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<p>Meg Salter wrote:
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<font face="Arial"><font size=-1>First
of all - hello to all! I believe this is my first time speaking up with
this group, though I have been following the conversations avidly for some
months.Your spirit and words are a real inspiration, and often a good laugh
too!</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Here's the situation.
I am a member of a local professional group "ACCORD" (Association for Creative
Change and Organizational Renewal and Development - what a mouthful!) It
is a small, primarily Toronto/ southern Ontario based group of OD types,
some academics, community people, a few students, etc. - in my experience,
a neat group of people! About half are self-employed consultants (like
myself!) The organization has offered inexpensive learning programs with
leading edge types, and opportunites for networking and informal learning.They
have also had, at least some of the time, a focus on spirit. Their "Spirit
at Work" conference in '96 is still talked about (I believe Harrison, that
you gave a session there!).</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Anyway,
the organization is unravelling, membership declining, program attendance
declining, $ dwindling........... the usual. I am on a task force of volunteers
that have agreed to advise the Board on the road they should follow/ the
type of large scale intervention they should use to engage the membership
and determine their future - if they have one! I am going to present how
Open Space would work..... and then we'll see if that is the way they want
to go!</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>SO - here is
the question!! How do you provide the opportunity for input and participation
from those who can't actually attend the OS day(s)? Many of the membership
are self-employed consultants, who book their time well in advance, or
may be struggling financially and can't afford to give up billable time.
Other members or ex- members may care about the issues, but not enough
to give up their time!!</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>I
was thinking to include with the invitation:</font></font><font face="Arial"><font size=-1> 1)a
fax-back/ e-mail back response sheet (e.g. "give us your thoughts around...theme...)
which could then be posted on the marketplace, and sorted and incorporated
by those there in person, as they saw fit and</font></font><font face="Arial"><font size=-1> 2)a
tick list indicating their desired degree of involvement in action going
forward</font></font><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>I've also been pondering
some sort of dial-in teleconferencing input, e.g. at agenda creation time,
and at convergence time, but I don't like this as much because it creates
the illusion of involvement without any real responsibility.</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>I'd
really appreciate your feedback and ideas on how to create opportunities
for involvement for those who truly care, but just cannot be there at the
time. (For those who don't care - well that's a different story!)</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Many
thanks........ I'm looking forward to some interesting stuff!</font></font> <font face="Arial"><font size=-1>Meg
Salter</font></font><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>MegaSpace Consulting</font></font><font face="Arial"><font size=-1>416-486-6660</font></font><font face="Arial"><font size=-1><a href="mailto:meg.salter@sympatico.ca">meg.salter@sympatico.ca</a></font></font>
<br>Dear Meg,
<p> From the perspective of a member of Accord for six years,an
Open Space Facilitator and a human being ;here are my thoughts-
<p>-whoever comes are the right people ( even sole practitioners will find
the space to come if the passion is there) so I wouldn"t to try hear the
voices of members at that time. You are doing a lot of survey work anyway.
<br>-whatever happens is the only thing that could have( I remember Harrison
telling a story about a company that decided to close after being in Open
Space )
<br>-the facilitator should come from outside ACCORD membership
<br>I was involved in the Organization Spirit at Work conference The Open
Space facilitated by Larry Peterson.You can contact me at any time
to discuss
<br>my experiences. Thank you , Meg, for working so diligently on
this.
<p>Audrey Coward
<br>Audrey Coward & Associates
<br>Catalysts for Change
<br>2281F Lakeshore Blvd.W
<br>The Mews at Grand Harbour
<br>Toronto,Ontario
<br>M8V1A6
<br>(416)259-6215
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