Subtle and the sledge hammer (long-ish)

[Michael M Pannwitz]

Ralph, this is a grand piece for learning. One thing: what was the
theme?
hugs
michael m p

--Original Message Text---
From: Ralph Copleman
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 11:28:53 -0500

Subtle and the sledge hammer (long-ish) Research into the subtle?

I m still working on mastering the obvious.
__

On another topic, here s another tale from open space.  As I was
perusing the postings about Harrison s breath-takingly hopeful
experience in Rome, I was holding space for a group of pharmaceutical
executives in New Jersey.  Mundane by comparison to the things some
folks here have been talking about lately, but instructive in the
practice nevertheless.

Surprise number one: The three-day conference kicked off Tuesday
morning with a PowerPoint show by the boss.  I was scheduled to open
space after lunch.  The boss started by listing all the performance
failures his department had been experiencing.  The 45 people present
sat in stunned silence as he described one shortcoming after another.
 He concluded the first portion of his presentation by saying that as
a result of these things, the department would now be reorganized.
He said it as casually as he might order a turkey sandwich.  Just as
casually he called for the next overhead.  It showed a table of
organization with five names on it.  The hushed room somehow became
even quieter.  I think everyone stopped breathing.  It was palpable.
No one except the five names on the screen knew if they had a job or
not.  No one had told me this was coming.

During the break that soon followed, I took my contact aside and
asked a few questions.  She said the news was a complete surprise.  A
real stunner.  She look angry and frightened.  The boss took some
questions after the break, and it was clear he d had no idea what
kind of impact his announcement would have.  He also clearly assumed
his logic about what was wrong and how to fix it was unassailable and
that everyone, therefore, would support it with nothing more than a
shrug of the shoulders.

By the time I opened the space, things under the surface were
seething.  There was buzzing everywhere.  Some folks used the opened
space to raise questions about the reorganization: they were able to
vent and consider the issues before them in a healthy way.  Frankly,
I think this saved the boss s life.  Evening news was noteworthy for
a song satirizing the boss s approach to change management.  It was
daring, but this guy didn t care.  With the boss sitting right there
in the circle, people tried not to laugh, but they did.

Footnote to Surprise number one: Next morning copies of an article on
change management began to circulate out of  nowhere .  It described
proper ways to communicate major organizational initiatives.  It had
a list of guidelines   all of which my client had either ignored or
violated.

Surprise number two:  I d been asked to schedule Day Two s open space
session from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. so that people could be
guaranteed a large part of the afternoon to enjoy the many
resort-type entertainments of the region.  I, therefore, set evening
news to conclude at that time.  Well, the number 2 guy in the
organization used the news period to pass out props people would now
need for the scavenger he d organized for everyone.  He quickly
organized everyone into teams of 5-6 and gave them instructions and
tips on how to win the competition in which they now found themselves
engaged.  People were then herded onto a waiting bus to take them to
the site of the hunt.

Surprise number three:  Next morning, with trains and planes waiting
to take people back to about a dozen different countries,  a fairly
tight three hours was available for people to read their proceedings,
do some action planning and close the apace.  I was explaining the
agenda for the remaining time when the number 2 guy asked if we could
have time for morning news.  I said announcements were certainly
appropriate and handed him the talking symbol.  He took it and
announced the next 20 minutes would be given over to reports from the
various scavenger hunts teams.  This was necessary, he said, so that
he could judge the results and decide who would receive the prizes.
Then he called on the first team and off we went.   (Someone in the
circle caught my eye about then and gestured to the  Be prepared to
be surprised  sign in the corner.  I had to smile.)

Well, they (self-)managed to get everything done, and the closing
circle was full of praise for open space, etc.  But I have to admit,
I was glad to get out of there.

Footnote to surprise number three:  The scavenger hunt awards were
passed out after the closing circle.  Of the five teams that
participated, three got verbal recognition and praise, one got
prizes, and one was not even mentioned.

Oh, my.

Ralph Copleman










Michael M Pannwitz
boscop
Draisweg 1
12209 Berlin, Germany
FON +49 - 30-772 8000     FAX +49 - 30-773 92 464
www.michaelmpannwitz.de

An der E-Gruppe "openspacedeutsch" für deutschsprechende open space-PraktikerInnen interessiert? Enfach eine mail an mich.

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