What are the unstated assumptions and aims of OS?

[Laurel and Rick]

Doug,

I need to add a quick addition to what Lisa suggests in terms of diversity .
. . don't forget to invite the support staff, as well - I'm talking food
services, housekeeping, clerical staff - all these folks have contact with
the patient - and, in fact, IMHO, they provide the glue that keeps our
precarious health care system together!! (And they have the best window on
the true happenings in health care - they are a very sadly neglected
resource.)

Laurel.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lisa Heft" <lisaheft at pacbell.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Monday, October 14, 2002 4:41 AM
Subject: Re: What are the unstated assumptions and aims of OS?


> Doug --
>
> I love Joelle's idea of exploratory surgery, and using words known in
> the medical field: 'best practices'.  It may also be helpful to let the
> doctors know that this method has been used in many settings with
> doctors - Anne Stadler's work at the Hutchison Cancer Research Center in
> Washington State, is it? comes to mind.
>
> Maybe if you pull together from a question on this list (new thread
> title) peoples' experiences facilitating with
> doctors/hospitals/healthcare settings that will help the doctor-types,
> too.  Real specifics, with 'experts' and others (who we all know are
> also experts in oh so many things).
>
> Perhaps you could develop the theme with a traditionally facilitated
> session at the first meeting.  I do this as part of my Intro to OST
> learning workshops, right down to honing it down to the exact words.  I
> do this the night before their Open Space, and they are eager to jump
> right in the next day because the gathered folks have all participated
> in setting and defining the theme.  I think the energy would hold for a
> week apart meetings or whatever you've got - if you think it's too long
> in-between you might send out a flyer full of energy reminding them to
> save the time/date.
>
> I've had people post sessions for a next day OS, too.  Excitement and
> anticipation (even some anxiety for those who haven't experienced an OS)
> hold them over to the next day.  But raising topics and letting it all
> sit for days or a week?  Seems to me to not be helpful, as the topic
> raising is a snapshot, as it were, of emerging thought and energy.
> Wouldn't necessarily be the issues next week.
>
> Instead I'd do any version of a full OS for 1, 2 or 3 hours.  I've done
> 45 minute sessions; even 30 minute ones.  It feels to me kind of hard to
> switch so fast with those short sessions unless the group is
> comfortable/experienced in OS.  Our dear colleague Laurel Doersam (hi,
> dear colleague!) did ... help me remember here ... 1.5 hour OS's every
> week with the staff in a hospital facility; after learning the bits they
> just dived right in each week.
>
> I agree with my colleagues; any speechifying drains all the air out of
> the room: any one-way presentation that puts peoples' bodies in a
> passive/receiving mode rather than a doing mode.
>
> I've experienced a 1.5 hour, one-session OS with hundreds of people (at
> the International Association of Facilitators conference); so I know
> even one session would work (any size group).  In that case folks write
> their session topic as they announce it and take the sign with them;
> they had been instructed at the point after the announcement of topics
> to walk to the wall and post their session and stand by it and groups
> would form all around the room, same as any village marketplace.  The
> group reconvened for a short closing circle.
>
> As with all OS's, I'd push for bringing the greatest diversity of people
> into the room - the whole system / whole ecology of the situation.  So
> doctors, elders, family members, receptionists, whomever you can invite.
> A much better picture of the issues and opportunities.
>
> My two scents (sniff)
>
> Lisa
>
>
> L i s a   H e f t
> Consultant, facilitator, educator
> O p e n i n g  S p a c e
> 2325 Oregon
> Berkeley, California
> 94705-1106   USA
> (+01) 510 548-8449
> lisaheft at pacbell.net
> www.openspaceworld.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
> Douglas D. Germann, Sr.
> Sent: Saturday, October 12, 2002 11:07 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: What are the unstated assumptions and aims of OS?
>
> Lisa--
>
>  << My dos rubles
>
> Hmmm.... Is this mixing metaphors? For instance, what does your disk
> operating system sound like when it rubles? <grin>
>
>  << And on a more event design note, shorter OSs are perfectly fabulous,
>  << I've found.  Thanks to dear Jeff Aitken for first stretching my mind
> on
>
> Might you or Jeff or someone else stretch my mind on this one?
>
> Part of what raises this question is the opportunity I am being given to
> help a local Senior Independent Living facility open space in a series
> of
> events.
>
> The sponsor is a wonderful group of people who really care about seniors
> in
> our community. They have noticed that elders don't get much respect in
> the
> medical waiting rooms (they are allowed to sit while others coming later
> go
> in ahead of them) and in the medical examining rooms (the Drs. often
> only
> have a few moments to spend with each person, and if they cannot
> articulate
> their problem that quickly, nothing much is done for them).
>
> So they want to have 3 1/2 Open Spaces. The subject will be
> approximately
> "How good can senior healthcare become?"
>
> My contact wants to have an expert from afar come in for a 1 hour
> segment,
> then break up into open space for the rest of that session, and 3 more.
>
> Currently, she wants to have each session 2 hours long, and with a month
> between sessions.
>
> The two hour sessions might be a concession to the energy levels of the
> seniors (although I could from experience say that it energizes people).
> I
> think maybe I want to see if we can move them closer together, like say
> a
> week apart (it might be a problem of having the space already
> committed).
>
> The hope is that medical people and seniors will talk together and also
> come up with some practical things they could do to help each other make
> healthcare for seniors better (such as elders teaming up to go with each
> other to their exams so that one who is more articulate, for instance,
> might help another less so, etc.).
>
> So this sounds a little like your "swirling of ideas" and "noticing what
> works"--a good instance for a "shorter" OS.
>
> So if you were to do it, would you do the 2 hour sessions on this topic?
> How would you arrange the schedule?
>
>                               :-Doug.
>
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