Just Do It / Make it Happen - Story of an Open Space

Pankaj Bhargava pankaj at people-builders.com
Fri Nov 23 09:50:39 PST 2007


Great story Judy. Beyond the funny parts, its touching & inspirational.
   
  Regards
   
  Pankaj

Judy Gast <jgast at sympatico.ca> wrote:
            In keeping with the vein of  ‘Just Do It and resources will appear’ (formerly Finding Funding for Community Work), this is a report on an Open Space event I facilitated this week wherein, I ‘Just Did It’ and 
 resources appeared (or will appear). 
   
  The title of this story and the theme of the OS event is (was); “Making It Happen”.
   
   
  Background on me (for context):
   
  My life was forever altered the week of May 27 – 31, 1996 when I took the Open Space Train the Trainer at St. Ignatius College (a monastery in Guelph, Ontario) with the Man with the Hat, Larry Peterson and Birgitt Williams.  At the time, I was an Organizational Development/Training and Development type working for a large prestigious (at the time) multinational corporation.  
   
  I had just spent a year of my life working for a Type A micromanager (who was located in Australia) planning, organization and implementing a series of conferences for the senior level executives outside of North American.  It was a huge and cumbersome project. I was on the phone 24-7. I spent thousands of company dollars – doing a detailed needs assessment, designing workshops, hiring facilitators around the world, and managing the onsite logistics in four international locations.  All while playing the role of group psychologist and attempting to manage the emotional roller coaster inherent in a micromanaged, remote team. While the hotels were nice and the food was good, at the end of the day (or month or year), most people involved (participants, sponsors, organizing team) would say (provided they were guaranteed confidentiality) that we did not get a good return on the investment. 
   
  If it weren’t red, I would have grey hair as a result of this experience.  After that, unless I found a better way, I swore I would never get involved in planning large group events again.  Fortunately, at St. Ignatius College, I found ‘the better way’. 
   
  After that I introduced the approach to my company.  While I had considerable success at the lower levels, my inroads with the executives were limited.
   
  I was let go from this company several years ago. Since then, as an external Organizational Development/Training and Development type, I have had several opportunities to Open Space with organizations and sponsors who ‘get it’ as I do.  I also had child number two.  
   
  This past spring, as both kids would be in school in September and our finances were faltering, my husband and I agreed that it was time for me to seek full time employment again.  To help me learn ‘how to get a job’, I joined a local networking group comprised of ‘Executives in Transition’. 
   
  This is where my story begins. 
   
  The Story – ‘Making It Happen’
   
  The first session I attended, I felt a bit awkward.  The group, about 60  ‘Executives in Transition’, were mostly 40-60 year old men in suits and white shirts   The few women attendees were wearing dressy suits, high heels and pantyhose (not attire this mother of young children is familiar with).   I tried not to feel too self-conscious, as I stood up in my Birkenstock equivalents and corduroy pants to introduce myself and give my ‘30 second commercial’. (I had failed to read on the website that the dress code for these meetings is ‘first interview’).
   
  However, it appeared like a group where I could work on my 30 second commercial, interviewing skills, and, network to make connections to those who might hire me. So I dusted off my ‘professional woman’ jackets and pants (no pantyhose for me
) and showed up at the second meeting better ‘suited’ to fit in. 
   
  The format of the group was conventional.  The first half hour was “Good News’ – reports from people who had interviews or had landed, and then new members were asked to give their 30 second commercial (aka ‘You never get an second chance to make a first good impression.).  Then a keynote speaker, followed by 1 ½ hours of table team ‘networking’.  For networking we were numbered off and asked to go to the appropriate  table.  In a round robin fashion, each person at the table talks about their career background and direction, practices their commercial, and the group supports with suggestions and advice. 
   
  At the first networking session I ended up with a group of men (mostly in white shirts), most of who were in the Food Packaging industry.  I learned a bit about this industry and asked some relevant questions, and they were polite and worked to understand my field and come up with appropriate suggestions and advice for me.  
   
  Of course, I know that this process would be much more valuable (and fun) if we did it in Open Space.  To me, it is a ‘no brainer’ application.  So I suggest it to the Man in Charge.   He was intrigued, and amongst other questions asked me how he would ‘measure the success’ of such a session.  I told him that we would measure it by the number of people who showed up (there are about 1500 members of this group, but only 100 – 150 show up for the weekly meetings at three locations) and the formal and anecdotal feedback from the attendees of the session.  He agrees that it might be a good idea to ‘try something new’ and says he will fit me into the schedule. 
   
  Several months later, after numerous exchanges of emails and conversations (discussing Open Space and agreeing on the theme and invitation), the Man in Charge schedules the session for November 20th.  In the announcement on the organization’s website and in the local paper, and at the November 13th meeting, the session is announced as “Open Space Technology – The Next Generation of Networking” by expert speaker – Judy Gast. (Wow
. an Open Space and a Networking expert
if only...life would be beautiful
)   I raise my hand and clarify that I am not an expert on networking and will be ‘facilitating’ a session where participants have an opportunity to get into conversations about whatever they have passion for.  I say our theme will be “Successful Career Transitions – Making it Happen”.  The boss of the Man in Charge (i.e. the founding father of the organization) interrupts me and says curtly, “Oh, I didn’t know, no one told me about that”. 
   
  Weeks before the event, I discuss the set up for the room with the Event coordinator for the facility.  I give her a hand drawn diagram.  She sends me back a computer diagram with 60 chairs in a square.  I email her back that the chairs need to be in a circle. We go back and forth.  She sends me a terse email and says that the square is the best her software can do.  I explain how once before I showed up early in the morning before an Open Space and had to rearrange 200 chairs into a circle.  She reassures me that her staff will understand the concept of a circle.  (They didn’t.)
   
  I patiently wait for the Man in Charge to send out the short, pithy, intriguing announcement (as we had agreed) to the entire group (all 1500 members).  He doesn’t.  I call him a couple days before the event and politely tell him that if members think that a speaker named Judy Gast (i.e. an unknown person who hasn’t written a book) is going to talk about ‘Open Space – The Next Generation of Networking’, then he will get less than the normal number of attendees.  He sees my point and emails the announcement to the entire group. 
   
  The day before the event I am shopping in my local drug store and I see a cute little battery-operated massager in the shape of a bee.  I think this will be cute to use when I describe the bumblebees.   At 25 dollars it is overpriced, but I fork over my grocery money for the week and buy it nevertheless. 
   
  I show up for the event early, concerned about whether the facility staff understands the concept of a circle.  Forty five minutes later, after having rearranged chairs, put the bee and the pens and paper in the centre, put up the posters and garnered flipcharts for the breakouts, I am ready and confident that everything is going to work just fine.  After all, The Man with the Hat’s number one mantra is: “Anyone with a good head and a good heart can do it”.  I had loving parents who sent me to good schools, so I should qualify. 
   
  About 75 people show up by 8:30, the scheduled start time. A different Man in Charge welcomes everyone and announces the ‘workshop’ agenda.  First he says we will have ‘Good News’ and ‘Introduction of New Members’. That will be followed by Part One of the Open Space Workshop, followed by a 15 minute break, after which comes Part Two of the Workshop.  Obviously, he didn’t know and no one told him either.  I don’t say anything.  
   
  We have about 20 new members (the average for any previous meeting I attended was 6).  It takes forever for them to get through their ’30 second commercials’ per the required formula, which is projected on the wall. (I couldn’t convince them that an overhead projector was really not required for this piece.)  The group patiently and politely listens. 
   
  The original Man in Charge is handed the mike to introduce me. I had emailed him a short, pithy biography. Since I hadn’t written a book, I thought the group would need some information about me to let them know they were not going to be turned over to a complete incompetent  (this group is particularly sceptical of touchy feely HR/OD types).  He doesn’t read it.  He says something to the effect of “At this group, we are always willing to try something different.  After all, if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.  Judy Gast, a member of this group, twisted my arm to try this new process for our networking. It is called Open Source Technology.   Please be sure to give us your feedback at the end so we know whether to do it again. Please welcome Judy Gast.”  
   
  I sigh, under my breath, but loudly.  The man sitting next to me notices. I stand up, thank the Man in Charge for the opportunity to present something new to the group, and start walking the circle.   I breathe.  They are all staring at me, sceptically, with their arms crossed.  Or so it appears to me. In the interest of time, or perhaps because I was nervous, I don’t say half the things I had planned.  Actually, I cut it short because...at the last moment..I remember the words of the Man in the Hat.  His second mantra is ‘Think of one more thing not to say
 or was it not to do?’  Whatever, it works.  (That, by the way, is the Man in the Hat’s third mantra: ‘It always works’.)
   
  I didn’t forget to give tribute to the Man in the Hat – even told the group about the Utube video wherein he does a 30 second elevator speech on Open Space in the back of a cab.  (They were not interested, probably should have left that piece out.)  
   
  When I get to the part about bumblebees and butterflies I turn on the battery operated bumblebee.  It makes a loud racket on the wood floor as it buzzes around.  People laugh.  I am glad I spent my grocery money on the bee
 I know I have plenty of oatmeal and peanut butter in the cupboard. 
   
  When I say ‘Go for it’ and point to the paper in the centre, half a dozen folks rush to the centre.  Others are amazed.   After several periods of silence, wherein people and potential topics lurk, twelve sheets of paper are posted on the wall - six for each time slot.  Perfect – just what the grid allocated (there were more stickies/spaces if needed).  I invite everyone to go to the wall and get to work. Everybody goes to the wall.  The mingling, shuffling and buzzing starts.  Several ask me questions about what they are supposed to do.  I think; perhaps I left out too much. Oh well, they get it and go to work.   
   
  A couple minutes later I go to the wall to peruse the topics.  There are only four topics posted for the first session and numerous people are still hanging out deciding where to go.  Where are the missing topics?  I look around.  The initiators took their papers and posted them on the walls next to their flipcharts.  I scurry around and collect them and retape them to the agenda wall.  
   
  A woman wearing a dressy suit, high heels and pantyhose comes up to me.  She tells me that she would have posted a topic but she didn’t want to get down on the floor in her skirt and heels.   I smile apologetically and tell her that I am sorry I didn’t think of that.  I hand her a piece of paper and encourage her to post her topic.  She carefully writes her topic on the paper and tapes it on the wall.   I’m glad that I don’t own a dressy suit, high heels or a pair of pantyhose.
   
  When it is about 10 minutes past the time for the second session to start, people are all over 
 mingling and talking to each other (being butterflies).  Two people come up to me, plainly worried.  “Aren’t you going to ring a bell and ask people to move to the next session?”, they ask.   “Whenever it starts is the right time”, I reply politely.  Turns out, they were topic initiators - worried that no one would show up for their sessions.  They returned to their flipcharts, people showed up, and the discussions flowed. 
   
  The boss of the Man in Charge is concerned as one group has about 20 people, and one person appears to be dominating.  He tells me a story about how for a while they ‘had’ to put an external ‘person in charge’ at each of the networking table teams to make sure that everyone got equal air time.  I smile and make an inane comment noting that; ‘if you treat people like adults, they are more likely to act like adults’.  He doesn’t get it. 
   
  When it is time for the closing circle, I do ring my bell.  Every seat is occupied.  I explain that this time is for comments, reflections, insights on what they learned
 whatever people feel like saying.   I walk the circle with the mike.  Numerous comments are made about how much fun it was, how people really opened up and shared what was important to them. There are several poignant comments about new insights, new connections and actions planned as a result of the conversations.  A man volunteers to write up the session, include all the Reports and post a consolidated document on the website. A woman asks me how often this group plans to use this approach for our meetings.  I carefully deflect the question and turn to the Man in Charge to answer it.  He smiles (at me) and asks the group; “How many people would like to see us use this approach again?”.  Everyone raises his/her hand enthusiastically.  He says that they will for sure use it (and me, if I am available)
 again. 
   
  When it is over, numerous people come up to me and thank me for the great session.  Several people want to talk to me about potential applications for their not-for-profit or other group. One person asks me to be a speaker at a course that she is organizing. I am happy the ‘trial’ worked.
   
  After cleaning up, the Man in Charge comes over to thank me.  He says he wants me to do it for the other two locations and he will deem those sessions ‘workshops’ (vs. speakers).   I tell him I don’t really care what it is called (after all this one was announced in the beginning as a ‘workshop’).  He tells me; “We pay people to run the workshops.”  I reply, “Fine, make it a workshop”.  
   
  After all, I need money to buy groceries for my family. 
   
   
  Postlude and thanksI want to thank Larry Peterson for encouraging me to write up this story.  He has been my colleague, friend and mentor ever since I met him at St. Ignatius College in May 1996. 
   
  Judy Gast

* * ========================================================== OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist 


Regards

Pankaj

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20071123/5607669f/attachment-0016.htm>


More information about the OSList mailing list