[OSList] The Open Agile Adoption story

Thu Jul 25 09:38:16 PDT 2013

Good morning OST-List!

I am Daniel Mezick, probably someone you never heard of.

I'm an executive & Agile coach that seeks (and occasionally obtains) 
work in that section of the USA between NYC and Boston. I live in CT. I 
have a story to tell you...and an invitation...

Open and Agile

...about 4 years ago I start experimenting with Open Space, using it 
inside public www.AgileBoston.org <http://www.AgileBoston.org> 
conference events. I study OST more. In 2010 we at Agile Boston innovate 
by getting the 80-page proceeding from a large public OST event rendered 
to a PDF and shipped to all participants in less than 24 hours. (We 
employ a rapid transcription service to render the per-session outputs 
to text and images, then create a WORD doc and PDF.)

I actually did not know what the hell I was doing. I just knew it was a 
generally good idea to socialize Open Space in Boston.

Little do I know...

In late 2010, by Googling around I discover the free-download PDF of the 
SPIRIT book by HO. Reading that changes everything for me. I realize 
that OST is really about development and transformation in 
organizations, NOT simply for public conferences and general education. 
(This is how the "Agile community" currently uses Open Space.)

As a consultant to organizations, I realize that the SPIRIT book for 
some reason is completely overlooked by the Agile community, and that 
this book had the seeds of success in it. The "secret sauce". I begin 
experimenting with bringing Open Space meetings into my Agile coaching 
engagements. The basic hypothesis is that the introduction of change 
(Agile in this case) creates alarming levels of anxiety and worry. And, 
that Open Space might actually help reduce worry and fear.

 From late 2010 to the present day, I begin experimenting with using 
Open Space in service to rapid and lasting Agile adoptions. By diving 
into this work with willing clients, I begin to realize the power of 
Open Space... with them. We find that we can reduce the anxiety of 
change via the power and mystery of "invitation." I begin to study and 
build upon work from Ed Seykota ("testing for willingness"), Michael 
Herman ("invitation"), Harrison Owen (the SPIRIT book), others.

In 2011 I do a few more experiments and begin pulling ideas from 
cultural anthropology (Victor Turner), from positive psychology (Tony 
Hsieh's application of Martin Seligman's work) and from the art and 
science of game design (Jane McGonigal).

In 2012 I write THE CULTURE GAME (www.TheCultureGame.com 
<http://www.TheCultureGame.com>), a book about how to help your 
organization get smarter. At this point I have worked with OST in more 
than a few organizations. In that book I write a chapter, chapter 21, 
and give it the title "Open The Space". That chapter contains several 
"easter eggs" which a few astute readers find and begin using. I start 
to get emails from around the world about that chapter. In that chapter 
I reference many of Harrison's works, I disclose some of the Open Agile 
Adoption technique.In that chapter, I specifically provide the link to 
the SPIRIT book.

By late 2012, I have confirmation of several hypotheses. The first is 
that without engagement, we have nothing. That seems very obvious, yet 
the current Agile literature has little or nothing to say about the role 
of engagement in effective Agile adoptions. Second is that there is no 
engagement without /psychological safety/ sufficient /_to_/ engage. 
Third, safety (and a general sense of well-being) is a largely a 
function of creating an "inviting structure". By structure I mean: a 
clear goal, or purpose...and a clear set of rules...and a great, 
always-on feedback system and the big one..."opt-in participation".

I started ranting on Twitter and on my blog about how "mandated 
collaboration" in Agile adoptions is at best misguided. How mandated 
practices may be...harmful. Remember by this point I have my experience 
and case data. I am speaking from some experience.

At first, no one seemed to hear me. But after a while, I start getting 
ReTweets a lot. And people started talking back to me from around the 
world and there is conversation. Questions. Insights. I start connecting 
with all kinds of people around this idea. Some of the ReTweets are from 
people with French names who Tweet in French AND English.

So here I am with this more-than-pretty-good technique that incorporates 
Open Space. And I am kind of feeding out provocative questions about 
Agile coaching, and talking a lot about invitation, and about the 
futility of mandates...I also make some radical assertions. This goes on 
for a while.

Then I got this interesting invitation.

It's an invite to come and /keynote/ the Global ScrumGathering in Paris 
France in September of 2013. The invite is from some of those French 
people who ReTweet my Tweets. They tell me I can talk about absolutely 
anything I deem important, and ask me to "come and play" with them.

It takes me about 2 minutes to make up my mind. As soon as this happens, 
I know it is one of these providential-type events that becomes a 
defining moment. I gather up all my notes and start crafting the speech. 
I also immediately contact Harrison Owen, and bring all my work and 
notes up to his place in Camden to talk, and explain OAA with Open Space 
to him, and seek his guidance. That was back in early July.

And so: here we are. I'm going over there to Paris to talk about Open 
Agile Adoption with Open Space to six hundred Agile and Scrum 
practitioners. Many of them are coaches. The OAA technique incorporates 
OST, storytelling, play, and some ancient and proven tribal patterns for 
managing change, specifically the /rite of passage/ pattern.

There is a list of links at the bottom of this note, so you can get a 
sense of what I am presenting. Over July and August I am planning to 
explain the whole technique to you and everyone else, holding back the 
case data and the toolkit until 9/24 in Paris, when I deliver the actual 
speech. On that day, the toolkit and all the tools become free to the 
world via an open source license and a free download. The intent is to 
provide a body of work that others can immediately use and more 
importantly, improve upon.

We know that people are only 25 or 30 percent engaged at work. (see 
related link below.) Open Space is a profoundly useful way to double or 
even triple engagement from there. The hypothesis of Open Agile Adoption 
is that /a safe space is required for true group learning/ to take root. 
And that Open Space is the primary tool for constructing that kind of 
place.

The keynote address is designed to resonate before and after the event. 
Before the event, INFOQ.com is publishing articles, videos and 
interviews on Open Agile Adoption. During the event, the speech will be 
transcribed, videotaped and recorded by the Scrum Alliance. After the 
event these Scrum Alliance artifacts will be available to anyone in the 
world via the Scrum Alliance. Also after the event I plan to make the 
case data and Open Agile Adoption toolkit free to the world, such that 
anyone with "a good head and a good heart" can do it and do it well.

I'm taking a page from Harrison's playbook, and from his ethos, choosing 
to make the entire body of know-how free to the world. I'm hoping that 
Open Agile Adoption (and derivatives) become the standard for 
implementing more rapid and lasting Agile adoptions...

...Not everyone is likely to be happy if this comes true. The Open Space 
element has the potential to radically reduce the amount of Agile 
coaching that is actually needed to get a rapid and lasting Agile 
adoption. That reduces billable hours!

Further (and of far more interest to you) is the idea that skilled OST 
Facilitators are required to execute well with the Open Agile Adoption 
technique. This has the potential to open up new demand for those here 
with deep OST skills and experience.

There is clear potential for a certain "changing of the guard" in Agile 
adoptions worldwide. There is potential for disruption...and maybe a 
little bit of chaos.

After the Paris Scrum Gathering, I plan to offer short, plain-talk 
seminars in how to do Open Agile Adoption. I do not plan to teach Open 
Space facilitation in detail, because others in this community are 
already doing this very well, and also because there is more to Open 
Agile Adoption that just Open Space. There are elements of storytelling, 
elements of a passage rite, elements of gaming, play and more. I plan to 
teach the overall OAA technique to people who want to learn it. In 
France in September, I am teaching two ½ day seminars on 9/26 and 9/28 
after the Scrum Gathering. When I return I plan to continue teaching in 
the United States.

I am asking for help. Will you help me socialize the idea that Open 
Space is essential for creating rapid and lasting Agile adoptions?

You can help in the following ways:

0/ Be playful, and help me refine and improve Open Agile Adoption with 
others

1/ Learn more about OAA via the provided links below. Then, ask me 
questions.

2/ Tell me if you offer Open Space training courses, and send me your 
info, so I can promote your course to Open Agile Adoption practitioners. 
If you are a Facilitator for hire, I want to talk to you!

3/ Examine the work, and provide feedback as I disclose it over the next 
month.

4/ Sign up for the Facebook group Open Agile Adoption via this link: 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/204037609756665/

5/ Help me get in front of Agile audiences to the extent you can. This 
year I am speaking on Open Agile Adoption with Open Space at these 
events (in date order):

8/7/13: session, Agile2013

9/24/13: keynote, Global Scrum Gathering, Paris

11/6/13: keynote, Agile Tour, Quebec City Quebec CA

I hope you like this story,

and I hope you want it to continue,

and I hope want to help write it.

I am inviting you to come and do that. Will you join me with others in 
writing the next chapter of the Open Agile Adoption story?

I hope you will consider doing exactly that.

Kind Regards,

Daniel Mezick

www.DanielMezick.com <http://www.DanielMezick.com>

dan at newtechusa.net <mailto:dan at newtechusa.net>

203 915 7248