Public Merger + long story/update

Wed Apr 30 04:51:43 PDT 2008

Jon,

It sounds to me as if you did the right thing.  It's ironic that doing the
right thing led to your departure, but I'd argue that that might be the
right thing, too.

For years, I have espoused a philosophy of "Planned Dispensability" - if I
do my job well, train people properly, and groom and mentor my own
replacement, whether in an employee setting or as a consultant, I create an
environment in which I am no longer needed. Sometimes, I do my job well and
that's it.  Sometimes, the client/employer loves what I've done and chooses
to keep me around.  In either case, the relationship stems from want not
need.

It seems to me that that is what you were doing.  While it may not have
worked exactly the way you expected, it sounds as though you made a
significant impact, and allowed them to decide (good or bad) on how to
proceed.  I'd argue that they couldn't have gotten here without you.

One concern I have in reading the message below (including the parts I
cropped out) is your reference to OD.  I say "concern" because I'm busily
inhaling Harrison's "The Power of Spirit" and wondering if this wasn't a
candidate for OT rather than OD.  Clearly, I don't know - I have no facts.
Just a wondering.

And in spite of your statement that you never got to use OS as such, it
seems to me that you have OS embodied in everything you do, if you have
embraced it. So perhaps, in spite of never physically facilitating an Open
Space there, you brought Open Space into their organizations?

And if you developed a reputation as a "troublesome challenger who asks
difficult questions", I say BRAVO!

I sympathize, and am glad that there is a community where you can share
openly, and receive support and understanding, as you can here.

With respect and sympathy,

.Doc

Steven ListSteven "Doc" List, CMP
The Money Is In Your Blind Spot!T
Keynote Speaker, Facilitator, Consultant, Master of Ceremonies
Workshop Presenter, Author, Coach, Career Management Professional

AnotherThought, Inc. | 4815 W Braker Ln, Ste 502-111 | Austin, TX 78759
V: 512-246-3533 | M: 512-924-9248 | F: 512-233-2943
 <http://www.anotherthought.com/> www.AnotherThought.com |
<http://www.stevenlist.com/> www.StevenList.com |
<http://austin.classesintown.com/> Austin.ClassesInTown.com
LinkedIn:  <http://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenlist>
www.linkedin.com/in/stevenlist | Flickr: www.flickr.com/digidragon
 <mailto:Steven at AnotherThought.com> AnotherThought at gmail.com

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Jon Harvey
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 3:07 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Public Merger + long story/update

.

In other words - they are now owning the efforts far more - so much so that
I have become an expensive overhead!

Looking back now at what many of you said - I did get out of the way, I
worked stealthily, (steadily) and with integrity, I did get them to exchange
results out into the open more, I certainly placed a few pebbles in the flow
(!) and reporting arrangements remained light touch. But I did not manage to
loosen the organisational boundaries much and I only managed to get a few
people together with passion.

I remain concerned that the focus on the two agency preferred partnerships
has far more to do with their (deeply embedded) culture of can do ("let's
just do something quickly") / keep things simple / complex is unhelpful /
control everything / short term expediency style... than with a robust focus
on delivering sustainable outcomes for the public. I also wonder whether any
efficiency gains will be more sham than substance. But all that is no longer
my direct concern. 

During all this - I have gained (consolidated?) the reputation for being
something of a troublesome challenger who asks diffcult questions and I may
have broken my own guidance to make people 'wriggle but not squirm'.
(Although I would stand by all of what I have done and said and asked and
enquired over the last few months!) This may have had an impact on their
decision as well!

So a new vista (or portfolio of vistas) is now opening up - and I am back on
the market looking for paid work. Despite my explanation (rationalisation?)
of the process that led up to here - I am left with some negative feelings
as you might expect. How can they not need me open some more space and get
out of the way some more (and the sweet/bitter irony of that is exquisite of
course!!)

Annoyingly, I never got to use OS as such - although I had plans. Whilst I
hope I stuck true to the OS principles and I hope I am not suffering from OD
osteoporosis - I am left in a very reflective state - wondering what more
(or less) I could have done. 

Thanks for the space to grieve a little, tell a story and begin the process
of reassembling my spirit.

atb

Jon

Buckingham
UK 

*
*
==========================================================
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/20080430/0ea4aae9/attachment-0016.htm>