemic integrated evaluation is >> uncommon in most contracts and that is where this "outcome" data comes from. >> >> In our "irrigation Futures" project the contact was for specific outputs >> over three years. We engaged over 500 people in a wide range of >> conversations and meetings at a time when the allocation of irrigation water >> in South East Australia was under significant review (cities were running >> out if water) at the same time a massive deregulation of the dairy industry >> was undertaken. The major secondary industries in the irrigation area >> process milk fruit and vegetables was under considerable strain with over >> $100 million put in to prop up one industry alone. >> The participants of our workshops included all levels of management in >> primary and secondary industries and the wider community. >> 80% of the dairy farms have disappeared one process company worth over $900 >> million was sold for under $30 million. many smaller dairy processing >> plants closed. Once viable towns struggle to field their own football teams >> and empty shops are everywhere. >> I am sure that around the globe this story can be told in many places about >> the local primary and secondary industries. The big difference in our case >> was all these changes were identified and discussed as plausible >> possibilities and appropriate responses generated. OST was used extensively >> to work through issues and opportunities and complexity was the order of the >> day. >> Consequences have been the adjustments in this multi billion dollar industry >> area of Australia have been in some way based on prior discussions the >> people involved had had. >> The surprise moment came when the local member stood up in defense of her >> community and publicly denounced the leader of her party and the prime >> minister in the Parliament House for telling a lie about her community. >> This is not your normal outcome from a process as it reflects that the local >> member has the support of the whole community and that she could speak out >> safely about issues that needed to be addressed. >> >> Regretfully we had limited fund to continue on annual debrief sessions to >> capture the changes and the growth of the community. The outcome referred >> to has now resulted in the election of independents in once very strongly >> held conservative party areas in the electorates in the irrigation districts >> involved. >> >> Dis OST cause this? It is certainly drawing a long bow to even think this >> way. As the facilitator of this multi million dollar project I believe that >> as the participants learned the art of conversation and truly valued others >> inputs while not seeking single answers we had a community that was ready >> and able to adapt to change. Change that has completely changed their >> community and their ability to do business. >> >> I am sure others have similar stories, and when you see them in this short >> form the response is this is not possible. The next thing is to retreat >> back to the area of outputs where there is a high level of control and keep >> things simple. I say beware when the time has come for an idea to express >> itself and one thing that OST does is lift the lid on issues and >> opportunities. >> Again in "who moved my Cheese" we need to lift our head and be brave enough >> to say "wrong paddock or field" when things are coming up roses. OST does >> expand the writing on the wall and we avoid this at our peril. >> >> One other issue is that we are always ready to blame things like OST for >> poor outputs, a scapegoat. When things work and we have outstanding >> outcomes we must include OST as part of the fabric of success. How much we >> include it is dependent on the faith of the decision makers and their >> openness to the power of good process. >> >> Much longer than I wished. The outcomes from OST events and process are far >> reaching and very powerful we should try and track them through good >> evaluation process. >> >> Regards >> Rob >> >>> On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 at 10:37, Birgitt Williams via OSList >>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Hi Jake, >>> I appreciated the way that you organized this case study data. I >>> appreciated a lot that the way that you reported the data gives OST its due >>> credit while simultaneously not claiming that it does more than it does in >>> a given business situation. Mostly it is presented a a chosen tool/method >>> for specific tasks within larger business processes, thus showing one >>> aspect of the versatility and value of OST. >>> >>> I feel that the case studies would be enhanced if there was an addition of >>> a category that I refer to as 'outcomes'. These outcomes are the additional >>> qualitative benefits that emerge. People have a shared experience of their >>> leadership, vision, community, and management in ways that surpass what >>> they assumed was possible. Something happens within that OST meeting that >>> cannot be unremembered or undone. >>> >>> in genuine contact, >>> Birgitt >>> >>> Birgitt Williams >>> Supporting Next Level Leadership "Leading So People Will Lead" >>> Author, Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc >>> Founder Genuine Contact Program >>> Co-owner Genuine Contact Group, LLC >>> Founder Extraordinary Leadership Network >>> >>> Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and >>> working in the new leadership paradigm "Leading So People Will Lead" >>> >>> Upcoming learning module: Working with Open Space Technology. Three >>> different learning options to learn a process for facilitating meetings >>> that engage the people. Self-Study + One-to-One Mentoring + Mentoring >>> Circle; Self-Study + Real-Time Workshop + Mentoring Circle; and Self-Study >>> + Real-Time Workshop + One-to-One Mentoring + Mentoring Circle with real >>> time workshop dates three consecutive Fridays from 9am to 12:30pm EST on >>> October 18, 25, and November 1st. >>> >>> PO Box 19373, Raleigh, NC, USA 27613 >>> Phone: 01-919-522-7750 >>> >>> >>>> On Fri, Sep 20, 2019 at 7:17 PM Jake Yeager via OSList >>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>>> Hi everyone, >>>> >>>> I've compiled OST case studies in a brief format that I find useful for >>>> contracting. Others might too. >>>> >>>> I compiled them from Open Space World, the User's Guide, and Tales from >>>> Open Space. >>>> >>>> Feel free to add. >>>> >>>> Much love, >>>> Jake >>>> ________________ >>>> >>>> When the mind is quiet, the sun of your heart will shine once again, and >>>> you will be free of problems. >>>> - Robert Adams >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> 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 >>>> Past archives can be viewed here: >>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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 >>> Past archives can be viewed here: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] >> _______________________________________________ >> 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 >> Past archives can be viewed here: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > _______________________________________________ > 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 > Past archives can be viewed here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
_______________________________________________ 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 Past archives can be viewed here: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
