OS Story

Thu Nov 9 17:24:33 PST 2006

Barry--

Kudos on space well opened!

Why shouldn't open space work when turned inside out? That is exactly
what happens in community groups. It is interesting to see these groups
as inside out open space from corporate groups.... Thanks for that
viewing point, Barry.

I love the picture of people walking around carrying chairs! Butterflies
with chairs attached....

				:- Doug. Germann

On Thu, 2006-11-09 at 05:23 -0600, Barry Owen wrote:
> Greetings folks,
> 
>  
> 
> I’m trying to report (document) every Open Space event I do . . .
> Below is the story from yesterday’s event copied and pasted from my
> blog www.creatingspaces.blogspot.com
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Wishing you all the best,
> 
>  
> 
> b
> 
>  
> 
> Opening Space for Keller Williams . . . Today, we did the Open Space
> retreat for our office in our new office space completely devoid of
> furniture so the invitation read: "BYOC - Bring your own chair."
> Unbelievably, 65 of our 99 members showed up . . . each carrying a
> chair. I say this is unbelievable because these are all independent
> contractors - Real estate sales people. A stark reality hit me this
> morning. Opening space for these folks is a completely different
> animal than Opening space for the typical organization. Typically, the
> organization is wound into a tight (Top down) bundle, and Open Space
> is used to unwind the bundle a bit so as to define new directions.
> With these folks, we begin with a diverged group and use the Open
> Space in search of convergence of ideas, passion, commitment &
> responsibility from a group of people who have no formal
> accountability for the results. This is a vast difference. These
> people are each operating their own independent businesses and have by
> all outward appearances little to gain from optimizing the business of
> the Brokerage firm.
> 
> Recognizing this, I saw the real need for good, solid, quantifiable
> results from this Open Space Retreat. I did the classic Opening -
> offered 2 covers of a book and said that our job was to fill the book
> by the end of our time together. I had pared the time matrix down to 2
> morning sessions, lunch, 2 afternoon sessions . . . then the closing
> followed by a party.
> 
> We were packed like sardines in the main space for the opening - 2
> concentric circles . . . I had @ 10 foot diameter interior circle for
> my walking space. The opening was the smoothest I've ever done. I
> flowed through it without any hitches - I guess my grounding and
> centering this morning was enough to carry me through. My initial
> trepidation about facilitating this retreat for my own organization
> proved to be not such a big deal. I was true to the process - Opened
> the space and got out of the way immediately . . . The group shifted
> into gear and cruised along magnificently.
> 
> The group looked at me with panic in their eyes when I sat down and
> said it was now time to post their issues and opportunities - They
> asked me for examples . . . they begged for me to enable them - I held
> fast and true - didn't budge . . . and finally someone came forward.
> Within 10 minutes, there were 25 issues posted - using nearly all of
> the 28 time/place slots available. THIS was the true test for me. I
> felt that if I wavered here, it would tip the scales in a dangerous
> direction for the results of the entire event. A few folks
> acknowledged later that they were grateful I had left the group to
> their devices to figure these things out.
> 
> I immediately opened the Market place and observed the entire group
> swing into action. EXACTLY 52 minutes after the beginning of the
> opening, all 65 of the participants were in sessions in passionate
> dialogue - The main circle was empty if not for me wandering around
> picking up coffee cups - most of the chairs had gone with the human
> they arrived with . . . I found humor in the fact that any time a
> person moved to a different space he/she was carrying a chair. As the
> day progressed, the chairs became more stationary as people tired of
> carrying them about the place.
> 
> The closing was phenomenal ... 50 folks stayed to the end. I am
> accustomed to seeing more "fall-out" than that . . . so I was feeling
> that this event was a good one. The comments in the closing were SO
> validating for the group. This group of independent contractors was
> speaking as ONE. There was a solidarity I have never witnessed in a
> real estate environment . . . and the party that ensued was unbridled
> passion.
> 
> Reports are due to me in the morning - I will compile them and
> distribute them mid-day along with a set of dots for
> prioritizing . . . Our intent is to consider this prioritized list of
> issues FIRST as we formulate our plans for Productivity,
> profitability, Growth, and culture for the 2007 year.
> 
> Our Operating Partner and City Manager for the Nashville area Keller
> Williams Realty market showed up at 5. They had missed the meeting
> because at 4:40 the group had declared the time to "now be 5:00" thus
> giving the green light to the opening of the wine and beer. Someone
> said:: "It's 5 o'clock somewhere!" and so the party was well under
> way. We had our new Public Relations person present and the
> environment was as festive as it could get. The OP asked the question:
> "Could this happen for other market centers in our area? How can we
> make this happen for everyone in the city, the region, the nation?" I
> replied: "ABSOLUTELY!"
> 
> In a post here a few months ago, I laid out a plan to do just
> that . . . host a retreat in each of the market centers in the
> city . . . then do a full city-wide Open Space . . . and let the
> results speak for themselves. If our PPGC (Productivity, Profit,
> Growth, & Culture) do what I think they'll do given that scenario, the
> Regional folks will notice . . . If Region notices, the International
> office will notice . . .
> 
> Best,
> b
> Barry Owen
> www.theowengroup.net 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Also . . . if you know of anyone (friend, family, work associate) in
> need of help with real estate, please give me a call. I LOVE referrals
> and treat them like royalty :-)
> 
>  
> 
> 
> Website www.theowengroup.net
> 
> 
> Visit my BLOG @ http://creatingspaces.blogspot.com/
> 
> 
> 
> Barry Owen
> 
> 
> Principal Broker
> The Owen Group
> Keller Williams Realty - Green Hills Market Center
> 2209 Crestmoor Road Ste 210
> Nashville, TN 37215
> Direct - 615.568.2123
> Toll Free 866.375.0965
> Fax - 615.523.2462
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> Keller Williams Realty is a learning-based Training & Consulting
> Company supporting our Real Estate Professionals by offering business
> models, systems, tools, & support to Build Careers Worth Having,
> Businesses Worth Owning, and Lives worth living . . . We are THE
> fastest growing, most innovative real estate company in America. Check
> us out @ www.theowengroup.net OR www.geocities.com/barryo.geo
> 
> 
> 
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> 
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