Open Space with Construction Engineers

[Michael M Pannwitz]

Dear Brendan,
from a very cold Berlin: I am sure there will be bunches of stories 
pouring in (Boeing doors....) AND that the folks with the questions will 
not be convinced...you can also show them the worldscape data base with 
close to 400 os events recorded
> http://www.openspaceworldscape.org/
select the field "industry" and see several events...AND they will not 
be convinced.
What always seems to work is a meeting of the people in charge and then 
some. I always insist that a contact meeting (distinct from the more 
concrete planning meeting)with everyone who has a say in this takes 
place. Main point is to go through the pre-conditions for open space, 
its more of a consultation job checking with them whether the 
preconditions are met. That and some other details they are interested 
in takes about one hour or an hour and a half at the most. After that, 
sleep twice so that you and they can mull over whether they really want 
to do it. No selling, no convincing.
Have a great day
mmp


Brendan McKeague wrote:
> I have been provided with a challenge....
> 
> A colleague (an organisational psych and consultant) has introduced me 
> to a Construction Alliance - a group of construction companies that have 
> joined together to build a major 200klm long highway in Western 
> Australia. They have been 'working' together (physically) for about a 
> year and have become stuck around 'communication' - especially between 
> the project managers, site engineers, supervisors working at the ground 
> level. The professional HR company they hired to guide them through the 
> human dynamics dimensions of their collaboration has not been very well 
> received by the people - they have provided 'facilitated interventions' 
> that seem to have added to the difficulties. My colleague suggested they 
> try Open Space and arranged the conversation yesterday with two senior 
> managers in the Alliance - at which they expressed that they needed a 
> process that would allow people to feel trusted and respected, not be 
> treated like children at school, and to be able to raise and deal with 
> the issues that were causing them problems - mainly lack of communication.
> It was obvious (to me and my colleague) that they needed some Open Space 
> - and after explaining what it is and how it works - they agreed that 
> this would be wonderful....except - that they didn't think it work with 
> engineers and construction workers....AND - they would have trouble 
> 'selling' it to the Alliance Director.
> Funny how the managers clearly identified that what these folks wanted 
> was trust and respect for their views - and this was what they wanted 
> too - and then baulked at the methodology that would deliver this...!
> 
> So, I have had a call today from my consultant colleague who reports 
> that they have said:
> 
> a) their boss might go along with it if they could assure him that there 
> would be a Plan B in place - if it falls apart then the Org Psych would 
> step in and rescue
> (to which I will say something like---mmmm, that wouldn't really work 
> for me!)
> 
> b) are there any case stories of Construction Companies using this 
> method - and it worked?
> (I chuckle - inwardly- when folks think that being in construction - or 
> whatever- somehow means that they are distinct from the rest of the 
> human species! reminds of Michael Herman's story 'can Catholics do this?')
> 
> My request
> I can relate Harrison's story about AT&T Olympic Village at Atlanta - 
> which is primarily a design team - are there any others involving 
> Construction Engineers that spring to mind?
> 
> With thanks
> Brendan
> from a very hot Western Australia
> 
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> 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
> 
-- 




Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49-30-772 8000
www.boscop.org   www.michaelmpannwitz.de


Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 473 resident Open 
Space Workers in 76 countries (working in a total of 132 countries 
worldwide)
www.openspaceworldmap.org

*
*
==========================================================
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