My story of the Open Space Organization Part 2 of 4

Tue Jan 23 20:20:06 PST 2001

Artur,
thank you for your comments and your kindness in reading all of those words.
I too think the story that some people will learn something from. At this
stage, it is a story that is sharing my travel log. During the travel, I
developed a bit of a map that might be useful so that others have some
wayshowing. It is wordy, not yet a paper, and with my best attempts to tell
it from the heart and as I remember it. In parts 3 and 4 of this travel log,
I will go through my thinking about this from 1995 to the present and why I
am in the current perspective that I have. (I hear Brian Bainbridge in
Australia groaning--he is one of my precious mentors and keeps encouraging a
slightly different shorter writing style).

Once I share this in this way, the next steps for this material is that it
will need to be condensed, edited and so on. If there is a chance to publish
it once it is edited, it would be good. So--any suggestions for editing and
improvements would be most welcome. Whether there is publishing of this or
not, I intend to include this material as part of a multi-media training
package that is to be complete by the autumn.

I will not address your specific questions here but hope my view of some
answers appears to you in the next parts of the story.

Kindest regards,
Birgitt

Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Artur
F. Silva
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2001 9:38 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: My story of the Open Space Organization Part 2 of 4

Dear Birgitt:

I want to thank you for your superb story on OSO. I look forward
to see the next 2 parts. But this one gives enough matter for
dialog and clarification. First let me tell you that yours is the first
DETAILED story of repeated OST's in the same organisation
I know, intended to develop an OS Org (OSO, from now). Because
of this it can be very important to all our community, especially if
it gets published..

I will comment/ask here things I think can be of general interest.
I will also discuss some suggestions of editing that I think have
general interest, especially if you plan to publish the story. But
I will not discuss some detailed suggestions on editing that I
also have made and will send you privately, shall you be interested
in them.

Please note: I am using a lot of my time to do that; please don't see
"criticism" where there are only friendly suggestion for improvement.

My comments will respect the order of your text. I will sometimes
refer to pages of my printing, even if pics can be different (my text
has 22 pages).

- The OSO story and your story are too much interwoned. They are
perhaps difficult to separate; but I think your readers are not interested
in your decisions when you were 9 year old; no CEO will consider this
to be relevant, even if he/she made the some votes by that age, and
especially if he/she didn't. I would begin yout story at the University.

When you first refereed to the three centres an immediately
carification of the objectives of each would be good (you only give it
many pages below).

You make a very good case for the use of many OSTs to promote
cultural change and co-operation (but not "every one you can" - only
relevant ones).

First OST with "broader possible theme" - very good idea;

The CEO being the OST facilitator of first OST (I had never thought
about that - but it worked); what were the immediate comments of other
participants? and a long term evaluation (Vs using an external facilitator?)

The CEO being the facilitator for all following meetings (if I
understood well); why not rely on other facilitators, from the
organisation? why not train all staff to become facilitators?

Hierarchy Vs OS - many doubts.

Don't skip the opening - good suggestion...

Achievements from 1992-95

The achievements are related with story. Why not separate them:
story before and a list of achievements as a conclusion?

There is an implicit idea that OST made the merging of cultures;
but the effect of seven years of merging (even if not very good
merging) in not clear. Should OST be used 7 years before, would
the same good effects of OST on merger appeared?

A lot of people made the cultural change; so why was it so easy
for the new Treasurer to reverse the situation?

Ingredients of the Open Space

 From point 5 to the end, those are specific to OST/OS. Previous ones
are "good general management practices" not directly related to OS.
My suggestion: suppress them or refer them earlier as preconditions.

I think the story of last years should be rewritten - or suppressed in the
document and reserved for questions - if this was a paper presented to
a Conference.

Brigit, your paper in wonderful, especially as it is the first of a kind.
Thank you fore it. please, see my observations as the comments I
would make to a close friend or expect to receive from one.

Looking forward to see the two last parts

Friendly

Artur

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>From  Wed Jan 24 19:33:26 2001
Message-Id: <WED.24.JAN.2001.193326.0100.>
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 19:33:26 +0100
Reply-To: florianfischer at ff-wey.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Florian Fischer <florianfischer at ff-wey.com>
Subject: Re: www.OPENSPACEWORLD.ORG, spanish
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; x-mac-type="54455854";
 x-mac-creator="4D4F5353"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

> dear michael,
> thanks for your effort serving the list and all of us.
> i can´t  imagine, that there is no native speaker
> with us to give information or translation in spanish language
> to the web-site. but, if there is in fact no one,
> i as a german one living parttime in spain
> with not too much practice in spanish speaking
> will try to manage some translation or information
> together with my daugther shirin, who is living
> and working more or less permanently in spain, well-speaking the language,
>
> and is already involved to ost having assisted as office manager
> to the osonos at berlin, together with emily and tim  isakson.
> as well we´ll ask for help our native spanish speaking friend conchi,
> who is teaching literature at the universitiy of granada.
> that will give us opportunity for a trip to see her.
>
> to ask again, wether there is in fact no other
> one to serve in a more direct way, i post this question on the list.
>
>
> if there are no other answer within the next week
> we´ll do the job and it will be an honor for us to serve.
>
> best greetings
> out from  andalusia
> florian
> --------------------------------
> florian fischer
> begleitung im wandel
>
> münchener 6
> d 10779 berlin, germany
> fon 0049.30.2116752
> fax 0049.30.2115943
>
> c/sta.bárbara 18
> e 04115 rodalquilar / nijar (prov. almeria), spain
> fon/fax 0034.950.389819
>
> florianfischer at ff-wey.com
> ----------------------------------
>
> Michael Herman schrieb:
>
> >
> > <http://www.openspaceworld.org>
>
> > must
> > admit though, that we still need a small bit of translating by a german
> > speaker (homepage text) and that we don't yet have any spanish on the
> > site.  any takers?  if so, email me directly.
> >
> > best for now, michael
> >
> > --

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