[OSList] 1,000 participants in 4 hours

Thu Jul 11 06:33:30 PDT 2013

Interesting discussion...
Scott, you said: "I want the organizational team to discover and I also want to have them have those first few steps of how to get going on their own. " What do THEY want?

I guess a fundamental message that needs to be clearly conveyed from the outset is who's responsible for the outcomes of the meeting? If you are, and so communicated, I can see your desire to make sure certain things happen...but if they are, and agree to it, then you are simply providing an environment that allows them to be their own leaders and be responsible for their own passions. If things don't turn out to their satisfaction, there is something to be learned about themselves.

I would focus the planning on the logistics so that the least amount of time is wasted.

Chuni Li

From: Scott Gassman <scott.gassman at gmail.com>
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> 
Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 8:47 PM
Subject: Re: [OSList] 1,000 participants in 4 hours

Harrison, 

I am going to print these paragraphs of yours and think about the "ZERO confidence," "about what is going on." 
That's  good  material for me to think about as I approach future group work. 
I am touched by your Kathie story.  Kathie's respect for you came out in a conversation and made me want to learn Open Space, and so she really steered me towards learning with you and Lisa up in Maine. I do remember you leaving to take a nap and me scratching my head - how - in the middle, can you let go? I guess until now I dance between the freedom of Open Space and joint design team sharing that anchors me to do as much as I can to support the group and deliver a quick start.  I want the organizational team to discover and I also want to have them have those first few steps of how to get going on their own. 
I think of it as pushing a kid on a 2 wheel bicycle, also "out of control," aiming to get them to keep pedaling  and stay up.

Here's my honesty to you, Sharon Joy.

Scott

On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 6:06 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

Scott said – “Not all of us have your (that’s me – HO) confidence, clarity or competence in all situations to trust ourselves, in an organization we may live/work in and/or the process in a room potentially filled with bureaucrats, whose shadow can slow down the speed of large group movement.” 
> 
>Nice words, Scott – but once again I have a different take. Truth is I have ZERO confidence, to say nothing of clarity, in my “competence in all situations to trust (my)ourselves, in an organization we may live/work in and/or the process in a room potentially filled with bureaucrats, whose shadow can slow down the speed of large group movement.” Quite to the contrary,  I know totally and completely that I will NEVER have a real clue about what is going on. Too complex, inter-related, fast moving, opaque... BUT the people do. My only responsibility (possibility) is to invite them to do what only they know how to do – and then, as quickly as possible, get out of the way. Usually to take a napJ
> 
>And Kathie Dannemiller was a special person and a friend. I respect her greatly. And... somebody once asked her why, given what she did, she didn’t use Open Space. Her reply, as I heard it, was – “I’d be terrified ... it could get out of control.” The big secret, of course, was that she (as we all are) was always out of control – so there was nothing to lose.
>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)
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> 
>From:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Scott Gassman
>Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 5:01 PM
>
>To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
>Subject: Re: [OSList] 1,000 participants in 4 hours
> 
>Hi Harrison,
> 
>Glad you responded, Sharon gets to think deeper about how to proceed and be hopefully clearer about her design decisions.
>I clearly hear "get out of the way quickly," and the authenticity of how you have lived/practiced OpenSpace. I love it when I do it.
>Not all of us have your confidence, clarity or competence in all situations to trust ourselves, in an organization we may live/work in and/or the process in a room potentially filled with bureaucrats, whose shadow can slow down the speed of large group movement. 
>Whether my approach is a cop out to the OS process, my Kathie Dannemiller lessons about Design Teams has helped me to usually make the process consciously the participants' process.
> 
>Scott
> 
>On Wed, Jul 10, 2013 at 1:30 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>Scott – I guess I really have a different take. I have never seen any reason to “plant” topics, or emplace “spark plugs.” In every situation with large groups in my experience (my largest was 2108 J) – the people do it all by themselves, just like usual. If anything the action is faster, and more furious with a large group. Once it rolls, it really rolls. You just got to get out of the way quickly – which is why I would make sure the opening was fast and sweet. Once person (facilitator) only – and on with the show! Of course the “necessary conditions” must be in place (real business issue, complexity, diversity, passion, conflict, urgency) – and from there on out the only thing you need to do is sit in a circle, create bulletin board, open market place – and go to work. Nothing else needed.
> 
>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
> 
>http://www.openspaceworld.com%20/ 
>http://www.ho-image.com%20/ (Personal Website)
>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org
> 
>From:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Scott Gassman
>Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 10:13 AM
>To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
>Subject: Re: [OSList] 1,000 participants in 4 hours
> 
>Hi Sharon Joy,
> 
>Thanks for sharing your opportunity and provoking our experience and imagination.
>Lisa has given you great tips, great food for thought. For me the joy of a laid back 
>OS alters when I must manage tighter time frames, larger numbers and logistics. I 
>want people to see what they can get done when they are focused and led through 
>well planned OS tasks. 
>I think about the outcome/purpose the client/group wants to walk away with. I try to 
>get clear on their goal(s)/desired outcomes. I am fond of design teams preceding 
>any large group initiative. I would bring together 5 to 10 vertically positioned 
>influencers as soon as possible and preceding the get together and confirm sought 
>desired outcomes, I would then ask them to brainstorm a list of important topics
>for this conversation and to rework the list into a vital few examples. I would also 
>encourage this group to recognize the significance of their role and to serve as 
>spark plugs to get the large group moving forward.
>However the session is opened, I would include a design team member or two to share their 
>hopes and aspirations for this meeting, and to briefly share the list of topics as examples 
>for the 1,000 others to raise what matters most to them per the "high performance 
>system"sought.
> 
>This is a great opportunity for your government to work together.
>I also look forward to learning about your experience and next steps.
> 
>Scott Gassman
> 
> 
> 
>On Tue, Jul 9, 2013 at 8:38 PM, Sharon Joy Chao <sharon at seameo-innotech.org> wrote:
>Need to figure a way of convening a thousand government people to go through an exploratory discussion on high performance system, all under 4 hours.
>
>This happens next week down south in the city of Cebu. The focus is on the Philippine government service, its performance management system and how it can be truly essential, responsive and life-giving.
>
>Gail West, my OS mentor friend, has provided me with some incredible suggestions on how to proceed and she also advised me to post on OSList.
>
>Any thoughts on how best to proceed with a cast of thousand in 4 hours time? 
>
>Maraming Salamat. 
>
>========================================
>Sharon Joy Berlin Chao
>SEAMEO INNOTECH
>Commonwealth Avenue, U.P. Diliman, Quezon City
>Metro Manila 1101 Philippines
>Phone (632) 924-7681, 9267900
>Fax (632) 928-7692
>
>
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>-- 
>Scott Gassman
>IdeaJuice
>(917) 951 - 0258
>scott.gassman at gmail.com
>http://www.ideajuices.com/
>
>America Speaks on Scott:  http://americaspeaks.org/facilitator-spotlight/spotlight-on-scott-gassman/
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>-- 
>Scott Gassman
>IdeaJuice
>(917) 951 - 0258
>scott.gassman at gmail.com
>http://www.ideajuices.com/
>
>America Speaks on Scott:  http://americaspeaks.org/facilitator-spotlight/spotlight-on-scott-gassman/
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-- 
Scott Gassman
IdeaJuice
(917) 951 - 0258
scott.gassman at gmail.com
http://www.ideajuices.com/

America Speaks on Scott:  http://americaspeaks.org/facilitator-spotlight/spotlight-on-scott-gassman/

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