OST vs OD

Robert.Chaffe at nre.vic.gov.au Robert.Chaffe at nre.vic.gov.au
Thu Sep 26 18:35:45 PDT 2002


Meg and others,
 OD and Do.  You have sparked a need in me to get some thoughts off my chest.

The way I see it there are two parts.

   One is the facilitator who creates and sustains the space for the
   participants to "grow".
   Two the participants themselves.

Yes the process is simple but have you noticed that even people like De Bono
have some difficulty in selling SIMPLICITY.  Much of our modern world has taken
simple things described them in new words (jargon) then marketed them as new and
special.

In the medical world we know that the best defense against infection is simple
hygiene, like washing your hands before touching food etc.  Not good enough in
the modern world I am asked to buy product XXXX because being a manufactured
product, it must be better than simply washing your hands.  Many of the 'killer"
conditions of human kind can be most effectively dealt with by simple lifestyle
decisions, but do we exercise, eat food that matches our physical activity etc.,
in most case the answer is no.

We have become conditioned to look for the "savior".  We have also been
conditioned manage not lead.   Leading is dangerous, standing up and saying "the
king is naked" is not well rewarded.  Every one likes to think that they can but
when the time comes it is much safer to stay with the norm.   Just look at the
Congress of USA in its response to the current issues in the middle east.  It
un-American to stand up for peace, win win and humanity.  It is the same in many
workplaces.

Therefore as the facilitator of Open Space we are actually taking a stand
against the norm.  This takes a special kind of person, let's not devalue the
things that these people DO.  Just as in the chemical world a true catalyst, the
agent of change is invisible in the final product so it is with open space.

The participants although encouraged to bring their passion and commitment often
find it very difficult to change their learned behavior.  We see people blossom
and groups create the most fantastic outputs within  Open Space.  We also see
people struggle as they are asked to take responsibility for their passion.

Then we go back into the world around us.  The facilitator, well we did it
ourselves so why bother, it is so simple anyone can do it.   So we see the
organisation reform about their old norms and get on with the job.  The
participants filled with the experience bounce back into the world, only to slam
headlong into brick walls of the REAL world.  Confused, bruised and wiser they
may choose to keep going but many are not prepared for the hard yards required
to be successful.

The culture for many conferences and forums requires the participants to write
the paper, referee other papers, be present, do a presentation, do a bit of
networking, eat and drink too much and go home.  Work at the conference or apply
learning - that's not in the brief.

For me Open Space is a form of traumatic experience, and an experience that
needs to carefully processed so that I use the goodness in the most effective
way when I leave the space for other parts.  This is for both facilitator and
participant.   It also means that it takes a special environment in
organisations to support the cultural change required to apply Open Space.  I
believe that these organisations will be successful  but most likely not the
most visible or profitable at least until the world  changes to champion
sustainable, simple, life of interdependence .

Rob

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