Bad OS experiences

[James Sheldon]

All the open spaces I've been to have been organized by Lisa Heft, and
I've had an overwhelming positive experience.  I've yet to
organize/facilitate my own, still waiting to find the right
opportunity.

@james

On Wed, Apr 8, 2009 at 12:36 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
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> 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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-- 
@@@
James Sheldon
Graduate Student, Education: Equity and Social Justice, San Francisco
State University
Special Education Paraprofessional, San Francisco Unified School District
@@@

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