Open Space with Construction Engineers
Harrison Owen
hhowen at verizon.net
Fri Jan 25 05:21:15 PST 2008
Brendan -- As Michael said the Boeing story might be helpful. Of course
these are all aeronautical engineers and craftsman. There is also the story
of Telcel -- the cell phone company in Venezuela (now in much of South
America) that just about went under because they were selling so many phones
that they couldn't keep up with the construction of towers etc. And of
course they never had a moment to think and talk. One Open Space for the
whole company, which was only 300 people at that point, turned it around.
You also might think of the USWEST, for which we have a nice DVD which you
could show. That system was broke in just about every way you could think
of. But of course those were communications engineers...:-)
I can think of a dozen more -- but in my experience you could have 100
stories and it still wouldn't do it. The common comment is, "That is all
very nice, but it will never work with THIS group." And of course it never
will if they don't try -- which will vindicate the boss's skepticism.
When faced with a situation like this I always do something like what
Michael P. proposes. Don't try and sell OS, or even "prove" that it will
work. Take a very clinical view and simply tell the folks what the essential
conditions are (real business issue, complexity, diversity, conflict,
immanent decision time) and ask them if they think it fits. Sometimes I will
also go a little further and suggest that they try real hard to think of
alternative approaches and when, or if, they run out of options, come and
talk to me.
One thing I would pay special attention to -- the boss's understanding of
what "works" means. If he has some hidden agenda (plan) that he wants
implemented -- disappointment is inevitable. By the same token, if he is
violently allergic to bad news, and maybe even the news that HE is the
problem -- OS will "work," but you will have a hard job convincing him that
it did.
Last thought -- I would never do an OS focused on the "Problem of
Communication." It is much too nebulous, and more to the point it is a
symptom and not the root cause. As a matter of fact I would suggest that the
folks are communicating very well -- and the message is, "In your face,
Baby" -- or whatever the Aussie equivalent may be. My theme would be
something like, "What are the issues and opportunities for creating a
project that really works?" That way there is sufficient space for
everything to come out. Doubtless there would be some sessions on
"communication" -- which probably won't go very far towards resolution. And
there will be many more sessions on real work related issues and
opportunities. Guess what -- folks will be communicating about stuff that
matters.
Have fun!
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Drive
Potomac, Maryland 20854
Phone 301-365-2093
Skype hhowen
Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
Personal website www.ho-image.com
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Brendan
McKeague
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 3:06 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Open Space with Construction Engineers
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
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>From Fri Jan 25 10:53:42 2008
Message-Id: <FRI.25.JAN.2008.105342.0800.>
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:53:42 -0800
Reply-To: lisaheft at openingspace.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Lisa Heft <lisaheft at openingspace.net>
Subject: Re: Open Space with Construction Engineers
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Fabulous Brendan asked for examples of doing Open Space with construction
folks.
Several of us worked on a series of Open Space forums across the US for the
United States Department of Labor and Department of Transportation - on the
future of federal highway construction training programs. Conflicting
interests, concern over dwindling budgets, union and non-union, different
individuals with what seemed to them like competing or conflicting needs -
needless to say, they experienced collaboration, sharing knowledge across
cultures and differences, gained a more full-systems perspective of the
issues - the usual wonderful deliverables of a several-day Open Space...
Lisa
___________________________
L i s a H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g S p a c e
<mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net
<http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Fabulous Brendan asked for examples =
of doing
Open Space with construction folks.</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Several of us worked on a series of =
Open
Space forums across the US for the United States Department of Labor and
Department of Transportation – on the future of federal highway
construction training programs. Conflicting interests, =
concern over
dwindling budgets, union and non-union, different individuals with what =
seemed
to them like competing or conflicting needs – needless to say, =
they
experienced collaboration, sharing knowledge across cultures and =
differences,
gained a more full-systems perspective of the issues – the usual
wonderful deliverables of a several-day Open Space...</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'>Lisa </span></font></p>
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style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
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style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'> </span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'>___________________________</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D2 color=3Dblue face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold'>L
i s a H e f t</span></font></b></p>
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MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:blue'>Consultant,
Facilitator, Educator</span></font></p>
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MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>O p e n =
i n
g S p a c e</span></font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'><a =
href=3D"mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net"><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black'>lisaheft at openingspace.net</span></font></a></span><=
/font></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS"'><a =
href=3D"http://www.openingspace.net"><font
color=3Dblack><span =
style=3D'color:black'>www.openingspace.net</span></font></a> =
</span></font></p>
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