[OSList] Research OST

Thu Feb 23 12:28:22 PST 2017

Great summary Harrison of what is OST and what is not OST. it is a
significant challenge to find what is actually an OST meeting. One of the
reasons I created our workshop Working With OST is to make that distinction
very clear to all who participate with us. OST facilitated well requires
understanding the essence of what is created...and never as the facilitator
violating that essence. People have referred to me as a 'purist' and that
is fine by me. I believe in OST just as you created it. I do not believe in
the variations having the same outcomes. When something is added before OST
or after OST, they are not OST...and helping a group of people be
absolutely clear when the actual OST begins and when it ends is part of
what we are very careful about.

We have developed a complimentary method, Whole Person Process
Facilitation, to use when OST is not the right method...and yet is based on
as little intervention as possible, and creating 'maximum choice, maximum
freedom' to the degree possible. Unfortunately, after the meetings, people
will say 'we want another one of those open space meetings. They feel that
the space is open and like to refer to it that way. I cannot do anything
about this conclusion that people make, and it is not OST.

I also think that a disservice was done when OST was being looked at from
the lens of 'self organizing', one lens that applies certainly, and not the
only one...and in my perspective a rather limited one. The reason I say
this is a disservice is that too much effort was spent proving that self
organizing works, instead of proving through research and other means, that
OST works.

Having a clean hypothesis about OST as a useful, productive method that
achieves incredible results is more valuable that proving it works for some
particular reason.

My two cents on the subject,
Birgitt

On Thu, Feb 23, 2017 at 12:05 PM Harrison Owen via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> One of the questions I find myself asking of various "researchers," --
> What,
> exactly, are you looking at?
>
> Open Space has wandered and permutated globally, and taken 30+ years doing
> that. So lots of times the "Open Space" people say they are looking at
> (researching) has nothing to do with anything that I might call OST.
> Needless to say I don't own, but I did coin the phrase -- and arguably,
> I've
> spent more time fussing with OST than anybody else. Alternatives,
> Variations, Permutations are not wrong, bad, or immoral -- but are not OST.
> And in research "facts" do matter. Despite our current (US) administration.
> So for me, if you a going to do research on Open Space Technology (OST) --
> it  really needs to be done "by the book." The Book being, "Open Space
> Technology: A User's Guide 3rd Edition (Berrett- Koehler, 2008)" I might
> consider that the "Lab Book."
>
> The experimental procedure is clearly laid out.
>
> The "event" will be convened around an issue people seriously care about
> (Real issue - not pretend, made up, chosen at random).
>
> All participants will come in response to a Real Invitation. One they can
> refuse. No coercion. All are present because they choose to be there.
>
> Once present, participants will be invited to sit in a circle, create a
> bulletin board of the issues they care about, and the open a market place
> to
> make/confirm the times and places of meeting.
>
> The Facilitator will be present only at the beginning (1st 15 min.) and
> appear again only at the end (of the day or program). In other words, The
> facilitator will NEVER intervene. NEVER. Picking up coffee cups is
> appropriate. Otherwise, being "present and invisible" -- is the rule.
>
> Anything else... "Variants, Twists, Tweaks -- whatever ... is not OST.
> Could
> be great. May be fantastic. But it ain't OST.
>
> And when it comes to "results" the "researcher" might check "Wave Rider:
> Leadership for High Performance in a Self Organizing World." That would be
> my best effort at a Final Report for the 30 year experiment. Which doesn't
> make it perfect, right or anything special. But it might be a place to
> start.
>
> Harrison
>
>
>
> Winter Address
> 7808 River Falls Dr.
> Potomac, MD 20854
> 301-365-2093 <(301)%20365-2093>
>
> Summer Address
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>
> Websites
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> www.ho-image.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of
> Hege Steinsland via OSList
> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2017 10:54 AM
> To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
> Subject: [OSList] Research OST
>
> Hello.
> I`m working on an article about the experience with OST in Norwegian work-
> places, in particular municipalities.
> I wonder if there are som kind of overview of earlier research on the
> field,
> published and unpublished
>
> Would be great :-)
>
> All the best
> Hege Steinsland
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-- 

Birgitt Williams

President & Senior Consultant of Dalar International Consultancy, Inc.

http://www.dalarinternational.com

Co-founder of the Extraordinary Leadership Network
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