A little help -- Please

[john engle]

Hi Harrison.

Thanks for sharing about your upcoming meeting and for inviting input.

The first thing after OS that came to my mind when learning about the CEO's
intention was what you and others on this list hear me talk about from time
to time. We call them Reflection Circles in the work we do in Haiti. To
access the English material about them go to: http://touchstones.org

Touchstones Discussions are being used with groups of CEOs at Aspen
Institute, with Directors at NASA and National Security Agency to name a
few.

Here is a paragraph about their book set for discussion groups:

Mapping the Future is structured around the four stages (group formation,
group awareness, listening, and shared leadership) that characterize the
development of a discussion group. Within each stage, five units address a
particular topic such as power, diversity, or self-examination. Each topic
is an important part of defining our wider culture, and also bears immediate
and personal significance as we attempt to form a cooperative group.

to go right to the webpage containing Mapping the Future:

http://www.touchstones.org/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1-878461-68-0&Category_Code=4

Here's the webpage that talks about their Corporate and Government program:

http://www.touchstones.org/other/exec.htm

My colleagues and I have been using Touchstones approach with a wide variety
of groups in Haiti for nearly 7 years. Practioners of Touchstones convene
regularly in Open Space for shared learning.

We have found that Open Space and Touchstones are wonderful companions in
the way that they equip people with skills that enable them to share
authority and responsibility in their institutions'/groups' evolution.

Thanks again for sharing this with us and for inviting ideas.

John


http://JohnEngle.blogspot.com - Reflections about Haiti, life, and our work.
http://JohnEngle.info
http://TheExperiment.info



>From: Harrison Owen <hhowen at comcast.net>
>Reply-To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: A little help -- Please
>Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 08:37:48 -0400
>
>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
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