OS and AI

Chris Corrigan corcom at interchange.ubc.ca
Fri Apr 27 17:24:02 PDT 2001


As someone who does most of my OST work OUTSIDE of organizations, most
often in "community" settings, I have to echo Jeff's comment.  There is
something different about the quality of conversation between the two
settings, and I think it has to do with the fact that in a community
Open Space, there is a period of "roughing in" where people struggle to
establish structures to help them weather the storm that is the rest of
the day.  People work hard at connecting, establishing themselves and
figuring out what is going on, so that by the end of the day, they have
only just begun to talk to each other and then it is over.  I have yet
to do a "community" OST event that lasted longer than a day, but my
suspicion is that the usual magic would kick in after people are
together for a while.

I do a lot of community consultations in OST, and I have had comments
back from people that the problem with this is that folks seem to stray
from the question or the task at hand and talk about things THEY want to
talk about.  Naturally, this seems fine to me, becasue it reflects my
operating model about consultation, which is basically, talk to people
about what they are interested in, not about what the sponsor is
interested in.  Especially with government, there is a general inability
to see the "off-topic" type of conversations more as an indictment of
the sponsors mandate than as a wandering, untethered mob set loose in
OST.  Of course those who have control issues will often complain to me
that the group strayed off topic, but again, that says more about where
they are coming from.

But, I have also had lots of comments about the way OST helped to
empower folks by NOT having facilitators around.  I warn you though,
don't bring this up in a pre-meeting with the sponsor, as it tends to
terrify people!  it always comes out in some form or another in the de
brief.

At any rate,  this being said, there is something else to be said for
using OST in an organizational setting where folks are already familiar
with each other, and they have a very tangible sense of the givens of
the event because they work within them every day.  Within an
organizations of course, I think you are dealing with a smaller space by
definition than the ones that are done in community where seemingly
"anything goes."  And a group that fills a small space fully is happier
than one that fills an big space only a little.

All of this is to say that what Jeff has observed is true for me too,
and what Harrison has said is also true.  We can facilitate using
interventions, and there are all kinds of times and places for doing so,
but as facilitators, I think we owe it to our clients to be honest about
what it is we are doing, and to examine our own assumptions and
motivations fully.  And is is useful to do this WITH the sponsors so
that they come to understand just how important process is.

There is always a place for good process facilitation using tools like
AI, Future Seach, Dialogue and others.  We are better facilitators in
these contexts if we have thought through what it is we are doing.

And of course, it goes without saying that the same is true for
facilitating an OST meeting.

Anyway, I have had but four hours sleep in the last day, so if this
doesn't make sense, get back to me and I'll see if I understand what I'm
trying to say tomorrow...

Chris
...who is rueing the day that sleeplessness and instant e-communication
realized that they could coexist!

--
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

http://www.chriscorrigan.com

108-1035 Pacific Street
Vancouver BC
V6E 4G7

Phone: 604.683.3080
Fax: 604.683.3036
corcom at interchange.ubc.ca

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