Leadership Challenging Open Space in the Open Space

Andrew Donovan adonovan at mpx.com.au
Wed Mar 1 15:41:14 PST 2000


Dear Friends

I have just finished what was for me a gruelling 2 day Open Space. From the
majority of the particapnt's (76 people) point of view it was a spectacular
success and they came away energised and optimistic, vowing to use OS back
home.

It was the hardest facilitation I've done in 8 years. Here's what happened.
Your thoughts welcome.

The leadership in the form of the Chairman of the Board (supported by one
or two other Board members) started, in the middle of day one, to be
concerned that the event was'nt going to 'work'. The Chairman has really
got into open space - this is the fourth time he has been at an event I've
done. I had led the board through Harrison's priciples (leadership don't
have the aswers, willing to engage leadership in the organisation etc.) and
they had agreed, including to implementing/allowing the outcomes whatever
they may be.

The OS was on vision for the future - the whole national organisation was
there. The topics on the wall - which went up very thick and fast the
moment I stopped talking, were largely operational, not the vision stuff of
the theme. The Chairman was concerned. Someone else in the group had his
ear and was critical of OS and themselves promoting the De-Bono techniques
of lateral thinking, saying they would work to get the group as a whole to
start visioning. The Chair was canvassing stopping the process and doing a
whole group DE-Bono process.

I was a bit shaken internally but responded with calm and focus saying OS
shows you your 'system' as it is - the topics that appear and the
discussions people are having are what they are interested in. Either this
is not the right group to get the visioning happening, the organisation
itself is stuck in operations or else the topics aren't up that would bring
those people togther. He wanted to suggest closing the space at evening
news. I suggested that as a trial he put a topic up that reprsented his
concern and passion around vision for the final session of day one and see
who came. I also encouraged him to express his thoughts that he was
expressing to me at evening news.

He put the topic up - many came. The discussion was good I'm told. The next
day (after the Chair had a long talk in morning news about his concerns)
the de-bono minded particpant convened a group through all the mornign
sessions that used the lateral thinking techniques on the vision and came
up with a complete framework and a group passionate about working on it in
the future. The larger group was blown awy by it when presented with that
groups outcomes - and were very positive.

To me that is open space. The chair brought his concerns/passion more fully
into the process and the particapnt with a skill in 'lateral thinking'
techniques was able to offer a process that others could choose to or not
be part of. What happened was the only thing that could have happened.

The exhaustion I felt after the two days was in part holding the space open
in the face of this and also feeling the tremors that were running through
the organisation as this momentus shift in where the organisation was and
where it was going took place.

This is a long rave, but is thearaputic (spl?) for me. My issues/questions
are as follows:

1. What do you think about the way another process was used inside OS (the
law and princples of OS continued to exist - law of mobility etc)?

2. Has anyone else had the leadership team try/think about shutting down
the OS while its happening? How did you respond?

3. Do other people feel like they become the projection screen on which the
organisations internal workings are being played out - like you are
'chanelling' (for want of a better expression) the energy of the group as
it plays out?

4. How do people maintain their strength during the event and how do they
nuture themselves afterwards?

5. Can I pack up and leave now or once open space grabs you can you ever
get free? (This is a joke for those who miss Australian humor!)

Ultimately I am strengthened in my fundamental belief in OS. A rough ride
shows me this this better than the smooth ones. I appreciate the space we
have to just share these sorts of thoughts.

All the best

Andrew



Andrew Donovan
Business Facilitator
tel +61 3 9416 3021
fax +61 3 9416 2935
PO Box 1705
Collingwood  VIC  3066
Australia



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