was: urgent

Fri Jul 11 08:45:23 PDT 2008

Dear friends in open space,

We made it!  we had an open space session with eighty coworkers of a big
company, and i facilitated my first open space! And i think that would not
have been possible without your help! So i want to thank you for your
contributions, Kerry, Jon, Carla, Harrison, Gerard and Esther. You were
really very helpful. The most i got from Gerards proposal of a paradoxical
approach, and that is what we did. We proposed two other methods, kind of
modified world cafè, and finally the young and curious hr-manager asked: and
if we did an open space in pure form? He invited two colleagues from the
middle management, and after some hesitation both spoke in favor of o s, so
we got it.

Only we had to accept an introduction of a board member who also wanted to
close the session. And they definitely did not want the principles in their
normal form, because they did not tell them anything. So i undertook the
work of redefining them  and am curious what you think of that. The theme
of the o s we defined: ³At the starting point of the new company: what are
we proud of? Where are potentials and chances? What do we want to start
with?²

The first principle is: here  the right people come together! The second
principle is: here happens what is possible right now! The third principle
is: We simply start! The fourth principle is: and then one has to be able to
stop ! ....  ...whenever a theme is finished for someone,  open space offers
a very special solution. It is so important, that it is formulated as a law
 the law of two feet! .....(the German text was a bit more convincing i
think!)

For my preparation i found the texts of Michael Pannwitz and Matthias zur
Bonsen very helpful, including the lists of items you need, although i had
to work a while until i could formulate my own introduction. I really had to
dive into the essence of o s, what an experience!

And then of course we accompanied the o s with our visualization, what for
some of you is not the pure thing, but for me again was such a  convincing
way of saving the essence of the group work, much more than the written
texts could do.  Three woman draw images, one hundred and eighty images,
while i was busy holding the space , me this time without drawing. And
watching, how these eighty people  spontaneously analyzed their company
within one day, and developed splendid proposals how to proceed. They were
really great. Accordingly also the final round was strong. About half of the
people spoke. And what they said again and again were three things:

³i have been very cautious and hesitating before, but now i am totally
convinced of open space. Couldn¹t we do it more often?

And: the visualization is simply great! Can we get the images? All of them?

And: How will the upcoming conference of 150 managers deal with our
proposals? Will they understand them, and accept them? ³

 Only too soon we had to see, that their worst expectations came true.

Because then the board member came back and spoke  he did not mention the
theme of the open space, he did not honor the group work, he only said: now
we must trimm the results, so that they fit with our four value definitions,
and that will not be easy!

Many of the coworkers were shocked, and up to today, four days later, i have
no idea how to proceed. We cancelled the very creative concept of our next
workshop immediately, because we have to avoid, that also these people run
against a wall if they are creative and use their fantasy. We hope to find a
way to help this company, i am already dreaming of it.

So thanks friends, that you helped us to bring this o s together, and if
there is some development to tell about, i will comeback to you!

Reinhard
VISUELLE PROTOKOLLE

www.visuelle-protokolle.de

> 

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