[OSList] No-Go-area's as OS facilitators

Tue Feb 5 14:44:25 PST 2013

Gijs – Between the rock and the hard place! Ouch! But, for my money, if it ain’t voluntary (self selection responding to a real invitation) it ain’t Open Space. Maybe more to the point, it is not something that I have either the competence or the interest to be involved with. Let’s say that the issue at hand is the implementation of some new corporate procedure. The plans are made, the research is done, and the marching orders are printed. And for some reason the idea surfaced that a great way to launch all this was an “Open Space.” Which we all know is the sexiest, new thing – to provide a little sizzle and pop. Bad idea! Just issue the orders, explain if necessary, and tell the folks to get to work. And if you think you can actually can achieve high levels of efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability proceeding like that, Please be my guest! I really can’t help (and I don’t want to either J).

But, let’s say the scenario is different. There is a real, important issue and nobody knows the way forward. Sounds like “meat and potatoes” for Open Space – BUT the sponsor thinks it is so important that “everybody MUST attend.” What to do? Same principles, so far as I can see. Open Space runs on passion and responsibility – which is only another way of saying that the ticket for admission is that people really CARE to come, meaning a real invitation to voluntary, self selected participants. Sounds like ideological purity, but I don’t think that is true. It is just a matter of stating the facts, at least the facts as I have come to know them. Assembling a group of people who don’t really care is a great way to fail. And why would you want to do that?

Now what? Would you sell Open Space? No. I would “sell” the people. It might go something like this. Mr/Ms CEO – you presumably have a great group of competent people, and given the issue you face you will need all the best thinking and commitment all around. So the question is: How to create the best supportive environment to achieve the greatest possible results? There are no guarantees of course, but given good people and a supportive environment, it is more than likely that you can achieve outstanding results. Will it be done in the way you expect? Probably not, but if it were, and you already knew the answers and procedures, there really was no need to go through any elaborate process. Just tell them to Do it! But if you believe in your people and hope to exceed your expectations (Be REALLY surprised) you must have people who genuinely care. And only the voluntary will likely meet the test. Your choice.

Of course, if you don’t have a group of “great, competent people” you do have a problem, but it is not one that Open Space (or any other approach) can solve. You probably need to talk to your HR folks about their recruitment practices. If they (the Employees) are really so bad that you can’t trust them, the best thing is just fire the bunch and see if you can do better. Good Luck.

A little out on the edge? Maybe, and for sure I have achieved a certain insulation from the “day to day” having been elevated to the Grandfatherly Status (thank you Paul). I can and do “fire” clients at will. But then again, I’ve always been this way. If it ain’t voluntary, self selection, it ain’t Open Space.

Harrison 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 04843

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com 

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Gijs Mega
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 11:49 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] No-Go-area's as OS facilitators

Dear Kari, Chris, Micheal, Jeff and others on the list

Being of service to the group during an event, is relative easy to do because the role is so clearly defined. However serving the group during the meetings with the client is harder. In some cases I feel myself selling OST, just because of sharing passionate stories or nice events. No-go area for me could be when bosses decide when a team needs to do OST, where the participants are forced to show up and there is no openness to outcome. Recently I was in such a situation. At first I regretted my commitment than reflected and proposed an alternative program, which actually served the team much better and was a good practice for me in "not too much adding value"

The Taiwan-group list is also very supportive. Thanks

Gijs

Send from iPad

On Feb 5, 2013, at 3:10 AM, Chris Corrigan <chris.corrigan at gmail.com> wrote:

I think it's sort of dangerous to imagine that there is a list of definitive do's and don'ts for Open Space.  For sure if you are learning the process, I would DO the following three step process: 

1. Read the User's Guide

2. If you still have questions about your design, ask the OSLIST for help.

3. Run your even and report back to us.

Everything else comes with practice, and the longer you go, the better you get at knowing when to do or don't do certain things.  Join a group, go for a nap, skip over the principles, have tables, do it in 75 minutes…all of these are design choices in which the context matters a lot.  Above all I think the biggest DO is this:

Be of service to the group.

And the biggest don't would be:

Don't let your own needs trump the needs of the group.

Chris

On 2013-02-04, at 8:05 AM, Michael M Pannwitz wrote:

Dear Kari,
instead, try taking a nap.

My experience as a late-comer to os (I was 56 and had been into OD processes for decades) is that I had to do a lot of un-learning... and no end in sight.
For some reason I had developed the stance of "unattached to outcome" in other contexts but could still "direct" a lot with my coniving facilitation skills. Letting go of all of that when working as an os-facilitator was tough but I found ways to redirect most of my control mania and live my control-mania by being a real stickler in every detail BEFORE the event.

I have no personal experience in joining a break-out session in events where I was in the role of facilitator.
However, I do remember a couple of situations that might be relevant to your question:

--- I have been asked several times by members of break-out sessions (some being very clear that I had to come immediately to fix whatever it was that troubled them) to join their session and always found a way to fend off the invitation... and did get feedback from those that had asked me to join such as "we did manage very well..." or "good thing you did turn down our invitation, we handled it ourselves and found that exhilarating..."

---On one occasion we needed everybody in the team to join hands in I forget what it was exactly... and discovered that a couple of the team members had joined breakout sessions with the result that we could not deal effectively with the task that the team was responsible for...

---One time, I got into a very interesting and fascinating discussion with one participant... reminded me of a meeting of two butterflies... Not very long into that my assistant danced up to us and got me to leave that wonderful encounter. As I followed him he reminded me of my role: How on earth could I keep totally present and also be completely invisible doing what I did. After taking a deep breath, I thanked him and saw to it that he was in the facilitation team every time!

Get yourself a tough assistant.

Lets have more question, Kari.
Greetings from Berlin
mmp

Cheers
mmp

On 04.02.2013 16:28, Kári Gunnarsson wrote:

Dear Gijs and others on the list

I like to explore this topic theme a bit more closely.  I have been

learning so much for the past few years that I have been practicing

the open space. I like to know your examples, your thoughts and

experiences?

An introductory questions on No-Go-area's:

At one time I was hosting an open space and I happened to join a group

discussion on the topic witch was close to my hart and I shared some

of my hopes and experiences for I was there with the passion to to

that and the small group had a interesting topic. Now I feel like this

is something I should not have done, that I took some space instead of

holding it or others that where there to do something about the issues

at hand. What are your thoughts and experiences?

With love from Iceland

Kári

On 2 February 2013 04:09, Gijs Mega <gijs at megainternational.com.hk> wrote:

Hi Chris,

The first time I saw you was in the circle in San Francisco 2008. Your kids

took part as well and "lived" the law of 2 feet, and shifted from

butterflying to bumble being. Observing this was great : open space life.

Your comments on the list are often a real contribution. So was your last

one:

 "

This is key for those of us who are Open Space facilitators.  Please never

try to Open Space for other people bigger than the space you are willing to

open for yourself.

"

In the context of our society your point is clear.

When you generalize it for facilitators, I read it as an advice for being

authentic and sincere to the principals, the topic, the invitation and the

sponsors intention.

However, I hope to challenge people to elaborate more in detail about

no-go-area's for ourselves as a facilitator or as a parent.

Gijs van Wezel

Shanghai

Send from iPad

On Feb 1, 2013, at 1:32 AM, Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com> wrote:

This is key for those of us who are Open Space facilitators.  Please never

try to Open Space for other people bigger than the space you are willing to

open for yourself.

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