What makes OST work ???

[Pannwitz, Michael M]

Dear Frank and Morton,
earlier this summer I lead an open space-training for some 40 danish
colleagues in Skanderborg.
Several of them have experience in os, others are just beginning to
work in os. If you like, I can forward your request to them (I think
a few of them are also on this list). Possibly, they might have some
insights that also take in the particular givens of open space in
Denmark.

As to your question on what makes os work so well, there is at least
some experience regarding the preconditions.
One part of that are the preconditions observed by Harrison Owen:
-complexity as far as the issue is concerned
-diversity as far as the composition of the participant group is
concerned
-presence of potential or real conflict
-urgency of the question
-no one person having an answer to the issue at hand

In other words, if you have a complex issue for which no one has a
solution that concerns a diverse group of stakeholders who need an
answer fast and all that spiced up with conflicting views or parties
then chances for a meaningful open space are high.

One of the things a planning group can do (and in my experience this
is often neglected) is to really see to the diversity of the group.
My experience is that the more completely the "whole system is in the
room" the better the chances are for novel, creative, breakthrough
etc approaches to be generated.
For your situation (producing, selling and distributing organic food)
this could mean to look at who all needs to be at the os to make it a
success:
-well, people from the company, then
-customers (the private homes you mentioned)
-transportation (the people bringing it to the homes)-
-marketing
-farmers and processors (you got a variety there: vegetables, meats,
fruits...you did not mention: milk, cheese, bread, sausage, honey,
jam...)
-organic food associations (Demeter, Bioland, ANOG, etc.)
-scientists studying aspects of your business from local Universities
(Department of Agriculture at the University of Aarhus)
-partners
-competitors
-etc.
This is a task for the planning group which through its makeup can
mirror to some degree the composition of the open space event.

Another thing often neglected is the aspect of voluntary
participation.
Is it really clear to everyone that participation is voluntary? Is it
stated in the invitation? Is the sponsor clear on it? Does he/she
understand the importance of this aspect? Will the sponsor create
conditions under which voluntary participation is fostered?

As far as the theory informing open space is concerned there is
abundant literature both in print and on the internet.
If you need more specific help, ask.
Good luck with your work
greetings from Berlin
michael



On Sun, 6 Oct 2002 15:21:40 -0600, Morten Gaarde wrote:

>Dear,
>
>Weºre two Danish students who are working on our graduate thesis (studing
>Organization and management at the Aarhus School of Business
>http://www.hha.dk/INDEX_UK.HTM). Our topic is óOpen Space technologyó and
>we would like to get some deeper knowledge about this topic by asking you
>for help.
>
>We have access to a Danish Company who has worked with OST in the past
>year. The company has about 100 employees and deals with producing, selling
>and distributing organic vegetables, meat and fruits to private homes in
>Denmark on a weekly basis (from soil/farm to consumer). They deal with the
>whole value chain: from farming to consumer.
>
>The company had an OST in the spring and are going to have another one
>within the next 3-4 months.
>
>The purpose of our thesis is to find answers on the following questions:
>
>1. What makes OST work so well (which theories can explain the good
>results with OST) ?
>2. What can enhance the outcome of an OST meeting  ?
>
>The answers to those questions should give us the ability to make some
>guidelines / recommendations to the next OST.
>
>The company has given us access to the employees so we can make some
>qualitative interviews of those persons who participated in the last OST.
>Those interviews will hopefully give us answers to the questions above.
>
>The next challenge is to find the questions which will answer those
>question.
>
>During your work with OST have you some idea of:
>
>1. What makes OST work so well ?
>2. Which topics would you focus on in a interview / theories ?
>3. Which questions would you ask the persons to make sure you get the
>answers needed ?
>
>We look forward to hear from you. And of course weºll make a final report
>in English and publish it in the OST-network
>
>
>Best regards
>
>Frank H. Nielsen and Morten Gaarde
>
>*
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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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>From  Mon Oct  7 11:19:03 2002
Message-Id: <MON.7.OCT.2002.111903.0700.>
Date: Mon, 7 Oct 2002 11:19:03 -0700
Reply-To: bjp1 at cox.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: BJ Peters <bjp1 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: The Practice of Peace - Last month's OS in San Francisco
 (long)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Doug-- What occurred to me is that the staff may be relieving seniors of
responsibility for their own health care by setting these topics. How
about a theme like: What can seniors do to better manage their own
health? What are the opportunities for seniors to take charge of their
own health issues? If staff participates, they can then post some of the
topics they wish to see discussed.

Just a thought. . .

BJ Peters

Douglas D. Germann, Sr. wrote:

>Lisa--
>
>The sponsor so far is the senior living facility. This is one of those
>places which is apartments with a high level of services--change bed linens
>once a week, provide some activities in house, meals in a restaurant-type
>setting, some transportation services. Not a nursing home, nor even
>assisted living: the people here all can live alone and take care of
>themselves, and come and go a lot.
>
>They have noticed that when people go to the doctor, they often come back
>worse than when they went, and they seem to have to wait longer in doctors'
>waiting rooms than younger people.
>
>What they are hearing from doctors is that the patient could not identify
>any definable problem, so we saw no reason to change medicines or
>treatment, or we tried this or that.
>
>My contact thinks one answer would be for people to hear what doctors need,
>and another might be to develop a list of symptoms and questions before
>they go to the doctor. Sounded like a good place for Open Space to me, so I
>suggested it.
>
>It seems to me a title of What are the issues and opportunities for
>improving health (or healthcare) for seniors? might be a good one.
>
>Her fear is that the doctors and nurses might be reluctant to commit to
>more than one meeting. My thought is that when they see the magic of
>talking with people, they will want to come. And of course, whoever
>comes....
>
>I fear the idea of having one group set the agenda for another may be an
>effort of controlling, which might scuttle the later sessions. How do you
>think this might be approached more openly?
>
>                              :-Doug. Germann
>
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