After Action Report

Wed May 11 13:14:31 PDT 2005

Wonderful,
Then, maybe, we will all see "the original face, DNA" of that company::))

Funda

----- Original Message -----
From: "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at comcast.net>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 3:32 PM
Subject: After Action Report

Some time ago I posted a note from a CEO desirous of great things for his
organization. A number of people on OSLIST responded with thoughtful
suggestions, and I promised a follow-up.

We met yesterday for lunch. He was, as near as I could tell, pretty much as
advertised: Pleasant, thoughtful, curious, concerned, heart in the right
place. Also, as it turns out, he is a practicing Buddhist. Which, according
to him, was a major reason that he sought me out. I confessed to some
surprise as I am sure few if any Buddhists would have me - but that is a
different story. But the real story was Open Space. He didn't know much
about it, but what he did know, he liked.

Just to refresh your memory he said previously, "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."

My response probably took him back a bit, but it went something like this.
Achieving what you want for your company is actually quite simple, perhaps
even easy. Living with that result over time may prove to be a real
challenge. I think you have to start from the belief that you have already
arrived. So it is not about doing something new and different with your
folks, but rather enabling them to more fully realize what they already are.
I explained that from where I sit, the folks already are a functioning
(maybe even well functioning) self-organizing system. In order to grow and
enhance their capacities, to say nothing of deal with a radically altering
environment, they will need sufficient space. So guess what - Open some
Space. We could do that once as a sort of kick-off, but the objective is to
move from an event - to an understanding that opening space is a 24X7
reality.  The real trick is to keep that space open so that there is plenty
of room to grow and evolve.

Effectively negotiating this trick can start with a simple question: What is
the minimal level of formal structure required to do our business? For
example, external institutions require certain reports. Since he is in the
Drug Business, that reporting can get pretty fierce, and to some extent will
define the space he is in and has available. But if you ever get into a
position where your life is defined by the reports you have to write, you
are then in the report business and no longer your business. So what is the
minimal level of process, procedures, and structures required to ethically
live up to the responsibilities you have assumed by entering into the
business you have chosen?

And then there is the matter of your own personal feelings, the quality of
your personal space. Is it open or closed, and how much of either? Are you
truly willing to let XXX Inc. grow according to its own DNA? Or is there a
"RIGHT" way (which just happens to be your way)? Obviously personal
standards, expectations, and desires are natural, probably contributory -
and for better or worse - are what you bring to the party. But how tightly
do you hold them? When do you walk? He didn't know about the Law of Two
Feet.

He listened for a bit and then said, "When do we start? I said I thought he
might better go home and think about whether he truly wanted to start - and
let me know. And since he is a Buddhist, I added - To me it is really a
matter of enabling XXX Inc. to see its original face.

I presume he is thinking - and if there is a next chapter, I will let you
know. Oh, by the way, I shared with him all of the comments that came from
you all. I figured he needed to know something of the rich
voices/thought/ideas emerging from the community he could just be joining.

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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