Tuning the bass note: a story from an organization using Open Space in an ongoing way.

Sun Apr 22 18:45:39 PDT 2007

On 4/22/07, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

When the formal organization is in accord/aligned with the Thrummm
> (informal/self-organizing system), everything works out pretty good. When
> there is a disconnect, the formal organization becomes trivial, ineffective,
> and essentially powerless. And I think you are absolutely right – Open Space
> gives us the opportunity to listen to the thrummm – and thereby reconnect to
> our deep rhythms. So Chris – your CEO may think what he is doing (allowing
> for some open space) is sort of an add-on, a little something extra that
> would be nice to do. I don't think so. I think it is the most important
> thing he/she will ever do.
>

Yup...I think this story is useful precisely because the CEO has made it a
priority for the organization that they concentrate on the work that comes
alive in OST.  Sometimes all it takes is to point out how much fun everyone
is having in getting important work done in Open Space.  You then turn to
everyone and ask "why cant we work like this all the time?"  No one ever
produces compelling arguments to the contrary.  Taking the next step however
takes a small but significant leadership move...the recognition that Open
Space taps the generative field of relationships and creativity that gives
the rest of the work meaning and purpose.

Chris

Harrison
>
>
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>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Drive
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> Potomac, Maryland   20854
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> Phone 301-365-2093
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> Skype hhowen
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> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
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> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
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> Personal website www.ho-image.com
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> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] *On Behalf Of *Chris
> Corrigan
> *Sent:* Sunday, April 22, 2007 2:26 AM
> *To:* OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> *Subject:* Tuning the bass note: a story from an organization using Open
> Space in an ongoing way.
>
>
>
> Hi friends:
>
> It's been awhile since I posted a story about a group I was working with,
> but I thought this one might be interesting.
>
> I spent the last week shuttered away in a lovely retreat setting on
> northern Vancouver Island amongst eagles, sea lions and killer whales
> working with a national organization who is helping indigenous communities
> to create effective governance that advances their rights and land title.
> The leadership of the organization are old hands with Open Space; the
> President and I worked together for many years using Open Space in
> communities to galvanize leadership, and the interim CEO is a close friend
> and OST confidante.  These two gentlemen have been wanting the organization
> to adopt Open Space as their basic operating system for a year now, and they
> have hosted a couple of OST meetings within.  Last week we did two OST
> meetings and some training to get things grounded even deeper.
>
> The organization's interest in OST is both as its operational system and
> to use in communities to help leadership and community members do the work
> of governance.  The community work is interesting, but what I learned this
> week was more about how OST is used in a long term way within an
> organization.
>
> For the last couple of years the organization has been in a developmental
> mode and it has focussed much on its structure, roles and responsibilities.
> Everything that is done is - technically - supposed to be in a workplan and
> supposed to be budgeted and accounted for.  However, the staff of the
> organization were finding that there was much work that needed to be done
> outside the plans and budgets that would make their formal work more
> effective - no surprise really but they discovered how critical this work
> is..  In an Open Space last year, the staff got quite turned on to the
> potential of the process to identify the "out of the budget" work that
> needed to be done.  A number of important projects were proposed and started
> but they had thin support from leadership and other pressing issues took
> over their time and attention.  Action waned and pessimism crept in.
>
> Last week marked the initiation for a new CEO who is very interested in
> making sure there is time and space for staff to work on issues that support
> the culture and the relationships within the organization.  This group is
> spread wide and thin across Canada and so finding ways to work together
> virtually is important, especially to support action planning and follow up
> coming from what are becoming regular Open Space events.  So on Tuesday in a
> full day OST meeting about the operations of the organization, there were
> some excellent conversations on working as a network and supporting an
> organizational culture that is both responsible to the plan and budgets, but
> agile enough to be able to deal with unexpected opportunities.  Wednesday
> and Thursday we did some in house training and then Friday, hosted by three
> staff members, we opened space again for action planning on the sessions
> that were held on Tuesday.  People got right down to action plans, some of
> them creating gant charts and budget allocations.  All the action groups
> made commitments for what I call "next first steps" and the new CEO,
> recognizing the importance of what was unfolding in front of him invited the
> staff to make sure that everyone prioritized the work that came from the OST
> even over the other pressing issues they had waiting for them back at their
> offices.  He wanted to be sure that the results of the OST had the best
> possible chance for success even though they seemed not to be in the already
> approved workplans.
>
> I wondered why this was, and we had a conversation along the following
> lines:
>
> This group is using Open Space on a regular basis to take care of the work
> that is not in the workplans, not in the budget and not necessarily even
> directly a part of what their organization seems to be about. But what we
> learned this week is that Open Space, used in this way, takes care of the
> "bass notes" within an organization. There is a kind of deeper hum within
> every organization - call it the culture if you like, but it's more like a
> field - that supports the work, generates the working environment and
> connects to the purpose of each person. People who are highly satisfied with
> their jobs and organization will often feel connected to this deeper field.
> They resonate with the bass note, the fundamental note of the chord. When
> this note isn't present, it feels like work is not connected into a deeper
> pattern. Understand here that I am talking not about organizational purpose
> - it runs below that. It is more like organizational inspiration, operating
> at the level of the spirit of the place. Making Open Space part of the
> operating system of an organization results in tuning this bass note, or
> perhaps sounding it again. We have a chance to open space to breathe a
> little, get some distance from the mundane tasks of our job and ask some of
> the bigger questions about who we are and where the organization is going.
>
> The folks in this organization are lucky that the upper leadership wants
> to see things working this way and has provided them with the time and
> resources both to meet in Open Space and to carry out the small projects
> starting next week that keep the bass note humming. And of course, we tuned
> up relationships as well, brought familiarity and warmth to an organization
> that is spread thinly across the whole country so that people can remember
> how we were when we were together, something that helps them continue to
> work virtually.
>
> Thought you'd like to know.   I'll post updates here as they progress.
>
> Chris
>
> --
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Facilitation - Training
> Open Space Technology
>
> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>
> Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
> http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com * *
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-- 
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com

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