Open Space for a Fledgling Organization

[Richard Charles Holloway]

thank you for sharing this description, Birgitt--and to Dylene for asking
the question and to Harrison for his contribution.  It's been very
interesting and important to me.

I'm involved in an organization that is considering becoming an Open Space
Organization.  There are currently 9 of us...two who own the corporate
structure and 7 of us who are independent contractors.  We are already a
virtual organization...two of us live in the UK; two in Washington; two in
Utah; two in Virginia and one in Massachusetts.  We meet electronically or
via teleconference, and have about 4 meetings (face-to-face ones) a year.
We spend about half of our time on the road with our customers...and the
rest working remotely with them and one another from our homes.  We call
ourselves Adventurers, and we help high-tech support organizations change
their business processes and learn to adopt new technologies that capture
the organizational learning and experience.

I've been following this dialog, and sharing (the questions and comments) it
with my fellow adventurers.  We all have a great interest in the
possibilities.  The business strategy we help our customers evolve to is
called "Solution-Centered Support."  It integrates very naturally with the
Open Space structure...though we don't "package" it as such.  What we do
package is the need for organizations to create collaborative cultures where
people find it natural to "share, collaborate, use and improve" the
collective knowledge that they deliver to their customers.

I had the opportunity to share Open Space with one of my fellow adventurers
when I facilitated a one-day meeting with one of our client organizations
for her.  They were quite delighted...and we left the space open for them at
the end of the day so that they could continue to meet in that place (she
continues to facilitate this very critical change process with this group
through OS).  That experience has intrigued the other Adventurers with whom
she's shared the story.  As a result, we have an agreement to meet in open
space at our next organizational get-together...for the purpose of creating
an Open Space organizational structure.  It's quite exciting to be in an
open organization...and a virtual organization...and then to have the
potential of becoming an Open Space organization is quite exhilarating!

So...that's my little story, and a big thank you to all who have enriched my
life through Open Space experiences and stories.


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"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.  Mastering
others is strength; mastering yourself is true power."   —Tao Te Ching

Richard Charles Holloway -
P.O. Box 2361, Olympia, WA 98507 USA Telephone 253.539.4014 or 206.568.7730
Thresholds <http://www.thresholds.com>
Meeting Masters <http://www.thresholds.com/masters.html>