Open Space Prep and Follow-up

Harrison Owen owen at tmn.com
Fri Nov 26 05:07:47 PST 1999


At 11:28 AM 11/25/99 -0800, you wrote:
>We tend to lean on the more "structured" side of preparing for an OS.
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When I first read this posting, I thought to myself -- Goodness -- that seems
like an awful lot of work. It is not that I am opposed to work, but more often
than not I have found that when I do a lot of things -- that can have the
adverse effect of doing things that the people should be doing for themselves.
I still think that is true, but there is also an awful lot of wisdom in the
approach described. And at this point, the pragmatist in me comes out. If it
works, don't argue -- just do it.

But there are some lingering thoughts that may be usefully explored relating to
what might be called "core issues," central of which is the matter of
EXPECTATIONS. Expectations, in one form or another, create the criteria of
success, which in turn lead to a judgement about success or failure. I have
found that exploring expectations with a client to be of equal importance as
the definition of the theme.

It would not be fair to say that I have no expectations regarding outcomes from
Open Space, but they may be somewhat different that those of the client, and
this can lead to real trouble if this is not made explicit from the start.

I know that there are certain, concrete accomplishments that may be expected:
1) Every issue of concern will be on the table to the extent that anybody
chooses to put it there. 2) That all issues on the table (wall) will be
discussed to the extent that anybody cares to do so. 3) That all discussion
will be recorded as long as somebody takes the time and effort to do that. 4)
That  (in a 2 and 1/2 day OS) "Hot" issues will be identified. 3) Related
issues will be converged. 4) Immediate Next Step actions will be identified and
responsibility assumed IF anybody cares to do that. All of the above can be
made as a promise to those involved.

However, when it comes to other sorts of expectations --- My primary one is
that the people involved will have the opportunity to be fully and honestly
themselves and to follow their passion in a responsible way. I do expect that,
and commit myself to creating the conditions which will enable the people to do
just that. This means creating and holding space of a nutrient and relatively
safe sort. That I take to be my primary "job."

Noteworthy  (to me) is what is not expected. I do not expect that the
organization will survive. I hope that it will, but feel no sense of failure if
it does not. That is not a judgement call that I can or should make. The people
must do this -- and my role is to create and hold the space in which to do it.
I have no expectation that the current CEO will retain his or her job. And I
certainly have no expectation that the place will become more efficient, that a
particular product will be created etc.

It could well turn out that the organization has had its day in the Sun, that
the CEO should exercise the law of two feet, that efficiency under conditions
of moral bankruptcy is a farce, and that the particular product was a lousy
idea. All of the above have happened, and in each case, I felt no sense of
failure. Open Space, as far as I was concerned, worked perfectly, which is less
a testimony to Open Space than to the honesty and courage of the people
involved. More to the point, each of those situations ended on a very high
note. There was a profound sense of victory, achievement, to say nothing of
release. In short, there was a great deal of very positive Spirit in the air.

And of course, I also know of situations where genuine "turn around" was
achieved, people (including the CEO) found new and deeper meaning in their
work, efficiency soared, and that new products came out and beat the market.
But I didn't "expect" any of it.

Truthfully, there have been many more occasions of the latter sort than the
former. But that has nothing to do with the power of Open Space. It has
everything to do with the power (passion, intention, vision, responsibility) of
the people. At the end of the day, Open Space is pretty much like a Rorschach
(spelling ?) test. There is no content, no pre-determined outcome. What you see
is what you get/got. Open Space will never make a silk purse out of a sow's
ear. Dead organizations, as dead mooses, should be buried, incompetent or
disinterested folks should move down the road, and bad products should be
scratched before they consume needed rearouses.

Dealing up front with Expectations can certainly be a difficult row to hoe --
especially if you are trying to make a sale. It can be awfully tempting to
"candy coat" the pill when your pocket book is involved. This is true whether
the currency is $$$ for an external consultant, or prestige, power and position
for an internal. I guess that is why I have never tried to sell Open Space. At
least in the normal sense of that word "sell."  I do try to sell people on the
power of their own authenticity, and most important -- the possibility that
fully being what they really are is better than anything else. And of course, I
do believe (know) that authenticity, to say nothing of Spirit usually (always?)
shows up in Open Space.

I have never been sorry.


Harrison

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