My story of the Open Space Organization Part 2 of 4

Wed Jan 24 18:03:17 PST 2001

Hi Birgitt:

I recently sent you 3 personal emails at birgitt at mindspring.com and all
three were returned.  Is there a problem with mindspring?  I am teaching a
class in leadershipand would like to share your story with the class.
Please email me at cadams at piedmont.edu.  Thanks.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Birgitt Williams" <birgitt at MINDSPRING.COM>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 11:20 PM
Subject: Re: My story of the Open Space Organization Part 2 of 4

> 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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>
> Training dates for 2001:
> Session One: Working with Open Space Technology ($600US): Vancouver,
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> Canada May 15-18; Holland June 8-11; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Oct 1-4
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> Carolina, USA: Sept 17-18
> Session Three: Working with Cross Cultural Conflict
> Resolution($195US):Seattle, Washington, USA Mar 22-23;Vancouver, British
> Columbia, Canada Mar 28-29;  Niagara, Ontario, Canada April 19-20; Sweden
> May 31-June 1; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Sept 19-20
> Session Four: the Advanced Program in Open Space Technology focusing on
the
> Open Space Organization($800US):Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Feb
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> San Francisco, California, USA April 28-May 1; Niagara, Ontario, Canada
May
> 3-6; Berlin, Germany June 13-15; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Nov 1-4
> Train the Trainer ($1500US): Raleigh,North Carolina, USA Sept 21,22,23,24
>
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> precious. And in doing so, to be effective in fulfilling the mission of
the
> organization."
> Birgitt and Ward Williams - we create opportunities for Genuine Contact
for
> higher consciousness
>
> -----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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