OS as a cornerstone

Mon Feb 19 12:23:45 PST 2007

Hello Corinne, and Welcome!

I would say that it's definitely possible to run and grow your
business in open space, even with just the two of you.  And, I'll
suggest that it might not *look* like open space to outside observers,
i.e. there might not be a circle and facilitator and such.  Or might
there?

To see how this works, let what normally passes for open space
technology, circle, invitation, marketplace, law of two feet and
principles, bulletin board dissolve a bit.  It's enough, I think, if
you each agree that you know some things, many of which can be listed
explicitly, and don't know many others about what might happen, most
of which can't even be named.

It's enough, in practice, to list the things you know, about your
needs, resources, interests, purposes, desires, and what might need to
be done now about all of that.  If there are open, unanswerable
questions, probably they show up as 'things to explore', then list
those too.  Put the list of everything you know you want, think you
have, guess you can or will do next, and might explore... all on
individual post-it notes on a wall or poster or wherever is handy.
Someplace that can stay visible and available for reference.

Then just have regular conversations in front of that board, as often
as you find necessary, and whenever you don't know what is happening
or what to do next.  The 'question', i think, that all these post-it
note issues and topics and questions answers is this:  What is this
business and what should it be?

If you add new issues whenever you sit down together in front of this
bulletin board, and keep notes every time you retire or resolve an
issue... which might be through active development work, or might be
when conditions change and some area posted for action or exploration
just 'falls off' the wall... just make some notes, or don't, but move
it off to the 'done' pile.

As for involving clients or others, they need not be joining you in an
'event'.  They're likely only needed for one or a few conversations.
So ring them up when it's time (whenever it starts is the right time)
and chat about those few issues.  They don't need to know that they're
working in what you call open space.  If you hire someone new, give
them the pile of 'done' issues, perhaps some of which have notes on
them.  That is your training and orientation program, how we got here,
from the beginning.

And this goes on, each of you and both of you sitting with, updating,
reflecting, conversing, and resolving the issues on the post-its...
until it's over.  My business is just me, unless you count my wife as
an advisory board, and this is how i've run my practice for many
years, with the same 'mind' to my to-do list as I bring to any
community bulletin board wall in any oepn space meeting.  In the end,
it's the mind we make, not the meetings.  And when I get a chance to
do a meetings with clients, it is really just sharing that mind and
practice with them, even when they are several hundred people.

Enjoy!  and Good Luck!

Michael

On 2/19/07, Corinne Nelson <corinne_lynette at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear Michael,
>
> "What might our business look like if we selforganize"
>
> This is a lovely question - thank you for pointing it
> out!
>
> One of the challenges we're facing is the physical
> number - it's truly the two of us (my husband and I)
> who are concerned with this topic.  That's not much
> fuel for OST, in my experience.
>
> Have any of you created a business that has OST
> principles built into its structure?  I'm sure this is
> the place to find people who hav been there and done
> that!
>
> Warmly,
>
> Corinne Nelson
> 719.237.0710
> corinne_lynette at yahoo.com
>
> p.s. We could survey our clients to see if they would
> be interested in a topic of this sort - my hestitation
> has been their interest level.  Sounds like that's
> easy enough to resolve with a couple of questions to
> them. Thanks.
>
> --- Michael M Pannwitz <mmpanne at boscop.de> wrote:
>
> > Dear Corinne,
> > this is a wonderful question.
> > And there is a pretty good starting point for your
> > journey:
> > Invite all who you think should be part of this
> > endeavour
> > "What might our business look like if we
> > selforganize" (or something in
> > that vain), hire a facilitator and have an open
> > space event around this
> > topic.
> > As people come together and work on their issues in
> > Open Space they will
> > immediately and concretely get a glimpse of what
> > their business might
> > look like. And then take it from there.
> > Look around the world map
> > > http://www.openspaceworldmap.org/
> >
> > for a facilitator near you...
> > there are 45 in the US and 434 worldwide.
> > Have a great time
> > greetings from Berlin
> > mmp boscop eg
> >
> > Corinne Nelson wrote:
> > > My name is Corinne Nelson, I live in Colorado
> > Springs,
> > > Colorado (US) and I'm NEW to the OS community.
> > >
> > > I am wondering how one might set up their
> > business,
> > > any business, with OST principles as a
> > cornerstone.
> > >
> > > You see, my husband and I have several businesses.
> >
> > > Our desire is to design them intentionally,
> > embodying
> > > OS principles throughout.
> > >
> > > What might that look like?
> > >
> > > I am very interested in your thoughts - thank you
> > for
> > > sharing them!
> > >
> > > With much appreciation,
> > >
> > >
> > > Corinne Nelson
> > > corinne_lynette at yahoo.com
> > > 719.237.0710
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
> > Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> > ++49-30-772 8000
> > www.boscop.de   www.michaelmpannwitz.de
> >
> >
> > Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing
> > 434 resident Open
> > Space Workers in 69 countries (working in a total of
> > 126 countries
> > worldwide)
> > www.openspaceworldmap.org
> >
> > *
> > *
> >
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-- 

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
300 West North Ave #1105
Chicago IL 60610 USA

phone: 312-280-7838
email: michael at michaelherman.com
skype: globalchicago

http://www.michaelherman.com
http://www.openspaceworld.org
http://www.chicagoconservationcorps.org

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