OST second time around

[PeeJee Bee]

Dear Kerry and others on this discussion 'second time around'

You raise some very important issues there!
This is indeed something I was wondering about, it is about the claims the
Open Space Technology makes about its pertinence to change.

I am fully convinced that Open Space is a marvelous tool to stimulate
individual creativity; spontaneous collaboration (for the duration of the
Open Space event); and an expression of trust in people by the client (in
other words the ones who bought / decided for the Open Space event).

However Kerry uses a crucial word and that is the word 'process'. Many if
not most Open Spaces are only very short blips (events) in typically much
longer processes of change. But the Open Space does not really address that
issue nor does it really offer (as far as I know) options on how to proceed
beyond the time-bound Open Space event.

I am not a professional facilitator of short term events, in the sense that
I only live of assignments for such one time events. Rather I work as a
facilitator of long term processes in a specific sector (since 8 years the
water sector). When dealing with long term processes of change, as a
facilitator, one is obliged (I feel) to think beyond one time events and
rather constantly look for options and 'most appropriate' facilitation
methods and tools for specific phases or steps in such processes. That means
that one time Open Space may seem adequate, another time it can be one of
the many other methods, tools, instruments that are at the disposal of a
facilitator. 

In the example mentioned by Kerry, I would typically have to think (together
with people involved in the process) on how to best facilitate commitment
and follow up to reach the objectives set in the process.

At times, I must admit, I feel 'professional facilitators' of one-off events
(like an Open Space event) think fairly lightly about what will happen next
and what kind of facilitation may be appropriate. It is not in their terms
of reference, so why bother. Do I see this correctly?

Food for thought, look forward to the food you offer ;-)

Peter (from Milano)

-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of kerry
napuk
Sent: 06 December 2005 17:27
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: OST second time around

Koos

I had a similar experience, but the second event lacked the same energy
because so little was done after the first one.  As a result, the forces of
inertia overcame the band of people who wanted to continue the process.
However, the sponsor still talks about the events as something very special
even though they were held in 1999!

I feel it has a lot to do with prevailing culture and whether or not there
is a sponsor who is the process champion.  Accordingly, we have done a
series of events with various sponsors who like the process and want to do
more, e.g. 12 events for the Scottish Department of Education.

Cheers

Kerry
Edinburgh
www.openfutures.com

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