[OSList] Brief OST Case Studies - Feel Free to Add

Sun Sep 29 11:28:44 PDT 2019

Hi Rob,
When writing a proposal in response to an rfp, I have the practice of
listing the outputs that the client can expect, usually based on what they
state they are looking for. And then I add a 'value added' segment that
speaks about the outcomes. I make the case that says while we are working
on the desired outputs, a byproduct of the way we work is a significant
list of outcomes...that it is the way we work that makes a difference that
affects the culture and that getting these outcomes doesn't cost a penny
extra!

Thank you for your post,
Birgitt

*Birgitt Williams*
*Supporting Next Level Leadership "Leading So People Will Lead"*
Author, Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc
<http://www.dalarinternational.com/>
Founder Genuine Contact Program
<http://www.dalarinternational.com/genuine-contact>
Co-owner Genuine Contact Group, LLC
<https://genuinecontact.net/about/co-owners/>
Founder Extraordinary Leadership Network
<http://www.extraordinaryleadershipnetwork.com/>

*Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and
working in the new leadership paradigm "Leading So People Will Lead"*

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On Sat, Sep 28, 2019 at 10:19 PM Robert Chaffe via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> Birgitt,
> Thank you for your comments as you refer to "outcomes" or things that
> happened under the influences beyond your control.  Some use the words
> "surprises" or "unexpected".  These are often the game changers.
>
> Why do we not have a great list of these things?   I think it is because
> we are often contracted to do a job in a very complex system involving many
> "jobs".  In "Who moved my Cheese"  we are reminded that the prudent
> operator spends some time looking around and checking the environment and
> changes.  In the business world this level of thinking is not common.  The
> Fortune 500 group do this and "we" developed a program called "Group
> Business Visits" that got business people out of their own business and
> into another business to confidentiality review that business and its
> practices, direction etc.   A very powerful process and one that is much
> valued by those who have chosen to us it.  "To see ourselves as other see
> us" and to be humble enough to accept what is said.
>
> The breakdown in most contracts is that the focus is on "outputs" things
> that can be directly controlled.    Systemic integrated evaluation is
> uncommon in most contracts and that is where this "outcome" data comes from.
>
> In our "irrigation Futures" project the contact was for specific outputs
> over three years.  We engaged over 500 people in a wide range of
> conversations and meetings at a time when the allocation of irrigation
> water in South East Australia was under significant review (cities were
> running out if water) at the same time a massive deregulation of the dairy
> industry was undertaken.  The major secondary industries in the irrigation
> area process milk fruit and vegetables was under considerable strain with
> over $100 million put in to prop up one industry alone.
> The participants of our workshops included all levels of management in
> primary and secondary industries and the wider community.
> 80% of the dairy farms have disappeared one process company worth over
> $900 million was sold for under $30 million.  many smaller dairy processing
> plants closed.  Once viable towns struggle to field their own football
> teams and empty shops are everywhere.
> I am sure that around the globe this story can be told in many places
> about the local primary and secondary industries.  The big difference in
> our case was all these changes were identified and discussed as plausible
> possibilities and appropriate responses generated.  OST was used
> extensively to work through issues and opportunities and complexity was the
> order of the day.
> Consequences have been the adjustments in this multi billion dollar
> industry area of Australia have been in  some way based on prior
> discussions the people involved had had.
> The surprise moment came when the local member stood up in defense of her
> community and publicly denounced  the leader of her party and the prime
> minister in the Parliament House  for telling a lie about her community.
> This is not your normal outcome from a process as it reflects that the
> local member has the support of the whole community and that she could
> speak out safely about issues that needed to be addressed.
>
> Regretfully we had limited fund to continue on annual debrief sessions to
> capture the changes and the growth of the community.  The outcome referred
> to has now resulted in the election of independents in once very strongly
> held conservative party areas in the electorates in the irrigation
> districts involved.
>
> Dis OST cause this? It is certainly drawing a long bow to even think this
> way.  As the facilitator of this multi million dollar project I believe
> that as the participants learned the art of conversation and truly valued
> others inputs while not seeking single answers we had a community that was
> ready and able to adapt to change.  Change that has completely changed
> their community and their ability to do business.
>
> I am sure others have similar stories, and when you see them in this short
> form the response is  this is not possible.   The next thing is to retreat
> back to the area of outputs where there is a high level of control and keep
> things simple.   I say beware when the time has come for an idea to express
> itself and one thing that OST does is lift the lid on issues and
> opportunities.
> Again in "who moved my Cheese" we need to lift our head and be brave
> enough to say "wrong paddock or field" when things are coming up roses.
> OST does expand the writing on the wall and we avoid this at our peril.
>
> One other issue is that we are always ready to blame things like OST for
> poor outputs, a scapegoat.  When things work and we have outstanding
> outcomes we must include OST as part of the fabric of success.  How much we
> include it is dependent on the faith of the decision makers and their
> openness to the power of good process.
>
> Much longer than I wished.  The outcomes from OST events and process are
> far reaching and very powerful we should try and track them through good
> evaluation process.
>
> Regards
> Rob
>
> On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 at 10:37, Birgitt Williams via OSList <
> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>
>> Hi Jake,
>> I appreciated the way that you organized this case study data. I
>> appreciated a lot that the way that you reported the data gives OST its due
>> credit while simultaneously not claiming that it does more than it does in
>> a given business situation. Mostly it is presented a a chosen tool/method
>> for specific tasks within larger business processes, thus showing one
>> aspect of the versatility and value of OST.
>>
>> I feel that the case studies would be enhanced if there was an addition
>> of a category that I refer to as 'outcomes'. These outcomes are the
>> additional qualitative benefits that emerge. People have a shared
>> experience of their leadership, vision, community, and management in ways
>> that surpass what they assumed was possible. Something happens within that
>> OST meeting that cannot be unremembered or undone.
>>
>> in genuine contact,
>> Birgitt
>>
>> *Birgitt Williams*
>> *Supporting Next Level Leadership "Leading So People Will Lead"*
>> Author, Senior Consultant, President Dalar International Consultancy, Inc
>> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/>
>> Founder Genuine Contact Program
>> <http://www.dalarinternational.com/genuine-contact>
>> Co-owner Genuine Contact Group, LLC
>> <https://genuinecontact.net/about/co-owners/>
>> Founder Extraordinary Leadership Network
>> <http://www.extraordinaryleadershipnetwork.com/>
>>
>> *Learn with us for your skill and capacity development for leading and
>> working in the new leadership paradigm "Leading So People Will Lead"*
>>
>> Upcoming learning module: Working with Open Space Technology
>> <https://www.dalarinternational.com/curriculum/open-space-technology/>.
>> Three different learning options to learn a process for facilitating
>> meetings that engage the people. Self-Study + One-to-One Mentoring +
>> Mentoring Circle; Self-Study + Real-Time Workshop + Mentoring Circle;
>> and Self-Study + Real-Time Workshop + One-to-One Mentoring + Mentoring
>> Circle with real time workshop dates three consecutive Fridays from 9am
>> to 12:30pm EST on October 18, 25, and November 1st.
>>
>> PO Box 19373, Raleigh, NC, USA 27613
>> Phone: 01-919-522-7750
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 20, 2019 at 7:17 PM Jake Yeager via OSList <
>> oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi everyone,
>>>
>>> I've compiled OST case studies in a brief format
>>> <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rgdvm6APRQ1ne-ipTBK5lnCc89PsFXEuieL2phwQDTw/edit?usp=sharing>
>>> that I find useful for contracting. Others might too.
>>>
>>> I compiled them from Open Space World, the User's Guide, and Tales from
>>> Open Space.
>>>
>>> Feel free to add.
>>>
>>> Much love,
>>> Jake
>>> ________________
>>>
>>> When the mind is quiet, the sun of your heart will shine once again, and
>>> you will be free of problems.
>>>  - Robert Adams <http://www.robert-adams.info/>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
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>
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