OS and convergence / Action Planning all the time

[Raffi Aftandelian]

Dear Harrison, Artur, Kerry, and everybody else,

Gosh, the more I do this work the more confounded I get! 

Harrison, I wanted to get clear about the one example you gave when you did not lead the group into action planning even though it was the "time" to do it. When the so-called time came to do action planning, you write that the energy "just sunk through the floor" and that you "had the sense to let it happen": to let (admittedly this verb sounds presumptuous and invasive here) people have an extended coffee break. Does that mean that in this/these case/cases you didn't/don't  facilitate any convergence? How do/did people emerge from the extended coffee break and where did they go after it? Into convergence?

In the latest (1 1/2 day) OS I facilitated, at the end of the first day it seemed that the group would get more out of staying in open space and not move into "action planning" (into a time-space strictly set aside for this). I didn't see anyone suggesting that they didn't want to do convergence, so I figured it was best not to suggest it. What did happen when the official time set aside for AP took place was that two key issues were identified and were discussed in more detail (not action planning). Would you all have done differently in this case?

Thanks all!
Raffi (Aftandelian)

Harrison wrote:
>There are some practical implications to this. Mostly that is about warning
>clients that it is not unlikely that major changes/actions will not only be
planned but executed before the conlusion of the gathering. Specifically, I
have seen whole products designed with money alocated, marketing planned,
manufacturing facilities identified -- in the first 3 hours of an OS. I
thought it was great, but the VP for Strategic Planning was not of a similar
mind. After all it was not "in the plan." Equally, I have come to the end of
an OS, all ready to do the convergance etc -- and found the energy just sunk
through the floor or more accurately -- mellowed out. The folks were not
tired, unhappy, or bored, it is just that they had already done it all. And
their pleasure was simply to sit with a good cup of coffee and (now) good
friends. Fortunately I had enough sense to let it happen (extended coffee
hour) since it was going to happen anyhow. I did, however, have to spend
some time with the client explaining why I wasn't following the agenda --
which clearly said "Convergence and Action Planning" on the morning of the
3rd day.


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