[OSList] OST: Public vs Private events: apples and oranges?

Michael Herman via OSList oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
Sun Apr 26 11:53:59 PDT 2015


it seems to me that the questions that might be raised a neighborhood or
professional conference can be every bit as complex, the people every bit
as diverse, and the passion just as high as in any organization where folks
are getting paid to show up.  the think organizations might be better at is
manufacturing a sense of urgency.  perhaps they do that by constricting
flow with deadlines and other constraints.

coming from the other direction, it might be said that in more diffused
settings, like communities and conferences, having the focus and bounding
that an invitation and circle and meeting date provide are as beneficial as
the opening in an organization.

this leaves aside the messiness of trying to decide where private becomes
public.  what about when companies open space with clients.  what is it
when the mayor of harrisonburg or the city of aspen or the school board in
peoria convenes the gathering(s)?

i guess i don't understand why it matters to determine if opening space is
more or less effective in organization or professional conference.  and i'm
not sure we can even know, even if it did matter.

in 2002, i facilitated only just a slice, one track, of the agile/xp
conference, for instance.  it was messy, for sure.  my briefing was from
the podium in front of a ballroom theater of 300 seated, having just heard
three hours of keynotes.  the wall and posters and all the trimmings were
around the corner and down the hall in another room that nobody'd seen yet.
 the actual posting of topics didn't happen until after they went to lunch
and some of them came over to the room i'd prepared.

it seemed to work and not.  it was a little weird for me and yet there was
much of the familiar energy and self-organizing.  that said, i was quite
surprised, EIGHT years later, one of the agile alliance board members told
me he thought that it had been hugely successful and with important results
that were continuing.  that's an unscientific sample and it wasn't the only
contributing factor, but that we did it did seem to matter, and contribute
something to the connection between agile and open space.

IF we all agreed that there was something very different about public and
private os meetings, WHAT would that accomplish or imply?  what would we do
differently?  what difference would it make in our practicing?  would we
stop facilitating conferences or community events?  probably not, i think.
 would we open differently in organizations and communities?  well, i think
we already probably open a bit differently in every different place we go.
 it's always starts with whatever people are there in a new place where
we're invited to work.  i'm not sure where this can lead us.

wondering, daniel, is this an exploration of uncharted territory or are you
laying the groundwork for a larger story.  IF what you say is absolutely
true, where do we go?  can we go there even if the answer is "maybe?"

m




--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 (mobile)

http://MichaelHerman.com
http://OpenSpaceWorld.org


On Sun, Apr 26, 2015 at 12:43 PM, Daniel Mezick via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

>  Yo Harrison,
>
> Where are you lately hearing about 'scaling up' OST?
>
> I'm interested in knowing the origin of that.
>
> Daniel
>
> On 4/26/15 12:12 PM, Harrison via OSList wrote:
>
>  To add a bit... The 4 (actually 5) “preconditions” were simply what I,
> and others, had observed to be the situation. I can’t actually remember,
> but I think my original motivation was to question what seemed to be the
> conventional wisdom regarding what it took to have a good meeting. I think
> we all know the drill – there should be a clear agenda, closely ordered
> procedure, something close to absolute control, and the like. With thoughts
> like these in mind, Open Space was not only counterintuitive, but wrong,
> dangerous, and obviously heretical. What we were experiencing was
> definitely a horse of a different color.
>
>
>
> And yes, Jeff, there is certainly no “requirement” that all conditions be
> at maximum red alert. That said, if none are present there would seem to be
> little reason have a meeting, let alone Open Space. After all who would
> want to waste the time when there was no business issue, everything was
> crystal clear, everyone thought exactly the same way, no passion or
> conflict, and the sense of urgency non-existent? Sounds like a non-starter
> to me. Then again it constantly amazes me that every day in organizations
> all over the world folks hold meetings just because you are supposed to. Is
> it any wonder that people are bored, disengaged, and cynical?
>
>
>
> But actually what really got me excited was when I realized that my “5
> Preconditions” almost exactly paralleled the essential preconditions for
> self organization as described by Stuart Kauffmann and others. That made a
> connection which produced my greatest learning in and about Open Space. It
> is all self organization. It is not a process we/I created, invented, or
> whatever. All we actually “do” is to invite people to remember what they
> have been doing for ever. Well at least for the last 13.7 billion years.
>
>
>
> And just for a tag line .... to those who might be thinking about “scaling
> up” Open Space, I would suggest you save your energy. It’s already
> happened. It is all self organizing. It is all open space. Of course it is
> true that things get pretty sloppy and gooey when we set about organizing a
> self organizing system. Oh well.
>
>
>
> 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 <http://%20www.openspaceworld.com>
>
> www.ho-image.com
>
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>
>
> *From:* OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
> <oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org>] *On Behalf Of *Jeff Aitken via
> OSList
> *Sent:* Sunday, April 26, 2015 11:31 AM
> *To:* Daniel Mezick; World wide Open Space Technology email list
> *Subject:* Re: [OSList] OST: Public vs Private events: apples and oranges?
>
>
>
> Hi Daniel. When Harrison's four conditions came out way back when, I
> imagined them as a way to tell a client that even in the most challenging
> situation it's quite possible that Open Space will work very well. In other
> words, don't hesitate to consider it, even if you're afraid things are just
> too messy to try this strange new process.
>
>
>
> Having hosted and seen many great open spaces in which the scores were
> low, so to speak,  I never took seriously that these are absolute
> preconditions. To me they are a kind of inoculation against a prospective
> sponsor being afraid to make that phone call or send that email.
>
>
>
> With lots of appreciation for your good work
>
>
>
> Jeff
>
> Lagunitas, California
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Daniel Mezick via OSList
> Date:04/26/2015 6:20 AM (GMT-08:00)
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> Subject: [OSList] OST: Public vs Private events: apples and oranges?
>
> Greetings All,
>
> ...I notice these well-worn, well-understood set of starting conditions
> for great Open Space, on Wikipedia...hmm...
>
> <WIKIPEDIA>
> Hundreds of Open Space meetings have been documented.[4]
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology#cite_note-4>[5]
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology#cite_note-5> Harrison
> Owen explains that this approach works best when these conditions are
> present,[3]
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Space_Technology#cite_note-OST-3>
> namely high levels of
>
>    1. *Complexity*, in terms of the tasks to be done or outcomes achieved;
>    2. *Diversity*, in terms of the people involved and/or needed to make
>    any solution work;
>    3. *Conflict, real or potential*, meaning people really care about the
>    central issue or purpose; and
>    4. *Urgency*, meaning that the time to act was "yesterday".
>
> </WIKIPEDIA>
>
>
> In an organization, we could work with formally authorized leaders to
> gauge the magnitude of each dimension. So for example we could gauge or
> rank the magnitude, with 1 being lowest and 10 being the highest magnitude
> for gauging each dimension. For a really nice opportunity to use Open
> Space, we might be looking for a combined score of, say, 32 or higher (out
> of a possible 40)
>
>
>
> The Public Conference Event
>
> Now let's consider the PUBLIC conference event. What is the typical
> combined score in a public conference... for these 4 elements? I am
> guessing the combined score is something like 20 or lower for the typical
> conference event. Maybe 25 out of a perfect 40? The cohesion is just
> (generally speaking!) *so much lower* in a public vs org-based (private)
> event...
>
>
> <HERESY>
> And that is why I think OST is for "development and transformation in
> organizations" (that actual subtitle of the SPIRIT book) and that it is not
> at all as effective, in terms of impact, when implemented in a public
> conference.
> </HERESY>
>
> I am guessing the scores for the 4 dimensions are almost always be lower
> in a public vs. private event.
>
> Certainly that is my general subjective observation, based on a small
> sample of direct experience (less than 20 experiences doing OST inside
> corporations...)
>
> ...Yes: some exceptions do exist. As is almost always the case. Right?
> That said, I feel these exceptions prove the general rule... that private
> events have a much higher combined score, all else being equal.
>
> Ironically, the OST format was originally formulated to ease the effort
> required to arrange and execute public conference events.
>
> And then....
>
>
> Daniel
>
>  --
>
>  Daniel Mezick, President
>
> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>
> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
>
> Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>. Blog
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>
> Examine my new book:  The Culture Game
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>
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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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