Follows-Up

[Harrison Owen]

A constant question over the years is how to productively follow up after an
Open Space. The question continues, and while I am sure that I do not have
the definitive answer I thought the following might be contributory. This
was my best shot for a recent client. . .

 

"And some thoughts on the follow up. If that (follow-up) is seen to be the
exclusive responsibility of "Senior Staff" you will fail, people will be
unhappy, and in fact you will effectively be continuing precisely the same
situation which made the OS such a positive experience (by contrast).  To
avoid a lot of this I would suggest several things.

 

1)      Pay attention to those issues which can be effectively dealt with
(in whole or in part) at whatever level they were raised. Trust and
Communication, for example will not improve simply because the High
Commissioner orders it (surprise!). And of course the whole Open Space was
at one level a massive "workshop" on trust and communication and it seems to
have succeeded at least to the point that people have become sensitive to
the issues. So stuff is already happening, follow up was occurring before
the event was over.

2)      Involve the people who care (follow the energy) - Let it be known
that if resources and/or change in policy are required then the people who
raised the issue and have been working on its resolution are invited to make
the case to the appropriate bodies.

3)      Pick one or two issues with high visibility that Senior staff can do
something about and DO It!

 

If it were me I would write a reflective piece for general circulation -
maybe on the website??? - which deals with all the above. One thing I am
sure of is that if you make "follow-up" the exclusive problem of Senior
staff you will have lost before you begin. The opportunity and the
responsibility belongs to everybody."  

 

Harrison

 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

Phone 301-365-2093

www.openspaceworld.com

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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