[OSList] Open Agile Adoption: wait, it gets better

Fri Oct 31 15:53:48 PDT 2014

Very inspiring Harold. And not at all surprising. We shall all carry on!
Thank you! Suzanne
On Oct 31, 2014 4:49 PM, "Harold Shinsato via OSList" <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

>  After attending Daniel Mezick's inaugural (and excellent) Open Agile
> Adoption (OAA) workshop, I got to drive just a couple hours to a beach in
> North Carolina. As I walked my head was swimming with how powerful Open
> Space can be, how much the Agile space is at this tipping point for
> realizing how forced Agile is just not working, and just can't work, and
> that OST can be a crucial ingredient, used effectively, in getting high
> engagement and a successful agile adoption.
>
> At Carolina Beach where I walked for miles and even got to swim, I watched
> dolphins and sting rays leap as I walked under the high fishing lines of
> hundreds of people with lines reaching high above me into the waters. Many
> storks and sea birds made dive bombing runs into the waves. Very fertile
> waters!
>
> I'm very excited about Prime-OS as to how it applies to engaging a client
> in Montana that are already sold on an Open Space. Unfortunately the IT
> centric leadership are more aware of unconferencing than of OST, and
> they're also ambivalent about Agile because of the frequent lukewarm or
> failed Agile adoptions at other enterprises.
>
> When Daniel unfurled the Prime-OS idea it was especially exciting -
> because the wisdom of Open Space goes well beyond any specific idea of how
> to improve the workplace - either Lean, Agile, Kanban, or what have you.
> OAA and Prime-OS fits so well with open space philosophy in letting the
> attendees figure it out. And since Prime-OS is using open source licensing,
> it's free to use, but illegal to derive works without giving attribution so
> people will always know where it comes from. And when OAA/Prime-OS infuses
> through the Agile community and beyond, it will help everyone know that OST
> is the true source of Unconferencing so they can benefit from the wisdom of
> Harrison Owen and this magnificent OSLIST community of practice.
>
> I hope folks take a little time to investigate and be ready to fish the
> fertile waters!
>
>     Regards,
>     Harold
>
> On 10/29/14 7:43 PM, Daniel Mezick via OSList wrote:
>
> Hi Suzanne,
>
> Thank you for your kind and encouraging response to these videos. It means
> a lot.
>
> We presented the course "Agile Success with Open Agile Adoption" at the
> Scrum Retreat in Raleigh NC on 10/27-28, sponsored and arranged by the
> Scrum Alliance. This event offered a huge opportunity to bring OAA with
> Open Space to the attention of about 85 external and internal Agile
> coaches. These are influential connectors who collectively touch thousands
> of people as they do their work. I printed 100 copies of the Open Agile
> Adoption Handbook, and gifted every single attendee with a copy.
>
> It is important to note at this time your observation, Suzanne:
>
> *"...introducing Agile in an Agile Open way is far better than mandating
> it.  The same would apply to all change management approaches outside of
> Scrum and Agile. "*
>
>
> YES, and, so interesting: others in the USA and Europe have made the very
> same observation. Coaches in Europe are using the OAA approach to introduce
> non-Agile process change. And early reports indicate it is working great.
> The OAA approach is broadly applicable, as the 'introducer' of any kind of
> process change.
>
> In light of the foregoing, the following developments are well underway:
>
> 1. The core structure (begin in Open Space, experimentation with
> new-process for 3++ months, then another Open Space to terminate a passage
> rite structure) has been isolated as a base class or foundation, called
> Prime/OS. This is now being published under an open source license, with
> all that open-source licensing implies. I have spoken about this here, in
> some detail, earlier. The core idea is found here:
> http://newtechusa.net/agile/culture-technology-wants-to-be-free/
>
> 2. OAA is built on top of Prime/OS and is in fact a derivative work. As
> such, OAA is also being published under an open source license, per the
> rules of the Prime/OS license. You can see that here: www.prime-os.com.
> What this means is that innovators are strongly encouraged to innovate,
> using Prime/OS as a foundation. Also to modify it and thus to improve it.
> OAA is an instance of an application that inherits Prime/OS as a basic
> foundation. The "OS" in Prime/OS stands for Open Space and Open Source.
>
> 3. Others who wish to create innovative derivative works like OAA are
> strongly encouraged to do so. As such they are first required to honor the
> terms of the Prime/OS open source license, or opt-out. Details on open
> source licensing here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_license
>
> 4. There are others with substantial "culture tech" that will soon be
> announcing availability of their work under open source licensing. This is
> an emerging movement, and is not a flash in the pan. "Culture technology
> wants to be free."
>
>
>
> It is important to understand that the opt-in invitational approach,
> inspired by Open Space (with the goal being learning via experimentation,
> with the only constraint being the 12 principles of the Agile Manifesto) is
> considered a heresy by the mainstream of the Agile movement. Repeat, this
> is considered heresy, as in "it cant work. It will not sell."
>
> Really?
>
>
> The "mainstreaming" of mandated Agile practices and forced-Agile adoptions
> and related Agile coaching is a huge industry now. There are lots of
> transactions and very few genuine transformations at scale. Yet the
> top-down mandate is easily generating at least $US 100MM per annum. I know
> of 2 outfits that are generating over 20MM each. This 100MM number is quite
> conservative.
>
>
>
> One consequence of OAA is that new demand for OST facilitation is being
> generated. The OAA method guides coaches to avoid the OST Facilitator role
> completely, in service to the org's overall learning. The guidance is to
> bring a skilled Facilitator in, instead. Coaches become "members of the
> family" and as such probably cannot be effective in the OST facilitator
> role. Since a typical OAA implementaton includes at least 3 OST events, the
> arithmetic is very simple: 1000 OAA implementations worldwide per year
> implies 3000 or more OST events inside organizations. OAA's guidance to
> coaches is to bring a new Facilitator into each event. This translates into
> much higher demand for skilled OST Facilitator services.
>
> It appears the Agile coaching community is about to tip, away from
> mandates and towards invitations. At the Scrum Coaching Retreat, I have
> found a core group of about 20 of the 80 attending who totally, totally get
> this and are making moves. The rest are getting introduced to the concepts
> via the book.
>
> This story is emerging, and the early adopters who bring this forward are
> writing it. It's these coaches from the Scrum Retreat and others who are
> IN. They are the emerging *authors* of the story and also the emerging
> *characters* in the story.
>
>
>
> The next thing to happen is the publication of many short testimonial
> videos along the lines of the 2 I have posted today. These will be posted
> as public YouTube videos that anyone anywhere can embed in their blogs and
> web pages.
>
> These are some exciting times we live in.
>
> Regards,
> Daniel
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 10/29/14 7:20 PM, Suzanne Daigle wrote:
>
>   Dan,
>
>  No questions on "what the heck" you are doing just unabashed kudos on
> these very compelling videos. A great gift!  Why was I so hooked?  Because
> of the seriousness of the discussions, the level of detail shared which
> demonstrates unequivocally the value and impact of Open Space to the work
> at hand. I also appreciated the comments around the difficulties of
> adjusting to the level of autonomy and freedom that is such a contrast to
> how organizations traditionally operate. You opened the space beautifully
> in the interviews which made it very safe for the interviewees to share so
> honestly and openly.
>
>  These videos also make the point in ways that words and assertions may
> not do as well, that introducing Agile in an Agile Open way is far better
> than mandating it.  The same would apply to all change management
> approaches outside of Scrum and Agile.
>
>   I was also so pleased to hear how what Agile was doing was also being
> felt by other areas (engineering I think is what one of the interviewees
> quoted).  I guess it is time for me to say: glad you've stuck to your guns.
> You were right which I never doubted though you also know how passionate I
> am introducing Open Space to other parts of the organization. Your work
> will indeed pave the way. Bravo!
>
>  Giving you full credit, do I have your permission to share these with
> clients?  I look forward to seeing the other videos.
>
>  Thanks again Dan.  So very very cool!
>
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 5:18 PM, Daniel Mezick via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
>>  Here are two short videos of people telling the tale of Open Agile
>> Adoption in their own words.
>>
>> The Open Agile Adoption process (http://www.OpenAgileAdoption.com)
>> begins and ends in Open Space. In between, people *play*...er, I mean
>> *experiment*...with Agile practices. For 3 or 4 months.
>>
>> They are free.
>>
>> However, the game does have one small constraint: the Agile Manifesto. So
>> long as what they are doing does not obviously conflict with the Agile
>> Manifesto principles, they are absolutely free to try absolutely any new
>> practice they want to try, in service to continuous improvement.
>>
>>
>> Video #1: Length 13 minutes.
>> A UX/Experience Design pro explains his skepticism and ultimate shift...
>> powered by Open Space.
>> https://twitter.com/DanielMezick/status/527506795968069632
>>
>> Video #2: Length 15 minutes.
>> A Product person explains what he thinks and feels before and after the
>> Open Agile Adoption process.
>> https://twitter.com/DanielMezick/status/527566037211176960
>>
>> Dozens more videos are on the way.
>>
>> I hope you find these 2 initial narratives interesting, and I welcome
>> your questions about what the heck I am doing.
>>
>> Regards,
>> Daniel
>>
>> New to the Manifesto? Here it is:
>> http://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Daniel Mezick, President
>>
>> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>>
>> (203) 915 7248 <%28203%29%20915%207248> (cell)
>>
>> Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>. Blog
>> <http://newtechusa.net/blog/>. Twitter
>> <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/>.
>>
>> Examine my new book:  The Culture Game
>> <http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/>: Tools for the
>> Agile Manager.
>>
>> Explore Agile Team Training
>> <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/> and Coaching.
>> <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/>
>>
>> Explore the Agile Boston <http://newtechusa.net//user-groups/ma/>
>> Community.
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
>  Suzanne Daigle
> Open Space Facilitator
> NuFocus Strategic Group
>
> FL 941-359-8877941-359-8877
> Cell: 203-722-2009203-722-2009
> www.nufocusgroup.com
> s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
> twitter @Daiglesuz
>  Call
> Send SMS
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>
>
> --
>
> Daniel Mezick, President
>
> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>
> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
>
> Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>. Blog
> <http://newtechusa.net/blog/>. Twitter
> <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/>.
>
> Examine my new book:  The Culture Game
> <http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/>: Tools for the Agile
> Manager.
>
> Explore Agile Team Training
> <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/> and Coaching.
> <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/>
>
> Explore the Agile Boston <http://newtechusa.net//user-groups/ma/>
> Community.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> --
> Harold Shinsato
> harold at shinsato.com
> http://shinsato.com
> twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>
>
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