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<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Hello Meg,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>I'm empathetic to your desire to "make things
work". I sometimes find myself trying to rekindle what has been
valuable in the past, but slowly dying in the present. As I go
through the agonizing stage of "what can I do to make this work", I
remember the message from Meg Wheatley in her book <U>A Simpler
Way.</U> She describes three continuous cycles that human systems
naturally experience to survive. Human systems are dynamic; they organize,
disorganize and reorganize, then repeat the cycle, based on a component of chaos
theory. </FONT><FONT size=2>Perhaps your volunteer task team (those who
can, will and want to be there) is the special catalyst to
"reorganize" and facilitate a transformation. It might be nice
to give those who cannot be there an opportunity to submit their ideas, by
whatever means (mail, e-mail, etc.), but after that effort, remember
"whoever comes is the right people", as one of Harrison's OS
principles state. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><B></B></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Good luck, Meg. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><B></B></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2>Bev McCarthy</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT><FONT size=2>Ashford Group,
Inc.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>7398 St. Ives Place</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>West Chester, Ohio 45069</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><A
href="mailto:beverly@ashfordgroup.com">beverly@ashfordgroup.com</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=2>(513) 759-9255
phone</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#000000 size=2></FONT><FONT size=2>(513 624-7530
fax</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><B>-----Original Message-----</B><BR><B>From:
</B>Meg Salter <<A
href="mailto:meg.salter@sympatico.ca">meg.salter@sympatico.ca</A>><BR><B>To:
</B><A
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A>
<<A
href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</A>><BR><B>Date:
</B>Wednesday, August 02, 2000 4:17 PM<BR><B>Subject: </B>Request for Advice -
Contributing to an OS when you can't be there<BR><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"></FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was thinking</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>
to include with the invitation:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 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></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> 2)a tick list indicating their desired
degree of involvement in action going forward</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>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></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many thanks........ I'm looking forward to some
interesting stuff!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Meg Salter</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>MegaSpace Consulting</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>416-486-6660</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A
href="mailto:meg.salter@sympatico.ca">meg.salter@sympatico.ca</A></FONT></DIV>
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