Calling the Circle

[Robert F. Chaffe]

Susan and Don
I think it depends on what outcomes are needed.
We have just gone through a process that I will call a "push" tightly controlled process
which had people running in all directions to unrealistic deadlines.
The words in the product were good, it met the requirements but it did not do anything
to change the "values" or the behaviour of the key managers involved.
The quote I use to describe this is "doing the same thing and expecting different
results, is madness".
The reports are good but there is no real change.
Managers are fearful of Open Space and other participative processes because they loose
control.  Leaders welcome the process because of the newness and fresh insights.
Don't use participative processes to validate predetermined outcomes.
The references I refer to in dealing with the issues you raise are: "Maverick" Ricardo
Semler, Control Your Destiny or Someone Else Will" Noel M. Tichy & Stafford Sherman, and
"Winning Through Participation" Laura J Spencer.  Each of these contain good examples of
success stories and include some very good processes.  The challenge is to find people
who can be leaders an accept the challenge to let go and use the skills and knowledge of
their team to grow their business.   If it was easy we would not be asking
these questions.  In our modern community we have not been encouraged to let go and work
as real teams, the managers we are confronted with are just expressing the learned
response that has worked so well for them.
In the end they have to experience the power of the process for themselves before they
will believe. In my current project we ran special events for managers to involve them
to the process outside there normal "manager" role, using their clients to lead the
process. To date the results have been that the project has been given a very high
profile and very strong support both within the organisation and within Government.

On Thu, 14 Jan 1999 22:08:31 EST Susan Travers <Traverswfa at aol.com> wrote:

> Don,
>
> I appreciate the question about open space and traditional strategic planning
> goals, and Birgitt's suggestion for a workable theme.  I do some work with
> state agencies that are now mandated to do strategic planning in order to
> secure annual budget allocations.  Since bureaucratic guidelines have very
> little "give" when it comes to meeting mandates, what happens when an
> organization chooses to use open space as the planning methodology, and the
> outcomes don't quite fit the required response format?  The risk of not
> getting exactly what the guidelines stipulate may cause sufficient anxiety
> that an organization will choose to hold a less productive, but more
> acceptable, process.
>
> Anyone had this experience?  Any creative approaches to suggest to clients, in
> terms of quelling this kind of anxiety?
>
> Thanks,
> Susan Travers

END

Regards
Rob
"If you can't see the bright side, polish the dull side."