[OSList] OSList Digest, Vol 48, Issue 1
Dirk Velten via OSList
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Sat Apr 11 13:05:12 PDT 2015
Greetings,
I will be incommunicado for the next week I (well, more incommunicado than usual) and plan to be back in action as of Monday April 20th.
Cheers,
Dirk
On Apr 11, 2015, at 3:05 PM, via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Re: Grief, Griefwork and Renewal -- The core of our work, I
> think (Daniel Mezick via OSList)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 11 Apr 2015 06:54:08 -0400
> From: Daniel Mezick via OSList <oslist at lists.openspacetech.org>
> To: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> Subject: Re: [OSList] Grief, Griefwork and Renewal -- The core of our
> work, I think
> Message-ID: <5528FD50.3040905 at newtechusa.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"; Format="flowed"
>
> Hi All, Hi Harrison,
>
> I continue to watch this thread carefully since it first appeared.
> (Thank you for it Harrison...)
>
>
> And I am noticing this thread is not really catching fire...yet.
>
>
> I first ran into the org-level griefwork concept in the SPIRIT book.
>
> Since then I've been paying close attention to how grief might actually
> be playing out in process-change initiatives in my own work "coaching"
> Agile in organizations.
>
> And after doing this for more than a few years, I conclude that yes,
> indeed, the grief cycle is often behind (or underneath) what is going on.
>
> And the reality is that this org-grief concept is what informed the
> early stages of the design of Open Agile Adoption (OAA,) a method to get
> a rapid & lasting Agile adoption.
>
> Ditto for Prime/OS, a method for gently introducing any kind
> process-change into any kind organization.
>
>
>
> Now the reality is that, in my experience, typical executives in typical
> orgs are not ready to talk to about PLAY. So I have to use the word
> "experimentation" instead.
>
> And they are not ready for the concept of "self organization" so I have
> to use "high performance" instead.
>
> Given this reality, it's unlikely these execs- the folks who write the
> checks- are ready, willing and able to discuss grief and griefwork. (I
> tried it once and it didn't take.)
>
> All of that said, the design of OAA with before/after Open Space and 100
> days in between is greatly informed by the griefwork content found in
> the SPIRIT book. I teach a module on grief in the OAA class and mention
> it a little bit in the forthcoming book, but do not go too far with it
> because, well, you know.
>
> But with OAA practitioners and teachers I do give the subject good
> treatment and tell the more complete story of how OAA is designed to
> deal in org-level grief of the development & evolution of organizations.
> As a result I am always sending them to that "cult classic", the SPIRIT
> book (!)
>
>
>
>
> Now this quote in Harrison's (and Peggy's) story about USWEST really hit me:
>
> /"...Shortly told, the situation was that a corporate wide redesign
> (Process Re-Engineering) *had failed massively *leaving anger,
> frustration and confusion in its wake.//"/
>
> Now as everyone knows I continuously rant on the futility of mandating
> "process-change" and "new practices" like Agile, without gaining the
> consent of the people affected by the change.
>
> I rant on and on about the way Agile adoptions are typically arranged
> from the top, in authority terms, and how the teams that do the work are
> assumed to be perfectly happy about this, and in fact love the new way
> of working.
>
> And how that is rarely (if ever) the case, and how that
> under-the-surface resistance (and even resentment) can and will just
> TORPEDO the best of intentions with respect to getting a rapid and
> lasting adoption.
>
>
>
>
>
> And so it was (and is) with some interest that I noted this report about
> "process re-engineering" in the USWEST story.
> I'm guessing the "re-engineering" was issued from "on-high."
>
> I'm also guessing that the people who were affected (that woudl be just
> about everyone,) were probably not consulted first.
>
> Probably not asked to express what they wanted, what they thought or
> what they felt about it.
>
> In other words, I'm guessing that "process re-engineering" at USWEST was
> implemented as a mandate, not an invitation.
>
> And that, for most participants, the experience was very triggering.
>
> And cause for more than a little grief.
>
> Kind of like the typical Agile adoption in the typical large corporation
> today?
>
>
> Lately I've been fond of saying:
>
> * Most change creates grief.
> * Most learning is change.
> * Therefore, most learning creates grief.
>
>
> Now, this may or may not be true. Either way- we know grief needs and
> wants to be processed.
>
> This seems to be especially true for organizations, and the USWEST story
> seems to bear this out.
>
> Unless I am totally wrong, and USWEST actually started in Open Space,
> and set aside about 100 days to try it out the "process re-engineering"
> stuff for a while, and then did another Open Space after that?
>
>
> And so: thanks again for this essay, Harrison. I am enjoying it.
>
>
> Daniel
>
>
>
> PS
> I notice that in the book REALITY IS BROKEN by Jane McGonigal, she lists
> various "happiness hacks" and one of them is: "reflect on your own
> passing, for 5 minutes a day." She claims that doing so tends to
> increase human happiness. Funny how that works...
>
>
>
> Related links:
> www.OpenAgileAdoption.com
> www.Prime-OS.com
>
>
>
>
>
> On 3/27/15 1:00 PM, Harrison via OSList wrote:
>
> Grief and Griefwork are central to the human experience and evolution.
> To the extent that Open Space is a useful forum in which human
> experience and evolution may take place, both grief and Griefwork are
> critical elements. The process itself cannot be rushed. It will
> proceed at its own pace through the several phases, none of which can
> be skipped or short changed, for each phase contributes an essential
> element towards the final goal, which is renewal. No doubt grief is
> painful, and the process itself is, as the name implies, real work,
> but it is good work. In totality, and contrary to the popular
> perception, it is not sad. Indeed it is triumphal, even joyful,
> creating the way for letting go of what has ended, and leading to new
> life. Not bad for a day?s work!
>
> The ground breaking work describing the Griefwork Process was done by
> Elizabeth K?bler-Ross in her 1969 book, ?On Death and Dying.? It was
> mind blowing. In one fell swoop she gave meaning to one of life?s most
> painful experiences: Grief. Yes it was, and is, a pain, but pain with
> genuine gain. From the terrible moments of ending, something innate
> draws us forward. From Shock and Anger, through Denial on to letting
> go and resolution. We move on. We don?t have to invent it, even think
> it. Happens all by itself, every time, and all the time ? if we just
> let it. And that is a critical point... we have to let it happen. We
> can slow it, even abort it, but doing so leaves us in a life of grief
> with no resolution.
>
> K?bler-Ross?s focus was on the individual response to Death. My focus
> has always been on the larger agglomeration of individuals which we
> call organizations, what they are and how they develop and transform.
> And the more I thought about it, and lived deeply in the heart of many
> organizations, it occurred to me that Griefwork was very much present
> and critical. At points of ending, all sorts of endings, the process
> would start, sometimes with the whole organization involved.
> Shock/Anger, Denial, Memories, Despair, Open Space, Vision ? those
> were my descriptors, and yes, Open Space had nothing to do with
> meetings. For me it was that incredible balance point between what was
> and what would become. I?ll spare you the details, but if you are
> interested it is all there in my first book, ?Spirit: Transformation
> and Development,? which is yours for a mouse click at
> http://openspaceworld.com/Spirit.pdf
>
> Open Space Technology was a late comer in all of this, definitely a
> funny thing on the way to the future ? until it began to dawn on me
> that everything I had experienced and described under the heading of
> Griefwork in Organizations showed up in that ?funny thing.? Which is
> why I ended up calling it /Open Space/. ?Technology? was merely an
> afterthought, and mostly a joke.
>
> When an organization is in deep pain caused by market shifts,
> corporate raiders, internal conflict, international disorder ?
> whatever ? The process of Griefwork kicks in. The initial response is
> shock and Anger, blame and confusion. ?They did it!? ?How could it
> happen to us?? Old ways end. New ways are much less than obvious. And
> the process rolls on! Should such an organization find itself sitting
> in a circle, creating a bulletin board... if would be fair to say that
> the Griefwork Process is the script of the emerging drama. Unwritten,
> unplanned, maybe unknown ? but very much there, if you just take a
> moment to see. And if you have never been in such a situation, you can
> in fact see it in a remarkable video of USWEST, thanks to Peggy
> Holman. http://vimeo.com/25251316
>
> Shortly told, the situation was that a corporate wide redesign
> (Process Re-Engineering) had failed massively leaving anger,
> frustration and confusion in its wake. In one part of the USWEST
> world, The State of Arizona, it had all gone critical. Somehow, Peggy
> Holman and her colleagues managed to bring in Open Space, which is
> marvelously depicted by the video. When asked to describe the course
> of events over the three day gathering, one participant said (in
> reference to the second day), ?Today I think we are searching for
> solutions for what we were bitching about yesterday.? There it is. The
> passage from shock and anger onto vision and renewal. But don?t just
> listen to the words. The ?body language? is even more compelling. In
> the opening circle you will see a phalanx of angry faces, arms folded,
> jaws set. Skip to the end and it is practically a love in. And no, we
> did not script it!
>
> Knowing that Griefwork is central to the fabric and flow of an Open
> Space is interesting. But becoming familiar with the essential
> elements of Griefwork and their contribution to the process of healing
> and renewal can provide a powerful point of insight for anyone who has
> undertaken the role of facilitator. It is not so much about guiding,
> or somehow directing, the process, which simply can?t be done. It is
> about deepening our awareness of what is actually taking place. At the
> very least this awareness will provide some comfort and orientation in
> an otherwise confusing situation for the facilitator.
>
> Should it occur, as it often does, that the first day is filled with
> acrimony, blame, and anger... all mixed with an apparent unwillingness
> to face the facts of ending, this is not something that can or should
> be ?fixed.? It is simply the age old process of Grief doing its work.
> The natural tendency to attempt soothing the rough waters, and bring
> about some ?rational? future oriented discussion will do no good at
> all, and in fact is counter-productive. The likely result is that the
> process will be aborted and driven underground. A superficial ?peace?
> may be restored, but genuine healing and renewal are denied.
>
> Comforting a fevered facilitator is the least of the gifts that
> knowledge of the Griefwork process confers. More important are the
> clues and cues such knowledge provides to the facilitator, guidance on
> the most effective ways to hold the space. When shock and anger are
> rampant, the critical role is to keep the space wide open. This means
> serious Presence and Invisibility, and if that seems to be too hard an
> assignment, I suggest the ?Chair Exercise.? Find a good solid chair,
> place it in an out of the way corner, but with a view of the action.
> Sit in the chair, and hold onto the seat with both hands ? HARD.
> Whenever you are tempted to jump in and solve the situation, go ahead
> but keep holding onto the chair. You will feel pretty ridiculous, but
> the lesson will be immediate. Sit Down!
>
> As the Work of Grief moves along, new opportunities for the
> facilitator will appear. This is not the time or place to list them
> all, and my best effort will be found in the second half of my last
> book, ?Wave Rider,? called the ?Wave Rider?s Guide to the Future.?
> http://www.amazon.com/Wave-Rider-Leadership-Performance-Self-Organizing/dp/1576756173/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427472738&sr=1-3&keywords=harrison+owen
> I am under no illusion that my efforts represent the ?Last Word,?
> indeed I sincerely hope that they will constitute an invitation to
> each and every one of you to explore and share your experience and
> findings.
>
> I am quite sure, however, that Griefwork is not a process we can
> design, program, or direct. It will happen as it always has ? on its
> own timetable. But we can help. Of more immediate concern is the fact
> that we will have massive opportunities for exploration and
> assistance. Any fair reading of our current world order (is that an
> oxymoron?) tells us that there will be a lot of endings, most of them
> painful, but all of them potential for new beginnings. We have a lot
> of work to do.
>
> Harrison
>
> Winter Address
>
> 7808 River Falls Drive
>
> Potomac, MD 20854
>
> 301-365-2093
>
> Summer Address
>
> 189 Beaucaire Ave.
>
> Camden, ME 04843
>
> 207-763-3261
>
> Websites
>
> www.openspaceworld.com <%20www.openspaceworld.com>
>
> www.ho-image.com
>
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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/>.
>
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