a tasty "taster" OST meeting

[Joelle Lyons Everett]

In a message dated 3/24/05 9:34:12 PM, jlwalker at MI.CL writes:


> But I also
> recognize that is a great challenge for me to make that client more open,
> step by step, word by word, conversation by conversation an perhaps, more
> sooner than later we will be initiating an OST event. Too much persistence?
> What does the rest of you in the list think about this?
>
>
I do not want to talk the clients into agreeing to something they do not
really want to support.   But I want them to see the great possibilities that Open
Space offers, before they say "Yes" or "No."

I was in a meeting talking about Open Space conferences with the management
team of an organization.   The associate director asked if there were any
conditions where Open Space was known not to work.   I replied that it would not
work if the leaders wanted to keep control over the outcomes.

"Well, now I know what my challenge will be, because I want to be in control.
  But what we are doing now is not working well enough.   I want to try Open
Space, and learn to work that way."

I thought this was an honest and courageous statement.   The management team
decided to begin with an Open Space conference, and let the rest emerge from
that.   We worked together for a year, everyone learned a lot, and the project
accomplished just what they had hoped.

You are right--this is the kind of client I want to work with!

If you have a client who is unwilling to learn, I doubt that they will be
open enough for an Open Space to succeed.   If the client is willing to learn,
then I think your step by step, word by word strategy might work.

Thanks for sharing these heartfelt questions--and your english is easy to
understand, without the dictionary.

Joelle Everett
Shelton, Washington, USA

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