[OSList] Our dilemma...

Sat Feb 1 07:04:01 PST 2014

Diversity,  invitation, self-organization! How I revel in these OS
conversations. Bountiful and beautiful.

Sitting in them in a spirit of such gratitude and the enjoyment of just
savoring like fully savoring... As in life with "one less thing to do"!
On Feb 1, 2014 9:11 AM, "Harrison Owen" <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

> Christine - no question Diversity is a movable thing, but I think it is
> also true that we surely know a diverse group when we encounter it. And
> another truth (for me) is that Diversity is infinitely more that the color
> of skin, etc. But the bottom line is all about the enormous gift that
> Diversity confers - multiple, often conflicting, points of view. Some
> people take this as a problem, but I've always found it to be an enormous
> plus. The reason is pretty simple; intractable (unsolvable) problems
> usually pop up when we try to solve the same old issues in the same old
> ways, again and again. The gift of diversity is new and different eyes. So
> the need for diversity in Open Space has little to do with social reform,
> etc - It is purely practical, and the more the better, I've found.
>
>
>
> And I think you've hit the nail on the head! You said --"Does it mean
> that, for it to be a real invitation, it should have been done outside of
> the regular , traditional, annual, management seminar ?" My sense is that
> there could have been a sense of "real invitation" for the annual "do," but
> context is a powerful thing - No matter what you say or how, "Everybody
> knows that the Annual Do is a command performance." So yes, opening space
> at a different time and place could well have made a real difference.
>
>
>
> 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 <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20>
>
> www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20> (Personal Website)
>
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
> OSLIST Go to:
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>
>
>
> *From:* oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:
> oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] *On Behalf Of *christine koehler
> *Sent:* Friday, January 31, 2014 5:28 PM
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Our dilemma...
>
>
>
> Thank you for your answer Harrison about when to say No.
>
>  the most tricky conditions for me are "diversity" and "voluntary"
>
>  What  diversity means depends I think on the eyes of the person who sees
> it. Is a group of 100  managers a diverse group, when there are lots of
> divergent views, conflicts, situation ? Or are they only the same type of
> stakeholders, even if the issue is about management ? If I see that with
> the eye of the system, management means managers + managees .. at least...
> Is that level of diversity necessary for a rich OS event ?
>
>
>
> Regarding the voluntary self-selection, I had an interesting experience
> lately.
>
> I did an OSevent for a very traditional organization that wanted to have a
> different management seminar : more collaborative. Not everyone sitting
> there and complaining but doing nothing as in previous years. We discussed
> this invitation part and they did "invite", as opposed to previous year
> where they just announced the management seminar to be held on x/x/xx.
> Everyone came, but from what I heard here and there more because they did
> not believe it was a real invitation they could have refused..  This time
> they sat, waited for topics to be proposed, joined breakout sessions and
> discussed. But did not jump in the circle to suggest topics.
>
> Does it mean that, for it to be a real invitation, it should have been
> done outside of the regular , traditional, anual, management seminar ? What
> do you think ?
>
> Christine
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 6:21 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Christine, I have changed the title as I think we are well out of the
> classroom - but not out of the dilemma. You said: "- when to say no ..-
> when to say yes and do more prework to help the organization get ready to
> what may happen- when to say yes and serve the group.."
>
>
>
> All good questions and few easy answers. And the easy ones are almost too
> obvious to mention. I have no problem quickly saying No when it becomes
> clear that:
>
>
>
> 1) The client just wants an OS demonstration. And the reason is simple.
> There is not much to demonstrate and if all you do is go through the forms,
> the usual response is, Is that all there is? Followed by a dismissal.
> Without a "real business (life) reason there will be no passion, no
> responsibility because nobody cares.
>
>
>
> 2) The client is interested in controlling the group in order to achieve a
> particular (narrow), predetermined outcome. To achieve this result, the
> space cannot be open, and if it is open the outcome will be unpredictable.
>
>
>
> Beyond these two particulars, the critical thing for me is the presence of
> what I have come to understand are the essential preconditions for Open
> Space. 1) A real business issue that people really care about. 2) High
> levels of diversity in terms of points of view, people and groups. 3)
> Serious complexity in terms of the issue, its causes and ramifications. 4)
> Obvious passion and conflict - People really care. 5) A clear sense of
> urgency - Something needs to be done NOW.
>
> And last - but really first and foremost - that participation is a matter
> of voluntary self selection.
>
>
>
> There is no easy metric that I have discovered, but when all the
> conditions are clearly present, you don't need a careful survey with
> detailed data. It hits you right in the face. Situations will vary and not
> all of the preconditions will show up at maximum levels. But two of them (1
> and 5) are pretty critical. If the convening issue is not one of genuine
> concern, nobody will really care. And if there is little or no sense of
> urgency, little will get done. But voluntary self selection is for me the
> "deal breaker or maker." When people are forced to come by some external
> power the space is not open. Simple.
>
>
>
> I understand that there are situations where this can be a little tricky,
> but there are ways to make it happen, even in very hierarchical
> organizations. Finding such a way is a most useful task for "Prework."
> Sometimes that takes a little time, and sometimes not. My favorite and most
> recent example occurred with a large division of the US Government. When
> they first came to me, it was obvious to anyone, even if they didn't want
> to admit it, that the first 5 preconditions were present to the maximum.
> But when I mentioned "voluntary self selection" we hit a serious snag. To a
> person the senior folks were of the opinion that if it were voluntary,
> nobody would come. I just let them sit there with those thoughts for a
> moment and then remarked, "Well if nobody would come they didn't have a
> just a dysfunctional organization, they had a mutiny. And neither Open
> Space, nor anything else I could think of would do much good.  After some
> more silence, they bit the bullet (took the leap, whatever). As it turned
> out there were 178 people in the organization and 177 came. The one who
> didn't was a pregnant lady who went to the hospital instead.
>
>
>
> 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 <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20>
>
> www.ho-image.com <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 *christine koehler
> *Sent:* Friday, January 31, 2014 4:16 AM
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space classrooms
>
>
>
> Harrison
>
> Yes, this is THE  dilemna we are facing so often.
>
> And I learn from you that sometimes it is better to NO beforehand. So now
> my question is :
>
> - when to say no ..
>
> - when to say yes and do more prework to help the organization get ready
> to what may happen
>
> - when to say yes and serve the group..
>
> Right now I am in the "more prework" period. And if more prework is not
> possible, offer other ways to work with group.
>
> But it leaves me with a taste of uncompleteness (if this word exists in
> English)
>
> Would love to hear what other say..
>
>
>
> Christine
>
>
>
> On Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 9:31 PM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Barry said, "It worked so well that they didn't invite me back after the
> 3rd time because the School Administration was not keen on the turmoil
> caused by the students expressions of freedom and demands for change."
>
>
>
> Nice Barry! And yes, for anybody who cares, Barry is my son. Nepotism is
> always nice J And for anybody who may have questioned the "Trojan Horse"
> character of OS, Barry's story should be interesting.
>
>
>
> I think this story sharply focuses the dilemma most of us face when
> offering to open space. Specifically: Who is our client? The traditional
> answer, of course, is whoever is paying the bill, which is typically the
> sponsor. In service to the client, it is understandable that we should try
> to shape Open Space to fit their needs and expectations. This will often
> take the form of identifying, and staying within, or away from, what some
> have called the "Givens." Those things which supposedly can't be changed or
> even talked about. But just suppose that those "Givens" are EXACTLY the
> thing(s) that must be talked about if the participants are to experience
> their own power and potential in order to bring their full force to bear on
> the resolution of  whatever difficulties the organization in question may
> be facing?
>
>
>
> This can get pretty existential, not to say painful should it becomes
> clear that the sponsoring organization is only a degree or two away from
> being a prison camp - that most of the difficulties they have identified
> with morale, creativity, lack of emergent leadership, innovation, etc. are
> precisely what one would predict in the circumstances. And of course, one
> of the "Givens," spoken or unspoken, is that the prison guards and senior
> staff are not to be questioned. Fortunately this sort of situation doesn't
> happen all the time, but when it does, what to do?
>
>
>
> I don't think there is any easy answer, at least I never found one. You
> can, of course, refuse to do the Open Space. But that leaves you in the
> uncomfortable position of deserting a bunch of fellow human beings
> wallowing in a miserable situation. Fortunately for our peace of mind, most
> such organizations will back out of doing an Open Space before you are
> confronted with the issue, but not always. Then what?
>
>
>
> For whatever it is worth, I have always made it clear to clients/sponsors,
> especially in such situations described above, that they are my client up
> until the time we actually open Space. From that time on my allegiance is
> to the integrity of "The Space" as a place where every person and every
> issue is honored, welcomed, and respected. After all that is what I mean by
> open space. Of course, The Powers that be can shut the space down. And if
> that is their choice, I leave. The Law of Two Feet applies across the board.
>
>
>
> I have only had to "walk" once, and I think that is due to the fact that I
> made my position very clear before we started. But I do have to say there
> were several situations where I came very close. Nervous making and painful
> for sure, but Hey - That's why we get paid the big bucks. J
>
>
>
> 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 <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20>
>
> www.ho-image.com <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 *Barry Owen
> *Sent:* Thursday, January 30, 2014 1:39 PM
>
>
> *To:* World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] Open Space classrooms
>
>
>
> Tricia,
>
>
>
> I have done exactly this with a local MBA program
>
> It worked so well that they didn't invite me back after the 3rd time
> because the School Administration was not keen on the turmoil caused by the
> students expressions of freedom and demands for change.
>
>
>
> My "Way" was simply to Open Space as if it were a 3 Full Day Event.
>
> This Time/Place Post-it matrix reflected what any 3 day event would have
> (Opening - Sessions - Lunch - Sessions - Evening News - Party . . . ending
> with Closing)
>
> The opening was normal - No difference than if it were the full 3 days
>
> Each time I did it, the groups of 30ish students posted @ 30 Issues
>
> We had time for 1 session (45 minutes) and had 4 Break-out spaces
>
> Then we had Evening News.
>
>
>
> At the end of evening news, I simply made the suggestion that they could
> complete the remaining 26 sessions at other times. What happened was
> unfathomable to me and the sponsoring Professor . . . The students
> self-organized and DID arrange times and places (Coffee Shops) and
> "completed" the sessions on the wall in a period of about 3 weeks.
>
>
>
> The topic all three times was centered around "Rankings of MBA programs
> and how their MBA program could improve their standings"
>
>
>
> The School Administrators were always invited but never showed up, and
> they had all the power and squashed all efforts by the students to effect
> change . . . I think the professor was ultimately forced to describe Open
> Space Technology rather than demonstrating.
>
>
>
> DO-IT
>
>
>
> You'll have a blast.
>
>
>
> Best,
>
>
>
> b
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 1:30 PM, Tricia Chirumbole <
> tricia at mojocollaborative.com> wrote:
>
> Hi all!
>
>
>
> I am writing to request your advice and experiences with open space in
> classrooms - this is for a one time MBA class.
>
>
>
> *the upcoming engagement:*
>
> I have been invited to hold an Open Space style class for
> MBA/International Affairs students in a Global Perspectives class on Feb
> 24th at George Washington University (my former MBA program). The standing
> theme of this class in the prof's curriculum is, "Putting it all together"
>
>
>
> *background: *
>
> This invite was born from discussions I have been having with the
> professor of the aforementioned class, about the opportunities of
> introducing some Open Space and Scrum practices into their MBA program -
> she is also the Associate Dean and involved in program development.
>
>
>
> My real interest was to explore opportunities not just for actual
> classroom time, but also for other components, such as: The kick-off
> orientation week for FT MBAs, Curriculum/program planning, and for
> executing projects. My pet titles include: Hacking my MBA, and the Agile
> Classroom.
>
>
>
> *the conundrum: *So, this is cool, BUT, I am concerned about the short
> time frame (2.5 hours) and the isolated nature of the engagement.
>
>
>
> I would very much like anyone's direct experience or insight on holding
> classes OS style or holding similarly short, one-off Open Space
> engagements. I know they are done, I can envision how I would do it, but I
> still feel concerned that I may have jumped on low hanging fruit that may
> not be the best format for sharing these practices.
>
>
>
> For me, I can definitely see open space style classes and "agile"
> classrooms w/out multi-day OS summits, but I see them flourishing more as
> part of an ecosystem of principles and cultures being practiced, rather
> than as a one-off classroom brouhaha!
>
>
>
> All thoughts welcome - thank you in advance! :)))))
>
>
>
> Tricia Chirumbole
>
> Open Space Facilitator, Certified Scrum Master
>
> Mojo Collaborative
>
> www.mojocollaborative.com
>
>
>
> 571-232-0942
>
> skype: tricia.chirumbole
>
> twitter: @themojozone
>
>
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