A little help -- Please

[Harrison Owen]

Thanks Gail -- and all the others! My meeting will take place in a week or
so, and I will let you know how it turns out.

Harrison

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20845
Phone 301-365-2093

Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of ICA Taiwan
Sent: Sunday, April 24, 2005 9:00 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: A little help -- Please

Dear Harrison,

Rich in-box indeed!  A few thoughts come to mind.
The CEO feels so strongly about what he wants and is afraid won't
happen.  What is he really worried about?   He may be closing down
the space for any participation or initiative from his 100.  I assume
that whatever the organization needs is within the organization but
they may be shut out  After meeting with the CEO I always  meet with
a good representation of people from across the organization - have
them begin to get their perspective, hopes, stories, dreams,
frustrations, worries out.  What does it have to be for them to want
to be there in the future?  It's useful in deciding what the real
focus needs to be and how open the space is at the moment or could be
in a program.    Assuming there is something(s) in the system that
is/will block the organization from being what they all want it to
be, then there is also something that keeps the system from changing.
Folks down the line or on the periphery almost always know what that
is.  Ask them.

Looking forward to what happens next.

Gail




>My Inbox is a rich source of adventure. This little note from a CEO for
>example: "XXX Inc. has a highly skilled team of ~100 people doing great
work
>and we are also attempting to manage a company that differentiates
ourselves
>by maintaining a unique company culture.  We want to define, defend, and
>enable these values to be who we are, what we do, and how we behave as a
>collective organization.  Building trust and allowing diversity, debate,
and
>protest to flourish in an organization of high achievers is a difficult
>thing.  I'm searching for ways to provide openness, healthy dialog, and a
>supportive atmosphere for these stellar people to deliver all they are
>capable of (collectively) to improve the lives of thousands of people
living
>with cancer.
>Basically I'm looking for techniques, methods, tools, and or simple ways to
>create an open environment of trust within a growing organization.
>My Dilemma: How to create a communication environment that's open, listens,
>hears, understands, and is responsive?  I am looking for practical
>executable methods to model these value behaviors within a for profit
>business enterprise.  I want to work for a cause and I want those that join
>the company to be equally as committed to a similar standard.  As companies
>grow and become successful it can be easy to become complacent or to
>compromise on these values.  I'm looking for ways to help prevent
>organizational entropy, human dysfunctional politics, divisiveness,
>unhealthy behaviors, and the like within the work environment at all levels
>of the company.  This value system requires a lot from management team and
>the organization, as well as asking a lot from our employees.  But I
believe
>that building on such a foundation and supporting our human capital in such
>a way we will ensure our success as a transformational company."
>
>We are going to have lunch and chat. I have some thoughts - and will surely
>benefit from your reflections. Share?
>
>Harrison
>
>
>Harrison Owen
>7808 River Falls Drive
>Potomac, Maryland   20845
>Phone 301-365-2093
>
>Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
>
>Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>Personal website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/hhowen/index.htm
>OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives Visit:
>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
>
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--
Gail West, ICA
3F, No. 12, Lane 5, Tien Mou West Road
Taipei 111 Taiwan
Phone: (8862) 2871-3150,  Fax: (8862) 2871-2870

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