[OSList] Trust

Sat Feb 1 08:31:17 PST 2014

Brendan said: "And in my view , all germinating from that initial transfer
of trust between mentor and sponsor" Right on! I don't think it makes a bit
of difference how elegantly one "does" the Open Space. It is really all
about TRUST. When I said that anybody with a good heart and good mind can
"do it," that is just a long winded way of saying what I've always found to
be true. Expertise is interesting. Integrity and Trust are essential. A new
comer to the OS world, opening space for the very first time, muffing some
lines, and forgetting others - can do every bit as well as a 20 year
veteran. The coin of the realm is Integrity, authenticity, trust. But none
of that should be news, for that trio is the bedrock of all positive human
encounter, I think. Which may just be another way of pointing out that OS is
not some special process we do, it is just life lived well. Or something.

ho

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 Brendan
McKeague
Sent: Saturday, February 01, 2014 12:57 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Sponsor PreWork Conversation (long)

A very interesting question Chuni Li...

The sponsor was being mentored by one of my colleagues in our local Open
Space community of practice (Wave Riders) who suggested to him that OS was
the right method/model for the task at hand.  As his coach (the formal role
as perceived by the organisation), my colleague encouraged the sponsor to
get in touch with me to avoid any perceived conflict of interest. The
sponsor researched OS for himself first and then engaged me to provide the
specialist knowledge....Harrison often says that anyone with a good heart
and head can open space - and I agree - while at the same time, I
acknowledge that 'Open Space wisdom' is often helpful, if not necessary, in
situations of increased complexity and potential conflict. 

After his initial attraction to OS in theory, and as part of his research,
the sponsor then ran a mini Open Space within his own jurisdiction to see
how it worked in reality - he wished to speak from his lived experience when
engaging with his higher-uppers.  He also watched a few of the growing
library of YouTube clips that are so wonderful for educating potential
sponsors.  

Now totally convinced, the transfer of trust was complete at various
levels....trusting the process (OST works) AND trusting the facilitator (who
was aligned with the essence of OST - i.e living in it) AND trusting that
both facilitator and process were 'fit-for-purpose' in this context. 

And in my view , all germinating from that initial transfer of trust between
mentor and sponsor

Hope this story helps 

Cheers Brendan

On 31/01/2014, at 1:10 PM, chunili2000 at yahoo.com wrote:

Thank you Brendan for taking the time to organize and share this information
- so precious and such a generous gift!

I am curious about the sponsor who "put his neck out" to make the event
happen.

Had he experienced OST before? Did you have to "convince" him? What made him
willing to "jump through the hoops?" Was it the OST process or was it you
that he trusted?

Chuni Li

New Jersey

From: Brendan McKeague <mckeaguebrendan at gmail.com>
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
<oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> 
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2014 9:34 PM
Subject: Re: [OSList] Sponsor PreWork Conversation (long)

You're very welcome Tricia - this List continues to live the invitation
issued by Harrison all those years ago - to share what we learn...

An addendum to the story is that the sponsor is now preparing to host mini
Open Space meetings on the key themes that have emerged from the Book of
Proceedings. This is very much within his own responsibility range so no
convincing or permissions now required.  And some of the 'higher-uppers' who
attended the event were very impressed by what happened that they will carry
this positive story back to the State Committee as evidence. 'Whatever
happens is the only thing....'

I continue to be guided and sustained by Margaret Wheatley's invitation to
activists to 'let go of the need to make a difference'....

and it seems to me, that when I don't NEED to make a difference, and engage
from another place within me, that is when I do!

Ah the paradox of it all....

Cheers Brendan

On 31/01/2014, at 4:31 AM, Tricia Chirumbole wrote:

Thanks so much Brendan for taking the time to share this! I have saved your
information for my own training and I am likely to plagiarize at some point
:)  

Tricia Chirumbole
US: +1-571-232-0942
Skype: tricia.chirumbole

On Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 3:21 PM, Diane Gibeault <diane.gibeault at rogers.com>
wrote:

Well said Brendan! These are the kind of questions people new to OS who plan
on offering, organizing or facilitating an event, want to be ready to
answer. Thank you for that  brief and effective way of sharing your
informative answers. 

Diane

From: Brendan McKeague <mckeaguebrendan at gmail.com>
To: OS Listserve <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> 
Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2014 12:32:33 AM
Subject: [OSList] Sponsor PreWork Conversation (long)

Hi folks 

I've recently completed a one-day OST meeting with around 150 participants.
It went very well and the sponsor was delighted (and much relieved) as he
had 'put his neck out' with his 'higher-uppers' all along the way in order
to have the event in the first place.  One of the hoops he had to jump
through beforehand was to to present a business case and justification for
using OST in this context....I've recorded some of the email conversation
that we've had as we progressed the discernment towards decision - over
about three months. I thought some co-learners might be interested in parts
of the to-ing and fro-ing dialogue - and would love to hear your comments
around the questions this first-time user of OST is asking....or rather,
being compelled to ask.

Cheers

Brendan

Q: Does OST work with bigger numbers - the work shop will be large with an
estimated 150+ diverse state and local government, industry, NGO and
possibly some citizens attending.
R: Open Space Technology (OST) is applicable regardless of numbers and
diversity - indeed, we often find that the more stakeholder complexity, the
better it works. I have worked with up to 350 participants and colleagues
elsewhere with over 2000. 

The workshop is part of the finalisation of the Draft Strategic Plan and is
being held to respond to the various propositions and issues raised in the
public comment phase early this year.  I have very briefly outlined the
draft objectives and role of the selected facilitator below:

 Objective:
The Strategic Plan is a new format for xxxxxx planning that challenges the
current status quo of planning. Further consultation is required to provide
a greater level of understanding of the 'systems' concept, and seek input on
content and implementation issues.   Main objectives include:

.         To build a collaborative environment ; 
R: OST certainly creates the opportunity for this - with the benefit of no
predetermined agenda, all participants are invited to collaborate in
co-creating the agenda around what's really important to them. 

.         provide a greater understanding of the legislation impetus;
R: OST allows participants to diverge and engage with others who have
similar questions/issues in order to clarify understandings and pursue ideas
that matter to them

.         genuine input and actions to assist in the finalisation of the
Strategic Plan

R: OST invites those who wish to contribute according to interest (passion)
and responsibility - and then to offer to be part of ongoing actions beyond
the event itself

Main role for Facilitator:

.         Organisation of 150 stakeholders - some groups will be considered
high risk.

R: In OST, the participants self-organise and self-manage around what they
care about - its a marvellous, fluid way to enable genuine/transparent

collaboration, participation, inclusivity and emergence - thereby
diminishing the likelihood of distraction by the disgruntled or  a
hi-jacking by the heavies

.         Creating a strategic, dynamic and collaborative process in and out
of the workshop 

R: OST is a world-leading technology for this type of process

. memorable, positive, inspiring - has to have the same takeaway as previous
(Deliberative Democracy) forum i.e. participation was worthy of time, feel
inspired, have made a difference -
R: no process (or facilitator) in the world can guarantee these outcomes -
unfortunately for me!   OST can create the space where they are most likely
to show up, provided that the sponsors have done their preparation properly
- i.e.  asked the right question, issued the right invitation, created the
right space....then, the folks who care to show up in response do the rest
by themselves. The power of a great OST mtg comes from the  release of
passionate energy when people are given the freedom to do what they really
care about

.         Participants must go home with a greater more positive
understanding (including impetus for use) of the SPS and systems thinking

R: its very difficult to enforce the 'must go home with' aspiration when
working with a group of mature (and diverse) adults. I can however say, from
my experience of facilitating over 250 OST mtgs around the country in the
last 15 years,  that OST does provide everyone with the opportunity to
participate at the level they chose, to ask the questions they bring with
them, to engage with others who care about similar issues, to record their
conversations, to contribute to action outcomes and to learn more about the
topic about which they're meeting.  And in all of that, they usually have a
lot of fun too!

.         Defining clear objectives and parameter of discussion 

R: Once again, this is the work of the sponsors beforehand - we call these
'the givens' that form part of the invitation in OST - the container in
which 'the space is open' - then let the people get to work around what they
came to do

.         Day round up 

R: OST usually finishes with a Closing Circle for comments from participants
and sponsors

Dear Brendan,

In an attempt to manage stakeholders expectations and ensure effective
facilitation of diverse ~150 stakeholders within the broad scope (theme:
Making the Planning Strategy a Success) , could you please kindly advise
based on the desired outcomes (below) as to whether any other facilitation
method would achieve the same outcomes as Open Space Technology (OST). 

.         Time and labour efficient

R: I know of no other process that will get 150 people working on what they
want to work on together as quickly as OST; with the opening explanation and
agenda creation taking about 45-50mins, the whole 150 participants can get
down to work quickly on issues that are important to them. 

.         Memorable and inspiring

R: This is a product of participation on the day. The participants will
create their own agenda around what's important to them and so they are
invited to take responsibility for what they offer and engage with i.e. if
it is not memorable and inspiring, then it may be that they have not
responded fully to the invitation and they are in the wrong place - they can
use the Law of Mobility to move elsewhere - or even leave if what's on offer
is not why they came. Hence the importance of creating a clear, transparent
and irresistible invitation for those who wish to make this Strategy a
success.  It is extremely important for the Sponsors to be familiar with,
and endorse, the guarantees of an OST meeting - see attached explanation. 

.         collaborative
R: There are many levels of collaboration. Mature collaboration is about
engaging with others - who may have very similar or very different views-
and taking time to listen well, to speak truthfully about issues that are
important and to be open to what emerges. Lesser forms/models of
collaboration adopt coercion, compliance and competition as a container for
obtaining predetermined desired outcomes. OST provides a container for
self-organising around what is identified as important by those who wish to
(or even, 'have to') do something about implementing this strategy. The OST
process models the intention of seeking more mature collaboration around
complex issues involving multiple stakeholders.

.         Enables strategic thinking
R:  The Planning Strategy has been developed - i.e. the diagnostics have
been completed - based on various previous consultations. Now is the time
for moving into implementation and operationalising the outcomes. This
requires a dialogical process - where those responsible for implementation
have opportunities to interpret, clarify, be creative, innovative and
consider how they are going to do this within their own circles of
influence. As I understand it, it's exploratory and open - there is not one
uniform way of making this work successfully - it there is, then OST is not
needed -  people are told what to do and resourced to do it.  OST provides
space for creativity, diverse views and novel ideas to be named and
explored.  This cannot be legislated in advance - it needs to emerge from
the confluence of energy, knowledge, skills, experiences and potentially
contentious views of those who show up. OST is the most transparent process
for this, with inbuilt principles of self-determination that enable high
levels of passionate energy, high levels of learning and high levels of
'fun' to show up on the day. 

.         Rapid consensus

R: This is another question entirely. In a one-day meeting of 150 diverse
stakeholders, what are you seeking 'rapid consensus' on?  

I would need to hear more from you about your purpose and intentions here.
In my experience, when consensus is an expectation in such a short
time-frame with so many people, there are too often 'winners and losers' and
people can easily get bogged down in detail around language interpretation,
aggressive defensiveness and even destructive competition to try to force a
neat outcome.  There are other, often more appropriate, ways of creating and
sustaining alignment with the Strategy into the future (e.g. by creating and
supporting 'communities of practice' around key themes emerging from the OST
meeting)

R:  Thanks for asking these key clarifying questions.  I realise how
important this conference is in terms of creating a platform for
implementation of the Planning Strategy. I agree that the process on the day
needs to be the best match for your purpose. 

I have inserted a few comments and attached a brief 2 page explanation of
OST and its 'guarantees'.  

In a nutshell, OST is not driven by 'predetermined outcomes' (my words) - it
is about creating space for engagement and emergence with those who will be
doing the work of implementation. It is a self-organising dialogical process
that, in my opinion, is most suitable for this stage of your Planning
Strategy. 

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