[OSList] Open Space with Agile: Failure patterns

Sun Sep 22 09:45:52 PDT 2013

Dan wrote: "I've learned that there are actually more ways to fail with Open
Space in Agile adoptions than there are ways to succeed. There are many ways
to stumble when trying this."

Actually, Dan - I am not at all surprised. I learned a long time ago that
Open Space is a terrible way to introduce some new process, and especially
to assure "buy in." Typically, problems arise because folks take Open Space
seriously. Instead of buying into the proposed process, they begin to invent
their own! Somewhere I wrote that OS was a great way to design a new
accounting system, but a horrible way to "implement" it.

And just to be contrarian... I wonder whether the failure is a function of
Open Space or Agile (and/or the SCRUM flavor of Agile)? As I think we have
come to understand, Open Space is a total scam if people mistake it for some
process we invented or "do." It is simply an invitation to be what we always
have been - self organizing. The process itself (SO) has been around for
some time, and apparently has done quite well, witness the fact that we,
along with all the rest of the Cosmos are here and seemingly functional. In
a "face off" between a well functioning self-organizing system and any
process we might have designed to create the system, install the system, or
enhance the system - the designed process doesn't have a chance. The reason
is simple. No matter how wise, careful, diligent or skillful we may be - our
creation is inevitably clunky. We may get the big blocks right, even some of
the finer points, but at the end of the day we always miss the nuances - and
as always, the devil is in the details. Put somewhat differently, our
designed processes are always "averages" of what we think the process should
look like. And "averages" do not exist anywhere in nature. To push an
"average" on a natural system is always to make it function at some
sub-optimal level, and usually to kill it.

So maybe the order of precedence should go the other way? Use Agile to
introduce Open Space, and then abolish Agile. Or, if you like ...
Self-Organization is the natural agility. It doesn't get any better than
that. Or something

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 Daniel Mezick
Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2013 11:26 AM
To: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Subject: [OSList] Open Space with Agile: Failure patterns

Greetings to you,

In Paris this week at the Global Scrum Gathering I plan to issue certain
warning about specific failure patterns I have experienced when working with
Open Space inside Agile adoptions. I can tell you right now that Open Space
by itself is not a panacea for the complex problems associated with Agile
adoption. 

Agile is actually a cover story about the wider act of bringing culture
change (a new and unfamiliar game) to an enterprise situation (the old story
we all want to cling to). The SPIRIT book pretty much spells out the
problem. 

I've learned that there are actually more ways to fail with Open Space in
Agile adoptions than there are ways to succeed. There are many ways to
stumble when trying this. I'll be enumerating some of these subtle
Agile-related pitfalls and traps in the Paris keynote on Tuesday, and in
upcoming blog posts. Simply holding one or more canonical Open Space
meetings (with full pre-planning and post processing) is not enough to
neutralize the forces that oppose healthy and well Agile adoptions. The game
mechanics, storytelling and passage-rite-structure elements must be present
and robust for Open Space to be an effective tool in Agile adoptions. Open
Space and these elements are composed in harmony with each other in the Open
Agile Adoption technique.

If you offer training in Open Space for Facilitators and/or Sponsors, I
invite you to send me your links and I will make sure they are added to the
list of resources I am beginning to compile at OpenAgileAdoption.com. I plan
to list in the Paris slides some specific French-language OST course
offerings from French-speaking instructors located in Europe, and Quebec.

Kind Regards,
Dan

-- 

Daniel Mezick, President

New Technology Solutions Inc.

(203) 915 7248 (cell)

Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/> .  <http://newtechusa.net/blog/>
Blog.  <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/> Twitter. 

Examine my new book:   <http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/>
The Culture Game : Tools for the Agile Manager.

Explore Agile Team  <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/>
Training and  <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/>
Coaching.

Explore the  <http://newtechusa.net/user-groups/ma/> Agile Boston Community.

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