convergence query

Fri Apr 10 06:46:59 PDT 2009

Dear Michael Wood,
why do I sense and smell control?
Is it because it does not feel like an Open Space (real business issue, 
decision time of yesterday, providing time and space for passion and 
responsibility to unfold in an environment of selforganisation, etc.)?
Is it that I as participant would want to have more of a say in what 
will happen rather than just passing on my ideas and then being put in a 
feedback-loop to see how my input was used to shape policy?
Is it that I wonder why I am invíted to make an input and not to 
actually be involved in shaping policy?
Is it that from my experience I know that convergence "old style" 
(voting, dots, Delphi, families of issues)is a low energy drag since it 
focuses on "themes" rather than "issues" or "projects" and does not 
allow the rich potential for action to unfold?
Is it that I feel that neither themes nor actions need converging but 
that there simply needs to be action planning on stuff people feel 
passionate about?
Sorry for not having an answer or thoughts on alternatives.
Greetings from Berlin
mmp

Michael Wood wrote:
> I am doing an Open Space in a couple of weeks for about a hundred
> people in Health Care around the issues of workforce flexibility and
> structuring.
> 
> The output will not so much be action plans as the raising of key
> themes and issues which need to be taken into account by policy
> makers within the Health Department. This has been communicated in
> the invitation and will be highlighted again in the Sponsor's
> introduction/welcome. We have also discussed feedback-loop
> communications after the event so that people can see how their input
> was used to shape policy.
> 
> The sponsor believes (as do I) that it could be useful to invite the
> group into some preliminary `first cut' analysis of emerging themes
> as a 'convergence' activity. I am wondering how to do this is way
> which is somewhat more conversational than the "red dot" system.
> 
> I quite like the World Cafe convergence question "what do you see as
> being patterns, themes and emerging questions?", and was thinking of
> a convergence process which would involve some individual reading
> time of group reports, then asking people to self organise into
> groups/circles of 4 people to discuss that question for half an hour
> or so, then pass the indian talking stick/microphone around to invite
> reflections from each group.
> 
> Could this `mixing' of processes (OST and World Cafe) have any
> downsides I am not seeing? Any thoughts on this idea or alternative
> ways of converging where it's themes rather than action that need
> converging?
> 
> Michael Wood
> 
> * * ========================================================== 
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-- 
Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49-30-772 8000
mmpanne at boscop.org
www.boscop.org

Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 462 resident Open
Space Workers in 73 countries working in a total of 139 countries worldwide
Have a look:
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>From  Fri Apr 10 08:09:17 2009
Message-Id: <FRI.10.APR.2009.080917.0700.>
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:09:17 -0700
Reply-To: chris at chriscorrigan.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Chris Corrigan <chris.corrigan at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: convergence query
In-Reply-To: <49DF4DD3.7020908 at boscop.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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Michael...

One way to look at it is that there is a smell of control about the process=
,
but when I read your note I immediately thought that the sponsor was
actually opening him/herself up for more group ownership of the meaning of
the event.  IN other words, instead of the sponsor coming up with emergent
themes, you are letting the group do that.  IN my opinion,l this second
level of conversation will probably create MORE ownership of the work, not
less.

So I don't see a downside unless you have a time limitation.  You could hav=
e
the groups talk for 30 mins and come up collectively with a scheme of the
major emerging themes, and then have the group sort the proceedings into
these themes and have the group break up again into action planning cluster=
s
around each theme, taking an hour or so to come up with higher level
learning and next steps on the themes and the topics within them.

That night be one way to go.

Chris

On Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 6:46 AM, Michael M Pannwitz <mmpanne at boscop.org>wro=
te:

> Dear Michael Wood,
> why do I sense and smell control?
> Is it because it does not feel like an Open Space (real business issue,
> decision time of yesterday, providing time and space for passion and
> responsibility to unfold in an environment of selforganisation, etc.)?
> Is it that I as participant would want to have more of a say in what will
> happen rather than just passing on my ideas and then being put in a
> feedback-loop to see how my input was used to shape policy?
> Is it that I wonder why I am inv=EDted to make an input and not to actual=
ly
> be involved in shaping policy?
> Is it that from my experience I know that convergence "old style" (voting=
,
> dots, Delphi, families of issues)is a low energy drag since it focuses on
> "themes" rather than "issues" or "projects" and does not allow the rich
> potential for action to unfold?
> Is it that I feel that neither themes nor actions need converging but tha=
t
> there simply needs to be action planning on stuff people feel passionate
> about?
> Sorry for not having an answer or thoughts on alternatives.
> Greetings from Berlin
> mmp
>
>
>
>
> Michael Wood wrote:
>
>> I am doing an Open Space in a couple of weeks for about a hundred
>> people in Health Care around the issues of workforce flexibility and
>> structuring.
>>
>> The output will not so much be action plans as the raising of key
>> themes and issues which need to be taken into account by policy
>> makers within the Health Department. This has been communicated in
>> the invitation and will be highlighted again in the Sponsor's
>> introduction/welcome. We have also discussed feedback-loop
>> communications after the event so that people can see how their input
>> was used to shape policy.
>>
>> The sponsor believes (as do I) that it could be useful to invite the
>> group into some preliminary `first cut' analysis of emerging themes
>> as a 'convergence' activity. I am wondering how to do this is way
>> which is somewhat more conversational than the "red dot" system.
>>
>> I quite like the World Cafe convergence question "what do you see as
>> being patterns, themes and emerging questions?", and was thinking of
>> a convergence process which would involve some individual reading
>> time of group reports, then asking people to self organise into
>> groups/circles of 4 people to discuss that question for half an hour
>> or so, then pass the indian talking stick/microphone around to invite
>> reflections from each group.
>>
>> Could this `mixing' of processes (OST and World Cafe) have any
>> downsides I am not seeing? Any thoughts on this idea or alternative
>> ways of converging where it's themes rather than action that need
>> converging?
>>
>> Michael Wood
>>
>> * * =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
>> 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
> mmpanne at boscop.org
> www.boscop.org
>
>
> Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 462 resident Open
> Space Workers in 73 countries working in a total of 139 countries worldwi=
de
> Have a look:
> www.openspaceworldmap.org
>
>
> *
> *
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
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>
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> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>

--=20
CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training - Process Design
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com

*
*
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
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Michael...<br><br>One way to look at it is that there is a smell of control=
 about the process, but when I read your note I immediately thought that th=
e sponsor was actually opening him/herself up for more group ownership of t=
he meaning of the event.=A0 IN other words, instead of the sponsor coming u=
p with emergent themes, you are letting the group do that.=A0 IN my opinion=
,l this second level of conversation will probably create MORE ownership of=
 the work, not less.<br>
<br>So I don't see a downside unless you have a time limitation.=A0 You=
 could have the groups talk for 30 mins and come up collectively with a sch=
eme of the major emerging themes, and then have the group sort the proceedi=
ngs into these themes and have the group break up again into action plannin=
g clusters around each theme, taking an hour or so to come up with higher l=
evel learning and next steps on the themes and the topics within them.<br>
<br>That night be one way to go.<br><br>Chris<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_qu=
ote">On Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 6:46 AM, Michael M Pannwitz <span dir=3D"ltr">=
<<a href=3D"mailto:mmpanne at boscop.org">mmpanne at boscop.org</a>></span>=
 wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, =
204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">Dear Michael Wood=
,<br>
why do I sense and smell control?<br>
Is it because it does not feel like an Open Space (real business issue, dec=
ision time of yesterday, providing time and space for passion and responsib=
ility to unfold in an environment of selforganisation, etc.)?<br>
Is it that I as participant would want to have more of a say in what will h=
appen rather than just passing on my ideas and then being put in a feedback=
-loop to see how my input was used to shape policy?<br>
Is it that I wonder why I am inv=EDted to make an input and not to actually=
 be involved in shaping policy?<br>
Is it that from my experience I know that convergence "old style"=
 (voting, dots, Delphi, families of issues)is a low energy drag since it fo=
cuses on "themes" rather than "issues" or "project=
s" and does not allow the rich potential for action to unfold?<br>

Is it that I feel that neither themes nor actions need converging but that =
there simply needs to be action planning on stuff people feel passionate ab=
out?<br>
Sorry for not having an answer or thoughts on alternatives.<br>
Greetings from Berlin<br>
mmp<div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Michael Wood wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, =
204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
I am doing an Open Space in a couple of weeks for about a hundred<br>
people in Health Care around the issues of workforce flexibility and<br>
structuring.<br>
<br>
The output will not so much be action plans as the raising of key<br>
themes and issues which need to be taken into account by policy<br>
makers within the Health Department. This has been communicated in<br>
the invitation and will be highlighted again in the Sponsor's<br>
introduction/welcome. We have also discussed feedback-loop<br>
communications after the event so that people can see how their input<br>
was used to shape policy.<br>
<br>
The sponsor believes (as do I) that it could be useful to invite the<br>
group into some preliminary `first cut' analysis of emerging themes<br>
as a 'convergence' activity. I am wondering how to do this is way<b=
r>
which is somewhat more conversational than the "red dot" system.<=
br>
<br>
I quite like the World Cafe convergence question "what do you see as<b=
r>
being patterns, themes and emerging questions?", and was thinking of<b=
r>
a convergence process which would involve some individual reading<br>
time of group reports, then asking people to self organise into<br>
groups/circles of 4 people to discuss that question for half an hour<br>
or so, then pass the indian talking stick/microphone around to invite<br>
reflections from each group.<br>
<br>
Could this `mixing' of processes (OST and World Cafe) have any<br>
downsides I am not seeing? Any thoughts on this idea or alternative<br>
ways of converging where it's themes rather than action that need<br>
converging?<br>
<br>
Michael Wood<br>
<br>
* * =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D <a href=3D"mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE=
.EDU" target=3D"_blank">OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a> ----------------=
-------------- To<br>
subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu" target=3D"_blank">oslist@=
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<br>
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slist</a><br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<br></div></div>
-- <br>
Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg<br>
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany<br>
++49-30-772 8000<br>
<a href=3D"mailto:mmpanne at boscop.org" target=3D"_blank">mmpanne at boscop.org<=
/a><br>
<a href=3D"http://www.boscop.org" target=3D"_blank">www.boscop.org</a><br>
<br>
<br>
Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 462 resident Open<br>
Space Workers in 73 countries working in a total of 139 countries worldwide=
<br>
Have a look:<br>
<a href=3D"http://www.openspaceworldmap.org" target=3D"_blank">www.openspac=
eworldmap.org</a><div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br>
<br>
*<br>
*<br>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear=3D"all"><br>-- <br>CHRIS CORRI=
GAN<br>Facilitation - Training - Process Design<br>Open Space Technology<br=
><br>Weblog: <a href=3D"http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot">http://www=
.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot</a><br>
Site: <a href=3D"http://www.chriscorrigan.com">http://www.chriscorrigan.com=
</a><br><br>Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.<br><a href=3D"http://=
www.harvestmoonconsultants.com">http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.com</a><b=
r>

*
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