SV: [OSLIST] Bad OS experiences

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Thu Apr 9 07:30:45 PDT 2009


Bui – Not to worry about odd balances of power. More often that not the
“offender” (Chairman of the Board, President, etc) will get the picture and
will simply be blown away by the rich resources in the room.  And if they
are not impressed, they are the real losers. Of course, it may be that the
Big Cheese is SO good that nobody else has anything to contribute – if so
he/she is REALLY a looser. After all he/she is the person who hired all
those folks and if it turns out that they are all just plain turkeys, that
does not say much for his executive ability. To say the least!

 

But let me ask you this. If not Open Space – what would you do? Go ahead and
tell me that you are going to keep in control of the situation :-)

 

Harrison

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 

OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Bui
Petersen
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 10:33 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: SV: [OSLIST] Bad OS experiences

 

Thank you everyone for you great and varied responses. I think I am reminded
of the importance of preparation and of clearly assessing if OST is a good
choice for the situation.

The more I think of the OS my wife participated in, the more I start to
believe that the conditions may not have been right and the problems may
have exacerbated by the some of the modification of the format.

I do have a concern about using OS situations where there are significant
power imbalances. I'm sure it has worked such on occasions but I am also
nervous that it may not always do that.

Thanks again,

Bui

Thomas Herrmann wrote: 

The other day I had a participant in an Open Space-meeting telling me that
she had a not so good experience in something called Open Space – where the
facilitator used an alarm-clock – I guess to “tell” participants when “it
was over” – and on top of that the alarm went off every now and then – so it
seemed not even the alarm-clock could be managed... That participant, by the
way, signed up for our upcoming training in October...

 

One thing I do is to provide participants with an invitation to start with a
round at hte start of each session. That gives everyone the opportunity to
use his/her voice directly and share what thoughts they brought to the
session – why they chose to come and also presenting their name to the
workgroup. My experience is that this adds to the conversation and
highlights that there is such richness in the group – straight at the start
of their meeting. 

I’ve personally experienced working sessions in Open Space where one or a
few people in the group occupied the space talking and talking – and of
course yes I used my feet...

Cheers

Thomas Herrmann

 

  _____  

Från: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] För Jack Ricchiuto
Skickat: den 8 april 2009 22:22
Till: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Ämne: Re: [OSLIST] Bad OS experiences

 

Thanks Harrison, and I resonate with the "no bad open space" experience
because it always does in a community exactly what it can to reveal, heal,
evoke, provoke and connect. It may not satisfy obsessions with speed and
scale, but often delights the tenders of organic growth.

With gratitude, Jack

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
DesigningLife.com




On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 3:36 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

How wonderful to return to find BAD OPEN SPACE! I didn't know there was any,
and truthfully, I never met an Open space I didn't like. But then again I am
biased. My own experience is that as long as the conditions are OK (Real
business issue, voluntary self-selection, lots of diversity, lots of
complexity, real passion/confusion, and a decision time of yesterday) and
the procedure followed (sit in circle, create bulletin board, open market
place, go to work) just about everything comes out perfect. Does that mean
that everybody is 100% happy? Have they ever been? -- and if not, why now?

The president of a company whose employees decided to dissolve the company;
he was un-happy. Control freaks that were sure that their way was the only
way -- they were unhappy. People who suffer from Freedom Shock pretty well
go out of their gourds. People who think so little of themselves that they
permit the blowhards of this world to brow beat them without employing the
Law of Two Feet are definitely unhappy -- and must also understand that they
alone are responsible for their misery. Neither Open Space nor anything else
will turn raving idiots into towering Einsteins for silk purses do not
ordinarily come from sow's ears -- and that is a bad rap on sows! Goodness
me -- we have problems. But are those problems attributable to Open Space?

All of that said most people, most places, most of the time find the
ordinary to be extraordinary, the mundane to be magnificent. Just an average
day in Open Space, relishing the wonderful world of self organization --
which truthfully is the only world we have.

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
OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html


-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Elisabeth
Tepperk Kofod
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 2:14 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Bad OS experiences

I believe the key is in preparing the right question or issue.

Elisabeth Tepper Kofod
Venezuela

-----Mensaje original-----
De: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] En nombre de Larry
Peterson
Enviado el: miércoles, 08 de abril de 2009 10:52 a.m.
Para: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Asunto: Re: [OSLIST] Bad OS experiences

Bui:

In Toronto, I've also experienced some people who were not happy with their
experience of open space.

Some people prefer the sense that somebody is in control of a meeting
(particularly in Canada). Others, particularly in healthcare, who are used
to dominating get upset when they are not able to do that.

To me a critical component is the preparation of the sponsor by the
facilitator. This is especially important in smaller groups from my
experience. How they frame the space that is opened before the facilitator
asks the question has a big impact on the sense of freedom that participants
have or do not have. It is also important to have enough time in open space
to get beyond the usual suspects shaping the discussion particularly when
the culture of the group has not encouraged participation in the past.

Certainly the setup of the room and the breakout spaces particularly in
smaller group have a real impact. A clear articulation of be done with the
results is also critical.

I have led many open space events of 15 or fewer people that were lively,
new ideas emerging, new leadership surfacing, over six hours to two days.
Some individuals, however, are not quite ready to be full participants in
riding waves. They only find this out in the experience of open space.

Larry


Larry Peterson & Associates in Transformation
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
larry at spiritedorg.com   416.653.4829 http://www.spiritedorg.com




-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Bui
Petersen
Sent: April-08-09 10:11 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: [OSLIST] Bad OS experiences

Hi everyone,

Having almost settled in living in St. John's, Newfoundland, I am
looking for opportunities to open space. It is a slow process to
introduce something that people are not familiar with, especially as I
am new in a town where everyone seems to know each other.

My question is, what do you do in cases where you meet people who HAVE
been exposed to OST but did not have a good experience. My wife for one
participated in one OS forum, and she is not at all convinced. Her
experience was that the usual suspects did all the talking and those
that usually are quiet, stayed that way. I wasn't there myself, but from
what I gather there may have been some factors that contributed to this
such as, the size of the group (only 15), the breakout spaces had tables
and a couple of other factors. Nevertheless, my wife is not convinced it
could have been much different.

What do you more experienced think is a play? My own experience is
limited so I'm not sure what to say about this. Is it the case that some
OS events just don't have the right energy and don't work out that well?
If so, what can you do to make people consider doing it again? The best
I have come up with is that even if OST may not be perfect, it is better
than most other things I have tried.

Your thoughts would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Bui Petersen

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