<html>
At 12:36 AM 12/23/2001 -0500, Bruce wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Ah... right Harrison - I was
forgetting how Kathy does it.<br>
We just plunk the "max mix" in a room and let them fight
it<br>
out.. :) I guess I'm calling any "representative"
group<br>
that has been select as a cross section (vs selected by<br>
having a passion for an issue) a max/mix.</blockquote><br>
One of the essential keys to Open Space, in my experience, is
<u>voluntary self selection.</u> -- which insures that people are there
because they care to be there. Or if they don't care, they at least
understand who is making them miserable. I find that the closer we come
to genuine voluntary self-selection, the more powerful and effective the
group. Of course there are always those who say -- what about those with
"important" areas of expertise/authority/resources -- should
they not be compelled in some way to come? And yes, it would be nice if
they were present -- but expertise/authority/resources alone are
insufficient -- some one has to care to use them. This isn't about purity
of the process, it is really about simple pragmatic self-interest. It
works. At a deeper level, I find that there is also an opportunity for
real learning. Suddenly it becomes clear that our infatuation with
experts has some short comings. Sure knowledge is useful, but people who
care find knowledge, and experts who don't care tend to hide knowledge...
etc, etc.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Sometimes - and not always - when
we have been asked to work<br>
with a group the "management" is leary of Open Space -
and<br>
one key concern is that if we get all the staff together<br>
they it will just turn into a pissing match. I know that OS<br>
will work - You know that OS will work and yet still the<br>
fear of chaos reigns. In this case we did a max/mix<br>
session for 3 hours with 18 folk and did some small group<br>
work and some large group work and some dialogue and in the<br>
end got enough of a "preview" of the sorts of issues that<br>
the dept would raise in the larger session that the<br>
management team finally understood that a whole system event<br>
would not lead to chaos. In the end we got one day of<br>
tables of eight (max/mix) and one day of OS and a half day<br>
of convergence and that was as much space as the group could<br>
open. Before the max/mix session we were expecting 80 of<br>
the dept of 140 to show up (the rest had to provide support)<br>
after the max/mix session 135 people signed up for the 3 day<br>
off site and the group self organized an off site war room.<br><br>
I think it was a good thing. The max/mix was a bit of a<br>
safety net for them and the OS was a great experience. Next<br>
time I think they would be willing to go straight to OS. It<br>
would be great if we could find more clients who were ready<br>
and willing to go right into OS but we haven't solved that<br>
puzzle yet.</blockquote><br>
You are a better man that I am Charlie Brown, and certainly a more
patient one. I figure if folks really want to make themselves miserable,
and work in painful and non-productive ways that is their choice. I guess
this is where being an "old curmuddgin" comes in. My life is
too short and too sweet, and the global stakes are too high and too
dangerous to waste time with folks don't don't really want to get on with
the business. Thank goodness there are people like you
Bruce.<br><br>
Harrison <br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<div align="center">Harrison Owen<br>
7808 River Falls Drive<br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA<br>
phone 301-365-2093<br>
Open Space Training
<a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.com</a>
<br>
Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org/" eudora="autourl">www.openspaceworld.org</a><br>
Personal website <a href="http://www.mindspring.com/~owenhh" eudora="autourl">www.mindspring.com/~owenhh</a><br><br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
</u></font>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,<br>
view the archives of <font color="#0000FF"><u>oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu<br>
</u></font>Visit: <a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" eudora="autourl"><font color="#0000FF"><u>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a><br><br>
<br><br>
</font></u></div>
</html>