[OSList] The OpenSpace Agility Handbook

[Daniel Mezick via OSList]

About a month ago, the OPENSPACE AGILITY ("OSA") HANDBOOK quietly 
published on Amazon in print and Kindle formats. It's a book about using 
Open Space to actually "scale Agile." In case you do not know, everyone 
wants to "scale Agile." It's a kind of worldwide quest right now. Like 
the Holy Grail?

As it turns out, self-organization is what /actually /scales. Who'd a 
thunk it?

If you want, you can take a look at this little book here. It contains a 
really, really nice Foreword from Mr. Harrison!

Special thanks to Harrison Owen, and co-authors Mark Sheffield, Deborah 
Pontes, Louise Kold-Taylor and Harold Shinsato!

http://www.amazon.com/OpenSpace-Agility-Handbook-Daniel-Mezick/dp/0984875336




The OSA approach is being used at places like INTUIT, Capital One, 
ASCAP.com, and many smaller organizations.


*The basic idea of OSA is to use Open Space during the earliest stages 
of a contemplated Agile adoption.* And to invite some experiments. And 
to inspect that. Again in Open Space. And to keep doing that, 
periodically, on a regular, enterprise-wide, iterative cadence.

For two big reasons:

  * *First*, to engage as many people as possible in "problem-solving",
    as soon as possible. Via something called "invitation."
  * *Second*, to help solve the extremely complicated
    coordination-problems that are the biggest impediment to "scaling
    Agile."


As it turns out, *l**arge-scale **ritual events like Open Space create 
something called "common knowledge."* Common knowledge is a very big 
deal. Common knowledge can actually solve the very complicated 
coordination problems involved in scaling Agile across teams, 
departments and entire enterprises. OpenSpace Agility uses 
enterprise-wide Open Space events-- /rituals/-- to generate common 
knowledge. (The "common knowledge" concept and it's relation to 
"en-masse-ritual" is described in an obscure yet fascinating little 
book, entitled RATIONAL RITUAL, if you might be led to investigate this 
further.)



*You might be surprised to learn that using Open Space to structure 
"enterprise-wide Agile adoptions" is NOT a common practice whatsoever in 
the Agile community right now. *Not at all. Far from it. Truth be told, 
many dismiss this idea of "starting in Open Space" without even trying 
it...not even one time. Perhaps the perceived loss of control is a major 
source of anxiety? Or something. Not sure.

*What we know for sure is that the common practice in Agile practice 
today is an authoritative top-down prescription.* For formally 
authorized leaders to tell everyone in the organization exactly what 
they "should" do, to achieve very high levels of collaboration and 
"self-organization" across the enterprise. This "mandated collaboration" 
usually involves some kind of pre-fab, prescriptive, "framework" that is 
mandated for use by executives. Willing consultants and coaches who sell 
services in the prescribed approach complete the picture.



OSA offers a fresh, effective and inviting alternative to the 
commonly-used, authoritative, top-down, prescriptive approach.

There is one problem (a "bug") with the OpenSpace Agility approach, 
however: it depends on Open Space.

As it turns out, totally depending on Open Space is not really bug. It's 
actually a feature!

Because self-organization is what actually scales.

*Web site:*
http://www.OpenSpaceAgility.com



*NOTE:* Those who might have questions about OSA are invited to 
participate in a live video Q&A session on OSA. It happens Thursday, 
11/30/2015 at 4PM EST.

Attendance is limited to 16 total participants. You can learn more about 
the Q&A-on-OSA event, and register, here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/openagileadoption/permalink/506939459466477/



You are also invited to ask your questions right here on OSLIST. If you 
ask a few, I am sure Mark & Louise & Harold and the other co-authors 
here are interested in fielding all your questions right here, right now.

Regards,
Daniel

Contact info:
http://www.DanielMezick.com

Note: The public OpenSpace Agility group on Facebook is located here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/openagileadoption/






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