Givens: some comments

[Chris Corrigan]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 15:27:40 +0000, kerry napuk <k at napuk.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> Chris
>
> Your handling of "givens" is positively clever and thanks for posting
> it.   However, does not the objective remain to remove the "givens"
> from the agenda and allow free exchange and dialogue?
>

Well yes and no.  It is not up to me to tell the client whether or not
their attachment to givens is a bad thing.  Yesterday I facilitated a
very high profile meeting hosted by our provincial premier and of
course it was loaded with givens.  We weren't using OST, but I tried
to open as much space as I could.

If the client wants free exchange and dialogue then yes, we discuss
constarints on that.  In the example of the streatgic planning OST I
facilitated, the client wanted both dialogue and and information
useful to the immediate strategic needs of the organization.  The
design didn't prohibit anything; the leadership just said "talk about
anything you want, but if you want us to include it in the plan, find
a way to fit it into the five streams."  They didn't define those
streams beforehand, other than categorically "Finances" and as a
result of the conversations and the way the group chose to sort it's
work, the fields of each of these categories became defined -
perfectly.  That's why I think of it as an elegant design.

> What do you do when the sponsor hangs onto "givens" and refuses to
> yield and you know in your heart of hearts that it will damage or
> undermine the event?
>

Like you, I'll offer another process.  But if the potential damage is
serious, then I don't do the event.  I have an ethical sense of what a
legitimate engagement process is and when it crosses the line for me I
back off.  If people are being "led down the garden path," that is,
invited to do something under false pretenses, I won't facilitate that
at all.

Cheers,

Chris


> Regards
>
> Kerry
>
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--
-------------------------
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Consultation - Facilitation
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

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