In Appreciation of OS

Fri Apr 28 15:27:05 PDT 2000

Dave,

I too am Certified Federal Workforce Mediator (trained by the Atlanta
Justice Center).  Have you ever thought about Open Space being a form of
mediation.  I believe a good mediator in essence Opens Space and then holds
it for the party's to reach their own mutual agreements.  Possibilities?

Rich Norris

At 01:39 PM 4/28/00 EDT, you wrote:
>To All,
>
>What highlights the OS experience is to be in an event that is not.  I just
>returned from a three day conference sponsored by the FMCS (Federal Mediation
>and Conciliation Service) in Chicago.  This is a bi-annual event and draws
>more than 2,000 people from mostly the USA.  (FMCS is a department of the
>federal government and is responsible for mediation in contract disputes
>between labor unions and management).
>
>All the sessions have been planned for months and months.  In fact, people
>have to submit proposals in order to be invited to present.  During the two
>full days of the conference, there are three scheduled break out periods,
>with  10 to 12 different sessions on various subjects.  The presenters
>usually present for about an hour, and then a few minutes are left in each
>session for Q & A.
>
>Since this is part of my job, I am expected to attend.  After three days, I
>can honestly say that I did have a meaningful conversation with anyone, other
>than the folks I already knew, which happened at lunch or dinner.  Here we
>had 2,000 very talented and experienced participants, all with stories to
>tell, and no way to get those stories out (unless you happened to be a
>presenter).  What a waste of time and talent.
>
>In my pre-OS enlightenment days, I probably would have come back home and
>said, "Oh yeah, it was a good conference."  Today all I can feel is
>disappointment.  Even worse, I feel that a wonderful opportunity was missed.
>Thank goodness for all of you to give me hope.
>
>Thanks,
>Dave Koehler
>
>
Rich Norris
Satellite Beach, Florida
(407)779-0531
<rnorris at digital.net>

>From  Fri Apr 28 22:09:45 2000
Message-Id: <FRI.28.APR.2000.220945.0400.>
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 22:09:45 -0400
Reply-To: lpasoc at inforamp.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Larry Peterson <lpasoc at inforamp.net>
Subject: Re: In Appreciation of OS & It works
In-Reply-To: <25.4f9ba2a.263b26e4 at aol.com>
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I want to report some exciting momentum that is continuing to build in
Ontario, Canada (and I think across Canada with Open Space).  So much has
been happing or is to come in the next two months that I have not had time
to write stories.

For example, Sharon King has brought me in to one large provincial ministry
(with some others following behind) which is Opening Space for various types
of gatherings, from financial planning, IT implementation, cross
jurisdictional community building, establishing communities of practice with
regard to agility.  One group is looking at Open Space every 2 months.
Another for forums involving business and government across the province.
One will likely be a 400 person event for all the employees in an IT
project.

A key transformational leader in the government systems is developing a
community "organism" between government and business to ensure ubiquitous
electronic interaction with a philosophy similar to Dee Hock and VISA.  Open
Space has helped that community get started. I expect this to be a most
interesting journey.

In addition, the calls keep coming in of people wanting to Open Space and I
know Diane Gibeault and others are experiencing some of the same.  People
who have experienced Open Space or heard about it are calling from
fascinating locations to explore or develop Open Space:  Educational
associations, Colleges of health practioners, Police finance departments.
The Governor General's Y2K study conference next month will include 1.5 days
in Open Space with Diane Gibeault and I facilitating.

In addition, an organizaiton focused on housing the homeless is doing an
Open Space on gay positive housing for homeless youth next weekend.

I just completed a pre-conference workshop for IAF on how Open Space
transforms our understanding of facilitation.  It was a bit too far out for
them, but 8 hardy folks came and most of them were not going to the rest of
the conference.  Again Open Space worked when I wasn't sure.  After
developing a joint theme (the way we have done at the OSI part of OSonOS)
the group went for an afternoon and the next morning in Open Space.  The
overnight was critical to the breakthroughs.  The ah ha's that next morning
were the high point and the reflection with me for the afternoon was part of
the "translation" rather than the "experience" but most were eager for that
after the experience.

A culture of exploring Open Space seems to be emerging in Ontario and I
think across Canada.  For me the key is helping key leaders and
organizations being to really learn what is possible for the experience of
Open Space and shift toward self-organizing, spirited organizations.  I find
Dee Hock's book, The Chaordic Age, full of great insights and it doesn't
hurt that it is VISA he is describing.

Is my optimism off the wall this Friday evening?? Could be I'm just over
tired but I sense that something is happening.

Larry

Larry Peterson
Associates in Transformation
41 Appleton Ave., Toronto, ON,
Canada, M6E 3A4
Tel:/Fax: 416-653-4829

lpasoc at inforamp.net
http://www.inforamp.net/~lpasoc