Action Planning Steps (was Multi Voter Software)

[Lisa Heft]

Hi, Craig --

 

(I notice you are using a title for your message from another conversation.
If you can change the title when you have a new very separate topic, others
will be able to find this topic in the archives of our OSLIST when they are
researching there to learn about - for example - action planning.  I have
taken the liberty of changing the title in my response.)

 

You wrote: 

<I would like to hear more about the alternative action planning steps that
you or others have used effectively because I find the action steps are
where the road and the tire meet.  Without taking the conversations to the
place of action steps, which in my opinion is key to the transformation, the
process' ability to effect the possibility for major change seems limited.>

 

I favor the 'reopening of space' for action planning.  For a last session
before Closing Circle, the group gathers again in full circle and the
facilitator invites participants to reflect on their experiences and
discoveries during the day(s) full of sessions.  Then s/he invites whomever
would like to champion an action to - as they did in the beginning of the
Open Space meeting - come to the center, make a sign for their topic and
announce it.  And the group then moves in to a (for example) 45-minute
action planning session.  

 

Instead of using a notes-taker form the convenor is given an action planning
form (who is in the action group, who else should be invited, what are the
immediate, do-able next steps, when will the group next meet, what resources
are needed, who will be the point-person for the group until/for the next
meeting, and so on).

 

In the pre-work and planning stage before an Open Space I find it is
essential to discuss with the client/sponsor/core team whether action is
needed or who feels the urgency towards action - sometimes conversations
like this bring to light the fact that they don't really need *action*, they
more specifically need a measure of *accomplishment* (such as that
documented by the Book of Proceedings).  Or sometimes (for example when
gathering people for a conference in Open Space) it turns out that the
sponsor is the only one who wants/needs action - ('people *should* do this /
they *should* feel this / why don't people ever....).  And if you ask the
sponsor to reflect on things from a participant point of view sometimes they
will acknowledge that a majority of participants come for - and are served
by - the networking, best practices and resource-sharing deliverables of an
Open Space, and do not share the sponsor's sense of urgency.  So the
discussion then includes questioning whether action planning is still
appropriate.

 

But if action planning is identified as a specific need and part of the
design, I favor reopening of the space because it shows who has the passion
and responsibility to take care of business, what are the items people care
about (and what are not), and it supports the value that even an idea with
one person passionate about it can be accomplished.

 

You may enjoy reading two papers on my website, where I gathered the
thoughts of many of our colleagues by researching through the archives of
the OSLIST (hence my interest in message titles that reflect the topic of
conversation):

 

A conversation on convergence:

 

http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method_resources_Convergence
_A_Conversation.shtml

 

 

...and a conversation on convergence approaches:

 

http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method_resources_Convergence
_Approaches.shtml 

 

 

Take care,

 

Lisa

___________________________

L i s a   H e f t

Consultant, Facilitator, Educator

O p e n i n g  S p a c e

lisaheft at openingspace.net

www.openingspace.net 

 

 


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