OS for Catholic Diocese Strategic Planning process, Weekend #2 (long)

[Chris Weaver]

Dear Lisa,

This is a great recounting of an extraordinary event.  I believe that your
work with this group makes an important contribution to the evolution of
convergence design.

Let me reflect back to you some of the things that fascinate me.  I don't
understand all of it, of course, and when I am designing my next big
convergence, expect me to call you up (or even better, fly out there and
knock on your door).

First, you had "the time in between" - a week between the opening OST and
the convergence.  And during this week, a team of participants worked very
hard to organize and condense all the issues on the huge wall into a more
accessible, color-coded format.

The decision to have this "down-time" in the middle of a single event seems
new and risky to me.  Your story indicates to me that the in-between time
and the collaborative work done on The Wall facilitated great results in the
end that would not have been achieved had the convergence followed the first
event immediately.  Do you think so?

Second, I am excited about your application of the color-card consensus
tool.  In a community school where I did my first seven years of OD
practicum training (without knowing what it was), we used a consensus
process called "fist-to-five" - holding up a hand and showing fingers - five
being strong support and taking active leadership; four = strong support;
three = it's fine; two = I have some reservations; one finger (careful which
one) = I think it's a bad idea but I commit to not subverting it; and a
fist, or zero fingers = consensus is blocked.

We used this tool both for decision-making (sometimes with over a hundred
people), and also as a sort of a "check in" about an issue on the table,
which sounds like the way you used the red, yellow, and green cards.  As you
mentioned, it was also our practice that anyone holding up two or one finger
would be invited to share their reservations with the group so that a
proposal could be re-worked.  In our work I found this process to be
enormously useful -- but I have never used it as a part of a convergence
process.  I am interested to learn more about how you used the three cards -
was this only a whole-group tool, or did the smaller planning groups use it
also?

Third, I notice the rituals of scripture, song, and reflection time as the
convergence reached its climax.  Alas that I WASN'T there with my
concertina...it sounds so extraordinary.  To me it's an example of infusing
the process with the deep values and rituals of the "local culture" of the
organization, which to me has infinite possible manifestations.

Fourth (and this part I am not clear on but am deeply curious about) is the
interplay between the collaborative process and the hierarchical structure
of the organization.  On the most basic level I think, "What did the Bishop
think of all this?" and even more basic, "Was he there?"  From your
description it appears that the priorities articulated by the planning group
will receive the resources they need to move forward, and that many of the
people involved in the event will be the ones to develop and implement the
plans.  Extraordinary!  Do you think that the work of the people in this
group will encounter obstacles and much dissonance as it moves into action
in the diocese and involves people in the church/strata in the organization
who did not take part?

That's all for now.  Thank you Lisa so much for your report.  I DO have some
convergence design puzzles on my horizon three months hence, so you'll hear
from me again.

Bravo.
Chris Weaver
Swannanoa, North Carolina

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