Evaluations - "Why and Why Not"

[Birgitt Williams]

Elwin,
I need to give a short answer in the interest of my available time right
now. I primarily work in intact organizations that are owned by
shareholders, Boards, executive staff. Usually there is a single
executive staff called President, CEO, executive director who has
primary accountability for the performance of the organization. The
decision to have an OST meeting is for a variety of different purposes,
depending on the organization. Often, I have the opportunity to
facilitate more than one OST meeting in an organization following
another, each for different purposes.

The organization has ongoing HR, OD, Finance, Risk Management,
Marketing, Sales protocols. Some carved in stone. Some open for change.
We do OST meetings in organizations that have existing protocols.
Further, the complexity of cause and effect relationships between
departments, work processes and so on is intricately woven. Not
necessarily the best, but it is there.

The sponsor opens the space for the OST meeting to take place in his/her
organization for which he/she is accountable. The 'givens', as I noted
in an earlier post, have multiple benefits in identifying what the space
in the organization truly is for input, creativity, inspiration and so
on. Sometimes the space is almost limitless, sometimes it is more
closed. Another way to look at givens is to be authentic and explicit in
the organization about where the space is not open so that no one need
waste energy there. Once the sponsor identifies the 'givens' and
announces them, hence announcing what space is actually open and doing
so with authenticity, the givens form the contracted terms within which
people believe they can make a difference. 

We have recognized in intact organizations that when space is opened
that is not authentic, because the terms were never sorted out for what
is open in the ongoing organizational life, that the sponsors would
close down the results from the space after the fact saying things like
'well, we can't do that action because it is outside of our funding
contract' or 'we can't do that action because it is not in the budget.'.
The sponsor gets frustrated, as do those who had participated in the OST
event. 

On the other hand, I have witnessed the aftermath of an OST event where
there was no use of givens, where the sponsor (VP of HR) dismissed all
outputs from the meeting (the outputs were stellar), he also fired
people who had been outspoken. 


I hope this helps.
Birgitt
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Elwin
and Joan
Sent: Monday, April 03, 2006 1:01 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Evaluations - "Why and Why Not"

Birgitt,

I am intrigued. What have you found in your study?

I have used OST to bring together groups with a "common interest" for
the purpose of discussing and documenting “next steps" toward formation
of Trade or Civic Associations. All have led to formation and action
sustained over the course of several years now. The same is true when I
revisit with OST to extend their vision and planning.

What’s your experience and with whom?

Elwin Guild
Future Development International
Baltimore



--- Birgitt Williams <birgitt at dalarinternational.com> wrote:

> There are probably as many organizations who would never have an OST
> meeting again as their are those who will. I have found it
> interesting to study those who will not and why.
> 
> Blessings,
> Birgitt

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist

-- 
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006
 

-- 
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.4/299 - Release Date: 3/31/2006
 

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist