OST following a creative enhacing training

Sat Nov 13 12:33:50 PST 2010

Artur (me again) --- Some years ago a Canadian Bank did a 2 day Open Space
on The Future of the Bank which involved all the senior leadership and about
100 very bright young managers. In order the hedge their bet they hired a
friend of mine to do a 1 day Creativity Building the day before.
Incidentally I didn't know my friend was going to do it until I saw him at
the front of the room. Anyhow  my friend pulled out all the stops and folks
were definitely creative as hell. Then the next two days in Open Space ---
which was totally wild and wonderful. However, as I was leaving the venue
more than a few of the participants, senior folks and young ones alike took
me to the side to say that while they certainly liked the creativities (fun)
they were very pale when compared to the productive High Play of Open Space.
One guy put it pretty bluntly. Nice, he said (referring the first day), but
why did we waste all that time?

Having just done another Open Space the week before with a comparable group,
for the life of me I could see no difference except possibly that the Bank
OST took off a little slower. I initially attributed it to the fact that
they were all a bunch of bankers - but then I noticed that some of them were
spending some little time trying to remember and try out what they had
supposedly learned the day before. Eventually they just gave up and
everything flowed on with its usual zest.

The day after the Bank OST we all gathered for a post mortem. I did
everything in my power to avoid my friend and the question I knew he was
dying to ask. But eventually he cornered me and I had to answer - No
difference.

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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From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Artur
Silva
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 1:35 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: OST following a creative enhacing training

Dear Open spacers:

Last week I have done a half day OST in some special conditions. It was a
retreat of a Department of a Company (about 20 people). During all the day
of Friday they had a program of outdoor training aimed to develop, among
other things, team building and creativity. Saturday morning they had an
Open Space session to discuss "how to improve the success conditions of our
Department?", with an opening, two breakout session periods and the closure.

1. I was curious to see if the training of Friday (that I have not attended,
but received very good comments from participants) would have any influence
on the OST session. I know that one experience is not enough to take
conclusions, but comparing this to other events in different conditions, I
could not see any substantial differences, except the fact that a "team
spirit" that quite often emerges during the event or at the closure was
already present from the beginning. 

Any of you had similar experiences of opening space after an outdoor
training or any other training with similar objectives? Have you noticed any
differences?

2. I have done a "normal opening" even if it was not among the best I have
done. (As a side note: I was a bit ill and concerned that I should not be
stand up for a long period. Interestingly, the opening was not shorter but
longer than usual and a bit too long for the timetable defined). 

Anyhow the main facilitator/trainer of the previous day made me a suggestion
that I would like to have your opinions about. The suggestion was based in
the way they have done their trainings in the past (explaining everything in
the beginning) and the way they do now (explaining only what is needed for
each phase). So the suggestion was to divide the opening in two parts: the
first one with a bit of history and the presentation of the timetable with
no Agenda and then ask for session topics; and then explain the principles,
law and animals and go on to the Market Place.

I have some opinions about this, but I prefer to give them later. At this
moment I would like to know if anyone has ever tried this two-steps type of
opening and with what results. If not (and considering the context I have
mentioned of the previous one day training) what do you think about the
suggestion I have received? 

Regards

Artur

P.S.: A final note, Harrison, to say that in my two last Open Space events I
have used your post its and not my usual time-space grid ;-)

It worked ok but it is too soon to to have conclusions, especially as they
were both small events (20-30 people)... 

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