[OSList] Ang.: How to assess the need for an OS event.

Thu May 2 22:02:50 PDT 2013

Hi all, it has been a while since I was on this list and. I find that it is as full of life as ever before, great! 
About how to know what an organization needs - within the Genuine Contact program we have a routine for a diagnosis that I always start with to learn about the present state of an organization. We use only 3-5 different fameworks or models and invite people to tell their story about each of those. Not only I but the participants will see more clearly what they need to do, which way they want to go and if opening space is appropriate. The use of a simple storyline could make wonders and the visualization of their words so they see what they have said put up on the wall. The wall could as well be a digital whiteboard because it works well online too. 
Eiwor 

Eiwor Bakelund
Gateway Creation Tools
A holistic approach to organizational success

Skickat från min HTC

----- Reply message -----
Från: "Chris Corrigan" <chris at chriscorrigan.com>
Till: "World wide Open Space Technology email list" <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
Rubrik: [OSList] How to assess the need for an OS event.
Datum: fre, maj 3, 2013 02:49
Well yes indeed...I use the Cynefin framework for understanding these types of problems and needs.  You can more about that here:
http://cognitive-edge.com/library/more/video/introduction-to-the-cynefin-framework/

Essentially, organizations face decisions that have multiple aspects, some are simple or complicated taechnical problems, where the solution is going to arise from a technical analysis of the situation and the application of best or good practices.  And within those domains, good summative (and formative evaluation) works very well too, because there is a lot that can be quantified and measured with objective criteria.

The complex domain is the tricky one, because it demand emergent practice to deal with emergent problems. For these kinds of problems, Open Space and other methods of dialogic organizational development are very useful.  ANd developmental evaluation is very useful too.  We run into trouble when we confuse the decision making domains we are in and we use ndialogic methods for building hot water systems and when we use engineering problems solving for "fixing" racism.  

When I am working with clients, we often use the Cynefin framework as a way of making sense of the stories that people tell about where the organization is at, and through that, when we need to create prototypes of emergent practice, OST can be a really useful method.   

Nothing is perfect, but these things get me through the world. 
Chris

On Thu, May 2, 2013 at 2:33 PM, Kári Gunnarsson <kari.gunnarsson at simnet.is> wrote:

Hi Chris

Evaluation post event is one thing, how about evaluation prior to the event.

I'm now thinking about all the companies that are in my small city.

Many of them have problems of different kinds. Some are simple or

non-urgent and do not call for a real dialogs from different

viewpoints of all experiences, other are so deep rooted in underlying

passions with the normal symptoms of an unhealthy system.

I wonder where I should start to explore surveying and measuring

devises. I hope to introduce my clients to these testing programs, so

that we can gather more and more data on the need to open up space,

until he trust these findings. I can also believe in the rare occasion

that no more space needs to open, then I will have a special award to

give to the company. But mostly I think we will find needs that are

not mission critical at the moment according to my clients and thus is

not urgent to open up space right now. I am a strong believer in the

urgency statement of Open Space Technology.

Chris, have you used any such measuring tool with a client or dose

someone here on the oslist know of such a tool?  If not, then I would

like to develop such a tool.

On 2 May 2013 16:21, Chris Corrigan <chris at chriscorrigan.com> wrote:

> Paul...that is a weird tool,  Tells me nothing except that if 85% of my

> potential value outcomes are achieved, then I will always break even on my

> ROI for any meeting.  It's all just so arbitrary.

>

> And that is the problem.  When we use quantitative and summative methods for

> evaluation of qualitative and developmental processes, we get meaningless

> results.  In other words, how much relationship did I generate in my last

> meeting?  12.  Whatever that means.  It makes as much sense as giving the

> answer "lots of green ones that made me contemplative" to the question "how

> much money did we make selling those ladders?"

>

> What we need are tools that evaluate complexity properly.  What you are

> looking for are tools from the realm of Developmental Evaluation (grab the

> book by that title by Michael Quinn Patton).  These tools, which can

> complement summative, merit-and-worth evaluation tools, help organizations

> and ncommunities to track the learning, development and effectiveness of

> things like Open Space Technology meetings.

>

> Here is a place to start with DE:

> http://tamarackcommunity.ca/g3s61_VC_2010g.html

>

> Chris

>

>

>

> On Thu, May 2, 2013 at 6:49 AM, Paul Nunesdea <nunesdea at me.com> wrote:

>>

>> Keith

>> Although not disagreeing the least with Doug, guess that your company

>> would be looking for some meeting ROI type of calculations.

>> I have googled a couple of entries and this must be useful for you.

>> http://www.fastmeetings.com.au/meeting-roi-calculator.htm

>>

>> Best

>> Paul

>>

>> From my iPhone

>>

>> El 19/04/2013, a las 00:26, doug <ost at footprintsinthewind.com> escribió:

>>

>> Keith--

>>

>> How does one assess the value of a top-down "You shall all do this"

>> meeting? When do you measure it? How many walking out the door thought it

>> the best meeting ever? How many are still doing the required or

>> "volunteered" activity 6 months or 6 years later? What is the purpose of the

>> meeting in the first place?

>>

>> If six great projects come out of the OST meeting, 4 actually get started,

>> and one is still accomplishing good in the organization a year later, was

>> the meeting a failure?

>>

>> Those who want numbers as proof of something will always be disappointed.

>> Because they seek disappointment.

>>

>>            :- Doug.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>

>> On 04/18/2013 06:17 AM, Blundell, Keith wrote:

>>

>> Dear OS practitioners

>>

>>

>> As some of you already know I have been trying to pioneer the use of OS

>>

>> in our agenda driven, action outcome orientated organisation.  I have

>>

>> had the opportunity to run several meetings, but they have been short

>>

>> sessions and restricted participants (in terms of organisational

>>

>> functional structure).

>>

>>

>> This has created a bit of a buzz and I am delighted that I have been

>>

>> approached to run a meeting with a larger diverse group of participants

>>

>> (cross functional) for at least a whole day!  Brilliant and I have no

>>

>> concerns that it wont be successful.

>>

>>

>> But...unfortunately it is viewed as an "experiment" and so I am being

>>

>> pushed by the sponsors as how will we assess its success.  I know that

>>

>> there will be some good discussions, that participants "heads" will be

>>

>> in a different place after the meeting, and it will be a great sharing

>>

>> and learning experience.  I also know that any change and actions may

>>

>> come long after the discussions so that the link between the event and

>>

>> outcome will be more tenuous.

>>

>>

>> Has anyone experience and ideas for explaining the effectiveness of OS

>>

>> within an organisation?

>>

>>

>> I look forward to hearing from you.

>>

>>

>> Best Wishes,

>>

>>

>> Keith.

>>

>>

>> --

>>

>>

>> *Keith Blundell*

>>

>>

>> Leadership and Team Excellence Leader

>>

>> Innovation, Communication and Engagement (ICE)

>>

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>>

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>

>

>

> --

> ---

> CHRIS CORRIGAN

> Facilitation - Training - Process Design

> Open Space Technology

>

> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot

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--

Kári Gunnarsson

kari.gunnarsson at simnet.is

gsm: +354 8645189

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---CHRIS CORRIGAN
Facilitation - Training - Process Design
Open Space Technology

Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot

Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com

Upcoming workshops

Authentic Leadership In Action - Halifax, NS, Canada

Designing Strategic Change from the Inside OutJune 16 - 21, 2013

Art of Hosting - Participatory Leadership and Social Collaboration

November 11-14, 2013, Bowen Island, BC, Canada.
Upcoming Art of Hosting in Toronto, Montreal, Chicago and San Francisco. Email me for more information.
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