Major downsizing

Mon May 14 18:26:04 PDT 2001

Thomas,
the situation you have here is one that is too often the situation in terms
of human pain and sorrow. I think it is commendable that you are exploring
ways to assist people to support each other. And it appears that you are
doing so with the support of the headmaster.

I have been thinking about this situation and about what it is like to be in
the early stages of grieving, particularly the stages of shock and anger and
denial. And I wonder, when something is so traumatic as "becoming the
survivors of downsizing" which includes survivor shock, whether it is the
right moment for OST. And what the passion/responsibility would be that one
would be willing to state. I can see passion for sure. But not
passion/responsibility. I think this is too hard for the human spirit.

On the other hand, I think that something should be offered to create the
conditions for the humans involved to be supported. I think that it would be
more helpful to do something with less structure such as Calling a Circle
(see the book by the same name) and simply seeing what people had to say.
This allows for passion to be expressed but does not immediately require
responsibility.

Respectfully to all the good work you are doing,
Birgitt

Birgitt Williams of Dalar International Consultancy
Mentoring for Organizational Effectiveness
*********************************************************
For ongoing professional development, join us for training in the Genuine
Contact Program for exceptional results in organizational effectiveness. The
remaining training dates for 2001 are noted below. Training can also be
brought into an organization at other times.

Those completing all four components of the Genuine Contact Program meet the
requirements to attend the "train the trainer" session of four days,
resulting in authorization to use the Genuine Contact Program for "in-house"
training of teams.

The Genuine Contact program is a program for building skill and capacity
within the organization, for working with change. It is designed to keep
external consultant involvement to a minimum, providing training and
mentoring work only, so that working with change is led from within the
organization. Leaders within an organization are taught to develop and use
an operating system in which business is conducted with genuine contact at
all levels on an ongoing basis. Upon completion of the sixteen days of
training, the leaders are authorized to teach others within the
organization, in an ongoing internal process, until the new operating system
is functioning fully in a growthful and effective way. During year one,
during and following the initial training, a consultant to the organization
coaches and mentors this "in-house" team as the "in-house" team leads the
change process for its own organization.

Training components of the Genuine Contact  Program are 1. Working with Open
Space Technology (4 days); 2. Working with Whole Person Process Facilitation
(2 days); 3. Working with Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution (2 days); 4.
Advanced Work in Open Space Technology focusing on the Open Space
Organization (4 days); and 5. Train the trainer in the Genuine Contact
program (4 days).

Detailed information is available on our website at
www.openspacetechnology.com <http://www.openspacetechnology.com>

Prices noted below are the usual price for a training session but prices
vary dependent on costs within each location.

Remaining training dates for 2001:
Session One: Working with Open Space Technology ($600US):  Holland June
8-11; London, England July 19,20 and 23,24; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Oct
1-4; Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Oct 15-18
Session Two: Working with Whole Person Process Facilitation ($300
US):Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada May 22-23; Sweden May 29-30; Raleigh, North
Carolina, USA: Sept 17-18
Session Three: Working with Cross Cultural Conflict Resolution ($300US):
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada May 24-25; Sweden May 31-June 1; Raleigh, North
Carolina, USA Sept 19-20
Session Four: Advanced Work in Open Space Technology focusing on the Open
Space Organization ($800US): Berlin, Germany June 13-15; London, England
Sept. 10-13; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Nov 1-4
The Genuine Contact program Train the Trainer ($1500US): Raleigh,North
Carolina, USA Sept 21,22,23,24

We invite you to the first conference of the International Alliance for
Mentoring, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA Sept. 25-26
Fee $100 US.

"Dalar International Consultancy offers you the opportunity to achieve
organizational results beyond your expectations. We believe that Spirit
matters and people are precious. We know that strategies based on these
values have exciting, tangible results."

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 Thomas
Herrmann
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2001 7:50 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Major downsizing

Hi list-friends.
A client of mine has planned to hold a 2-day OST with all 170 staff, in
june, the last days before they all go for summervacation. The theme was to
concern the future of their school (working with "adult learning"). They are
in the process of changing from public funding to "free market conditions".
5 public schools will be in a corporation owned by the municipality. Now it
seems that they will loose a lot of the courses they have given before and
face serious downsizing. The circumstances will be made clear the coming
days. The headmaster believes that maybe 50 out of a total 170 persons on
his school will have to leave. It is likely that there will be some
reorganizations between the 5 schools serving different local areas. They
probably all face lay offs.
It seems pretty clear that a OST conference on the future of the school is
not suitable as a lot of the people coming would not be inspired to plan for
something they may not even be part of. But they do have a need to
communicate and support each other though this. I think OST would still be
suitable but I guess the theme should focus on the issue which is everybodys
concern right now. I promised to make some research on experiences in
similair situations. I would very much appreciate if you would like to
share!!
Greetings from sunny Sweden (summer is coming over here)
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.

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html