Theme brainstorm

[Peggy Holman]

Sharon,

Just got in from out of town, hence my tardy response to your question.

Having done Intro to OS workshops, I, too have struggled with a theme that
doesn't sound artificial.  Here's something that seemed to help.  We
invited people who had never been to an OS to the OS in the workshop.  They
were coming to a one-day session on the theme.  I don't remember exactly
what it was, something like "creating great organizations".  Anyway, the
people coming to the one-day session weren't coming for OS, they were coming
to talk about the subject.  They brought passion for the topic with them.
It also enlarged the group such that those there for the training got the
experience of a larger OS.  And we all learned something about welcoming new
folks into our midst.  all in all, it was a great improvement.

Peggy


----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon Quarrington" <sharonq at pdesigns.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 12:25 PM
Subject: Re: Theme brainstorm


> Charles 'Buzz\" Blick wrote:
>
> > I have had VERY bad results in doing training about Open Space using
either
> > a made-up theme or a "stock" theme - like "what is the desirable future
of
> > such-and-such?"  The sessions turned out to be boring and artificial -
> > because they had no real relevance, passion or commitment for the
> > participants, (or me).
>
> Hi Buzz.  Thanks for your reply.  I too have participated in OS's where
there
> was little passion from the group and have found them to be so much less
> satisfying that those where a group is working on a theme where they have
> passion and urgency.  Unfortunately in most trainings the group is being
brought
> together under rather artificial circumstances.  Even in the multiday OS
> trainings I have participated in the OS theme was set by the facilitator
> initially.
>
> I have been trying to be a design team of one :) and working on what would
the
> common interest of a group of people who are only vaguely familiar with
OST but
> who are interested in learning more about it.   The people coming to the
may be
> interested in genuinely engaging their organizations at a deeper level, or
> perhaps they just want more effecient meetings, or maybe they just wanting
to
> try something different since what they are doing now isn't working.
These are
> the ideas that I am trying to work into a theme - as well as trying to
focus on
> the essence of OST, passion, commitment, responsibility, and letting go of
> control.
>
> Last night I was just really struggling with this and thought it might
help to
> reach out to the list for ideas, in case anyone else had already struggled
with
> a similar issue when they were putting a training together.
>
> I also worry about the OS seeming boring and artificial and yet I couldn't
do an
> OS training without an OS as a majoy key component.  I don't think I
really
> "got" OS until I had facilitated a real one and yet I am trying to help
others
> "get" OS in an artificial OS.  It just seems like such a bind - kind of
like
> explaining colour to a blind man.  If our OS training is sufficient to
interest
> the participants in trying an OS and we give them some quidance to help
make
> their OS's successful I will be happy.  The real learning will only occur
> when/if these people try out OS for themselves.  We are hoping that our
one day
> training is just the start of the learning journey in OS.
>
> Sharon
>
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>From  Tue Jun  5 23:37:14 2001
Message-Id: <TUE.5.JUN.2001.233714.0200.>
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2001 23:37:14 +0200
Reply-To: ahl at openspace.dk
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Annette Hartvig Larsen <ahl at openspace.dk>
Subject: SV: OST in a merger situation
In-Reply-To: <000001c0ed3f$e9b8d160$5a25fcc3 at ibm5695>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

We (AgroForum) is a merge of 2 conference organisations and -centres. We've
used OS as a way of finding new opportunities in our market and speeding up
the integration process.
It's been very good for us, but also very tough at times. Here are some
points from my own evaluation:

- The network among all of us strengthened very fast. People showed their
"true faces" to each other in the OS.
- Just using the method - felt very "strange" to most of us, and helped
getting the needed culture change going. After the "shock" of OS we where a
little more prepared for the other surprises that follows a merger - and for
more timesaving OS of course to help us through.
- We got a common experience and some common new words to use -  OS language
kind of words.
- It also became painfully visible who where the people prepared for
developing the-good-old-agricultural-schools into modern centres and who
really didn't like the new organization and the demand for change. Same time
it became very obvious who would contribute to a new and more open attitude
towards each other and towards the customers, and who would not. And; it
became so clear that people took the consequences themselves.

Hope it will be of some use for you!

Annette
www.agroforum.dk
www.openspace.dk

-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]På vegne af Thomas
Herrmann
Sendt: 4. juni 2001 23:42
Til: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Emne: OST in a merger situation

Hi all.
I am having a dialogue with a (maybe) client. He would like to have som
examples of where OST has been used in merger situations. The company
concearned has recently merged with two other companies. So far I only
talked to the manager of the salesdepartment, about doing OST for the three
salesdepartments. We did however talk about the whole company (160
employed)as well. The company is within marketing/sales/e-business/customer
relations and so on.
If you have a story to share I would so much appreciate it!
Good Night
Thomas Herrmann      Phone +46 (0)709-98 97 81
Open Space Consulting
Pensévägen 4
434 46 Kungsbacka, Sweden
Email: thomas.herrmann at telia.com
Medlem i BNI - nätverk för affärer (www.bni.nu)
Jag kan tillhandahålla professionella affärskontakter: Revisor, Reklam,
Tryckeri, Data/IT, Organisationskonsult, Resebyrå, Konferensarrangör,
Marknadsföring, Försäkringsbolag, Utbildningsmäklare, Telekommunikation,
Profilkläder, Fastighetsmäklare, Advokat, Naprapat, Rekrytering och
personaluthyrning, Florist, Film & Videoproduktion, Bokföring, Hemservice.

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