Disappointment after Open Space

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Thu Mar 4 11:30:25 PST 2010


Koos -- Wonderful to hear from you! And I think you are correct that the
"disappointment" usually derives from either or both the contrast with the
OS experience and the "normal" work environment along with lack of follow up
by senior folks. And surely I have a responsibility to help people
understand what they are getting into. I also have a responsibility to
assist folks on their journey. However, these responsibilities are matched
by equal responsibilities on the part of the client to make some choices
(may be painful) and take the appropriate action. There is a saying on this
side of the Atlantic: "You can take a horse to water, but you can't make him
drink."

Where we might differ a bit is what to do  about the contrast of the working
day and the "paradise" of OS. I have no question that the Open Space
experience is (for most people) unique, liberating and productive. But I see
absolutely no reason why that "unique" experience cannot be normative 24X7.
When the contrast is extreme it is usually the case that the "Management"
has made a continuing effort to keep things under control and effectively
restrict the space. This might be done for the best of reasons on the
assumption that left to their own devices "the People" would run amuck or at
least not be very productive. Yet it is precisely these same people who have
just managed to pull off a "unique, liberating, and productive" two days
without any assistance from Management. Something is odd here! I guess I
would have to fault management for creating a debilitating space. Not
terribly bright. Indeed, one might ask why they are being paid the big bucks
to create and sustain a less than fully productive environment?

ho 

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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-----Original Message-----
From: koos at auryn.nl [mailto:koos at auryn.nl] 
Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2010 11:34 AM
To: OSLIST; Harrison Owen
Cc: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Disappointment after Open Space

Hi Harrison,

Thanks for raising this topic. In one way I do feel responsible for  
things like this. Not for the misery of the people, of course. That  
has not been my doing. But as a facilitator, I am the one who knows  
what the effects of Open Space can be. And it is my responsibility to  
judge if this is the right thing to do for this client. Now if I think  
it is time that the misery of the people became visible, I might  
propose to do an Open Space conference for this purpose. But why would  
I want that?

Usually, I talk with the client about what their goals are. What  
problem to they want solved, or what opportunity do they want to  
seize? As we all know, there can be many reasons for doing one or more  
OST meetings. But I do not encounter a lot of situations where  
disappointment is en effective step towards any of those goals.

I also wonder why the people in the organization would feel this  
disappointment. Is it because their workplace is very different from  
the beautiful paradise they have been living in for two days during  
the OST conference? Then I hope the conference has brought them  
inspiration to do something about it. So then the effect would not be  
disappointment, but inspiration. In my experience, the only cases  
where I have seen people be very disappointed after an OST meeting was  
when the management did not accept the outcome of the conference and  
heavily suppressed the emerging initiatives.

Now we can look at that situation in two ways. One is: what happens is  
the only thing that could have. If there must be pain, then there must  
be pain. Just let it happen and something will emerge. I think that  
one is a little too easy. If I would hear myself say that, it would  
feel as if I evaded my responsibility as a consultant.

I think my task is to help the client organization achieve its goals.  
That is what they have invited me to do and that is what they are  
paying me for. So I consider it my duty to help the management deal  
with the uncertain outcome. And that process starts already long  
before the conference takes place. I think the OST conference becomes  
much more worthwhile for the client if the outcome is put to  
productive use. In order for that to happen, I have to prepare the  
management to deal with the uncertain outcomes and to help them see it  
as a creative adventure that will help their organization reach new  
heights. That is usually a leap of faith for them and I am there to  
help them take it. If the management fails to take that jump, I have  
failed in assisting them.

So yes, I think we are responsible when Open Space leads to disappointment.

Now that is a strong statement - I am of course curious what others  
have to say.

Warm wishes to you all from a beautiful sunny Utrecht - spring is here!

Koos

Citeren Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>:

> Chatting with a group from a recent Open Space two thoughts (among many)
> were expressed and my attention was caught. The first thought/observation
> was that the Open Space was without out question the most productive,
> exciting, useful gathering that the group had ever experienced. No news
> here, just open space as usual. The second thought was that the
participants
> could well feel disappointed and possibly disillusioned when they returned
> to their regular work and did I feel responsible?
>
>
>
> My first thought was - Responsible for what?  Certainly not for the fact
> that the place of work was narrow, restrictive, oppressive, and painful.
> And I really could not find much energy for the notion that we should have
> anything less that real open space to avoid the possibility of
> disappointment. As a matter of fact I found myself thinking that
> disappointment and disillusionment might be the healthiest things that had
> happened, especially if they led to something positive. And even if they
> didn't I rather thought that it is always better to have loved and lost
that
> never to have loved at all. What do you think?
>
>
>
> Harrison
>
>
>
> PS Of course it won't help sales if it gets out that a possible effect of
> Open Space is that people discover just how miserable they really are.
That
> could lead to all kinds of radical things.
>
>
>
> Harrison Owen
>
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
>
> Potomac, MD 20854
>
> USA
>
> Phone 301-365-2093
>
> www.openspaceworld.com
>
> www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
>
>
>
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