Newbie questions...

Harrison Owen owenhh at mindspring.com
Wed May 8 13:00:33 PDT 2002


At 02:15 PM 5/8/2002 +0000, Ralph C. wrote:
>Yes.

I can't believe it -- I am in total agreement. AND Ralph is the Soul of
brevity. Would that I could learn to be the same.

> > 3.  In a large, global organization where even one functional group (like
> > R&D) might be thousands dispersed across the world, can OST be done
> > effectively in a virtual setting?  Does the magical collaborative energy
> > get generated under those kinds of virtual circumstances?
>
>You can have a virtual meeting, and it might achieve its objectives, and
>it'll open space on some levels, I suppose, but it won't be the same.  Not
>even close.  An alternative is to have a series of local OS gatherings and
>link them up.

I still agree with Ralph (unbelievable) -- and also I suggest that Paqul
take a look at what is being done (to be done) "at" the VOSONOS --
advertized here on the web. After all the InterNet is the biggest Open
Space going -- as we all know.


> >  Also, how do you
> > replace the 1, 2 or 3 day offsite meeting with a virtual meeting that might
> > have to stretch out over some extended time.  I mention this because
> > telling management that people need to stop working and start travelling
> > and hotelling might present a big barrier to adoption in the real world I
> > am seeking to do good work in.
>
>I want to give you a bit of an argument here.  Who says anybody is going to
>stop working just because we ask them to gather and think about their
>collective future?  That's work as far as I'm concerned.  Since when is work
>only the thing I'm doing now?  (And since when has life in a global
>corporation ever been the "real world"?)  When managers and such genuinely
>care about outcomes, growth, people, and rich, challenging futures, they
>don't worry about expense accounts.
>
>Don't sell the process.  Sell the results.  Go open some space.  Remember to
>pick up the coffee cups.  Best of luck!

I still agree with Ralph -- especially about the argument. Abstractly
considered, 2 and 1/2 days sounds like a long time. But if you put all this
in some sort of a context -- like designing a new product for example -- 2
and 1/2 days from concept to delivery is mind boggling light speed.
Especially when prior experience says that anything less than 6 months is a
"short time." So for sure, sell the results, not the process and then the
whole question of time seems to fall into place.

Harrison

>Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, MD 20854 USA
phone 301-365-2093
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm

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