OS for research planning

[Harrison Owen]

Bo -- there have been a number of instances which parallel your situation, I
think. One of the last ones I was involved with concerned a major
pharmaceutical company, and the objective was the creation of their 5 year
research plan. It was very much a standard Open Space in which 400 research
scientists named their issues and opportunities and went to work. 2 1/2 days
later they had The Plan. Of course it wasn't fully footnote all done up with
bullet points, but those cosmetics were added quickly. There have also been
instances which were much more action oriented -- which is to say that the
concern was not just to plan, but actually "do" the science -- or at least
get a good start on it. One I remember particularly involved Dupont and the
re-design of the manufacturing process for Dacron. 175 polymer chemists sat
in a circle, created a bulletin board and went to work. It must have done
something useful as Dacron is still very much a part of the Dupont product
line.

Harrison  

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com 
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Bo Laurent
Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 6:38 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: OS for research planning

Hi OSList,

I'm a newcomer to the list. I've been to a demonstration of OS by Lisa Heft,
and I'm now involved in planning a conference (for spring of 2009) that will
use OS, and a diverse group of invited participants, to generate new ideas
for research. The field is a healthcare issue in which progress has been
obstructed by isolation, adversarial factions, and too little attention to
human functioning in social systems. 

We're working now on raising money to support the conference. Do you have
examples you can share with me, or point me to, where OS has been used in
scientific research? Especially in generating new ideas, questions,
perspectives, methodologies, and collaborations?

Thanks,

Bo

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