Disappointment after Open Space
Jim Metcalf
jim9654 at altelco.net
Thu Mar 4 15:36:18 PST 2010
I've been reading "Brain Rules" by John Medina (a micro-neuro-bioligist in the Pacific NW) this winter. It 's easy reading in spite of his Ph.D. field, and very supportive, in my opinion, of what you say, Harrison, and especially so in the chapters on sleep and stress. I highly recommend his book and web site. Best wishes to all of you in OS, whose posts inspire me so much.
Jim Metcalf
jim9654 at altelco.net
On Mar 4, 2010, at 2:30 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
> 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)
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
> -----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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>
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>From Thu Mar 4 22:48:17 2010
Message-Id: <THU.4.MAR.2010.224817.0600.>
Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2010 22:48:17 -0600
Reply-To: michael at michaelherman.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Michael Herman <mjherman at gmail.com>
Subject: testing 4
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
some of us haven't been able to send to the list for several weeks.
trying different things to see what might get through now...
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