Public Merger + long story/update

Wed Apr 30 05:21:01 PDT 2008

Having been in precisely the situation you describe on multiple occasions, I
can certainly understand the withdrawal symptoms, but my learning over the
years is that while grieving happens (Griefwork just kicks in at points of
ending) - Celebration is more the order of the day. I admit that it is a
little hard on the pocket book, but to date I have not starved, and in every
case the closing of a door simply served to direct my attention to multiple
new doors that had opened in the interim. Have fun!

Harrison

PS - Not having actually done an Open Space is probably more of a loss to
you than to them. As you know it is a real high to fly with a group over a
short period of time. But OST, as I see it is simply a means to an end - the
opening of space in everyday life so that the marvelous self organizing
entities which we are have sufficient room to breath and grow. As such OST
is, as Chris Corrigan suggests, "training wheels" - which can and should be
taken off when you learn how to ride the bike. :-)

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

Open Space Training  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com

Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com 

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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Jon Harvey
Sent: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 4:07 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Public Merger + long story/update

Harrison and all

Thank you for that wonderful story - as all of yours are - inspiring and
delightful in its elegance. And I must add how cool I think it is that you
can go off for a nap in the middle of the event - total zen facilitation! 

To you story - I would like to add one of my own. Perhaps you and others may
recall my posting almost exactly 9 months ago:

"I have a new job - where my role is to coordinate the collaboration of a
number of independent but connected agencies - they share a common concern
but are geographically distinct. But they (and the public they serve) would
greatly benefit from closer working between them - either by creating new
joint functions or harmonising their existing operations. This can and will
increase effectiveness and efficiency. 

At the moment - I have no team as such beyond a very capable PA and a chap
who has been allocated to me - on a temporary basis. I am three weeks into
this new role. I see my role as helping to create the conditions into which
these sovereign agencies (with some very forceful people at their helm) feel
able and trustful enough so that they cede some of their autonomy and
establish some new (arms length) business units. To date (before my arrival)
- a number of business cases had been produced for taking this strategy
forward. 

My dilemma is this (and your perspectives would be helpful): I am getting
pressure from one (and one other) of the more 'pushy' agencies to recruit
and establish a programme management team that would (in effect) wrest
control of these embryonic collaboration projects away from the agencies
themselves and place it under the mantle of the regional programme team. The
argument being that only with this level of 'support' and 'drive' would the
projects come to fruition. My OD bones are telling me otherwise - as I think
I want to keep the space open - and have the ownership of the projects
resting very firmly with the agencies themselves - in other words I think
they have to own their own collaboration initiatives (not the central /
regional team). 

So am I wrong to sticking with my OD intuition? 

If not - what should be my arguments for going for a more facilitative /
hands off and slimmer team - that works in an open and OD way? (We have a
critical meeting next week - and I fear there will be attempts to bounce me
into the more directive programme team model - before I have had the chance
to test the water some more - as the other agencies may also be thinking the
same....) 

It's is a bit complex I know - and I know I have also talked in some oblique
code for the sake of confidentiality (I am afraid) - but your insights would
be valuable. I can't think of a bunch of wiser kindred people than you lot
on the OST listserv - who might be able to offer me some helpful / cogent /
challenging advice..." 

Harrison - you and others replied with most helpful thoughts which I
summarised in my later posting as:

"I like your ideas, Harrison - neatly summarised as as "keep moving, open
space, and get out of the way"! I liked you ideas, Barry to go local and
work stealthily (with integrity) and get it all happening, I liked your
ideas, Avner to loosen the agency boundaries and get the people with passion
together and make progress. I like your ideas, Pankaj to get the results out
into the open and exchanged. I liked your ideas, Wendy about harnessing the
passion of conflict into a new direction by 'placing a pebble' in the flow.
I like your ideas, Funda and Kerry to establish a virtual reporting hub."

I took all these on board - or at least I tried to...

Yesterday it was confirmed to me - that 9 months into what was a 24 month
contract - they are making me redundant. The various agencies have decided
that they no longer need someone at my level to coordinate matters. All but
one of them are now investing heavily (resource wise, politically and
strategically) in a set of 'preferred partnerships' of two. The one agency
which isn't, is resolute in its desire to pick and choose the ventures to be
involved with rather than work mainly with just one buddy. (Although to an
extent this approach has been forced upon them.) The three collaborative
ventures that do involve more than two partners will continue under the
leadership of the some senior managers based upon my plan that they should
appoint 'senior responsible owners' from their own ranks rather than expect
my team to act in the programme management role. The heads of the agencies -
who are now meeting on a regular basis (they were not before) - have
confirmed to their governance leaders - that they will collectivey and
professionally lead other 3+ ventures as determined by the strategic context
and government pressure.

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

Harrison Owen wrote: 

I can't let you all be the only folks who have all the fun! Last week I had
the exquisite pleasure of visiting Red Wing Minnesota, located on the banks
of the Mississippi River. The occasion was a "Community Consultation" about
the possibility of merging the Public Health and Human Services agencies in
the county. This had been tried some 10 years ago in a very "Top Down"
fashion initiated by the County Executive. It was a disaster. However, the
rational for merger still seemed to make some sense, even if just about
everybody thought it was impossible.

Eighty five people sat in a circle. Roughly 2/3's were from the two
agencies, and the balance from neighboring counties which had either tried
such a merger or were thinking about it. Nobody was particularly positive
about the whole thing and even less positive about sitting in a circle. As
one participant said, "merger was an outside possibility, and this sitting
in a circle business was weird." But we went forward, albeit stoically.
Minnesotans are stoic by nature.

After the brief introduction the people were invited to identify the issues
and opportunities for which they had a real passion. Dead silence, and
nobody moved - for all of about ten seconds. Then they came and nobody
thought it could happen here in Red Wing. They brought their issues, the
really deep ones - and everybody had predicted that the conversation could
only be superficial. Within an hour they were seriously at work. Intense
groups met all over the big room. It got a little noisy and groups naturally
cooperated with each other without any help (from me).

When lunch time came, it was obvious that folks were hungry, and they mobbed
the tables, but the conversations hardly took a break. The lunch was really
good and very substantial - all of which had the usual effect on me. I just
had to have a nap. So off I went, returning an hour or so later, just at the
break point between the 3rd and 4th sessions. Folks were taking the
opportunity for some more coffee and cookies - but the atmosphere had
totally transformed. You simply couldn't tell one group from another - it
was all mixed up. And the decibel level was filling the room with excited,
pleasant conversation. 

When the final session ended the closing began. We didn't have time for a
full talking stick ceremony, just a few comments. One stuck in my mind which
came from a major (in the morning) skeptic. "We came to talk about the
possibility of merger, but I think we have gotten ahead of ourselves. We are
merged. Now we have to figure out the details."

I just love it when a plan comes together. Particularly when everybody just
knew it would never happen.

Harrison    

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland   20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/>
<http://www.openspaceworld.com/>

Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com 
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