<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002>Dear friends and colleagues on the OS
list,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002>A few weeks ago, I had the privlege of visiting with
members of a management team of a health service organization that I worked with
in 1997. This report to you is a "five years later report". My work with them
was as a consultant, mentor and facilitator of their learning. There were many
difficulties in the organization and they had heard that I might be the one to
assist them to achieve a better way. I remember the CEO at the time saying
that they were choosing me because they had tried everything else and it hadn't
worked. She also stated that they had endured so much in the hands of
consultants and that she and her staff could not cope with much more change. I
responded saying that if they worked with me, they would achieve health and
balance as an organization, they would be highly effective in what they did,
they would become a solution focused organization rather than one that was
paralyzed by their problems AND it meant that there would be change. I remember
the CEO visibly crumbling. At the time, I said to her that we could do a fast
approach over a period of four months, or a slow approach over a period of nine
months to a year. She replied that she chose the four month approach because she
could handle the pain of more change for about that length of time.
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002>My way of working is recorded on our website (in the
section on the conscious OSO you will find my story about the first intentional
conscious OSO and in the section on Organizational Health and Balance you will
find an article about Returning to Organizational Health and Balance and you can
find all of this and more in the archives of this list. by Birgitt Williams or
Birgitt Bolton. I have submitted my learning to this list in a step by step
fashion as it developed, from the beginning of the list. It is one person's
story of working with Open Space Technology over the last decade, with a passion
for the development of healthy and balanced organizations. Some years ago, we
created the Genuine Contact program as a vehicle that people could learn to
develop organizations as conscious OSO's. Hundreds around the world have joined
us in learning parts of the program and some are now complete with their
learning with us and are co-creators of the future of the program. There are now
over 30 instructors of the workshops in the Genuine Contact program that
includes the way that we teach how to Work with Open Space Technology--emphasis
on pre-work, post-work and the "givens". </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002>Well, that is enough of the background in as succinct a
way as I could do it. Here now are the key comments from the members of the
management team that I met with. They are, five years later, still functioning
as an effective creative, inspired, conscious Open Space Organization. I have
their permission to identify them and quote them when the chapter of the book is
ready so for this sharing right now, I have deleted names and just put in
position titles. I hope that this sharing gives you hope for what is possible. I
was truly thrilled as I sat and listened to what they were saying about their
organization. I found that every one of the points that they made was a learning
moment for me. I hope they are for you as well.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002>********************</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002>Here are their comments:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2><SPAN
class=520580920-14112002> “We are always operating in an open space way. We
all are aware that our way of working with one another is open space. We even
have our own open space language from all that you have taught us about working
in open space. Sometimes we do it officially---have an Open Space Technology
meeting where we go through all of the opening, the stating about the bumblebees
and butterflies and so on—but we do this less and less often. We now tend to use
these meetings for our bigger planning meetings that involve our customers,
their families, the Board, staff, and the community. Often we use the Whole
Person Process Facilitation for our meetings.“ (Director of Operations)
<P class=MsoNormal> “The biggest differences from where we were are that we
know who we are, we are solution focused as an organization, everyone’s input
matters, and we get things done.” (Program Director)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “Anyone can come up with an idea at any time and expect
to have a chance to pull others together to talk about it and see where it goes.
***** (CEO) and the Board of Directors support this way of working and so when
things come up, they get attention.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>(Program Director)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “We are excelling as an organization.” (Director of
Operations)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “We have found that it takes us a long time –more than
a year---to implement what comes out of the planning meeting—there is so much
that comes out of an Open Space Technology meeting when we all get together in
both quality and quantitiy-- so we have just decided to hold these meetings
every two years instead of every year. We still invite all people to participate
who will be affected. Aside from the planning like this, because we work as an
open space organization, we really don’t need the formal meetings more often. We
are also proud of how we respond to all that comes out of our planning meetings.
We get a lot of it done. ” (CEO)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “We hold our meetings in circles though, even though we
don’t have them as formal Open Space Technology meetings, to make sure that we
continue the symbolic removing of barriers.” (CEO)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “Part of the new employee orientation includes
explaining how we operate as an Open Space Organization. Part of this is the
wording, the language that has become common here such as “transfer in” for all
meetings using the Whole Person Process Facilitation”.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is interesting how we now have a
vocabulary in common use within the organization to support our intention and
awareness as an Open Space Organization. When new staff start is when it is most
apparent how our language, our expectations, and our assumptions are so
different from what other organizations are doing. We are so immersed in this
way of working that we don’t notice any more how different it is. But when the
new staff start, we see it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some of
the new staff take to this immediately and love the way we work. Others don’t
like it at all and we all quickly know that this staff is not one who is going
to fit in to our culture here. “ (Director of Operations)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “We are very glad that we stuck to the path that we
started five years ago. We are such a different organization than we were then.
We are so healthy and solution focused. We have our good days and our bad days
like everyone else but we keep moving forward in a positive way. If staff come
on board that don’t want to move forward in a positive way, they very quickly
figure out they don’t belong.” (Program Director)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “One of the most important things that Birgitt gave us
was methods to have everyone included in the process”. (Director of
Operations)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “The processes that Birgitt taught us were processes
that we were able to continue on our own. Birgitt was the catalyst but we are
the ones who have made it happen. I am so happy that we were able to continue on
our own. We make sure that we include people who will be affected, we use
circles and the Whole Person Process Facilitation for our meetings, with a big
impact from taking the time to do the transfer in at the beginning of meetings.”
(CEO)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “Birgitt, you might want to know about the pain too.
You know that a couple of the managers left when you finished your consulting
work with us. That was painful. And yet it was right. What you probably don’t
know about is the amount of pain that all of us on the management team were in.
We actually didn’t really talk about it amongst ourselves until recently so it
took us five years before we could bring really bring this up with each other in
the way that we now talk about it. We know that the pain we had was the pain of
getting real. That was scary. I remember wondering at home with my husband
whether I could truthfully be part of the new. I was one of the managers that
wanted to find a better way. The old way just wasn’t working. And yet, when you
worked with us, I remember wondering if I would be one of those pulling back to
the past. I told my husband that I didn’t want to pull back to the past and that
if I found myself doing this, I would rather quit because the way to the new was
what we needed. I didn’t want to get in the way of the new, I wanted the new,
and yet because of the pain of getting real, I didn’t know if I could do it.
When we have talked with each other recently, a lot of us had the same feelings,
all of us were in pain, and getting real was almost too hard. As we look back on
it, those of us who are here are all glad that we stuck it out. “ (Director of
Finance)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “We worked at this despite the pain—because we knew
there had to be a better way. We trusted our CEO when she set the direction of
working with you. And we trusted you. A lot depended on this trust. We saw that
you two were steadfast in what you were doing and what you believed in, even
when it got shaky, and it gave us the courage to go on too.” (Director of
Finance)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “It wasn’t until recently that ****(CEO) talked to us
about her own pain during that time, what she was feeling, how afraid and yet
determined she was. She said that you two did a lot of talking.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We realize how much courage she had. We
know that the Board supported her decisions and that you and she also worked
with the Board. ” (Director of Finance)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “The excitement of the first meetings gave us HOPE.”
(Program Director)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “ Two of the tools that you gave us early on helped a
lot and we still make regular use of them today. Throughout the organization, we
talk about grief cycle work as part of what happens when we make changes, even
changes for the better. This gives us an awareness of what we are going through
and helps with our assumptions. The other tool that you gave us early was to use
story telling as a way of keeping the story of the past and present alive and to
use this to support the new directions. We use both the grief cycle work and
story telling a lot.” (Program Director)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal> “The Board has supported us throughout all of the
changes. It was very important that you (Birgitt) guided them to change their
processes too. They have identified their ‘givens’ and they now lead through
policy governance. Do you remember when they were so worried about what you were
recommending to them. They thought there would be nothing left for them to do.
And through being clear about the ‘givens’ and through this policy governance,
they work differently in leading us, and they work harder than ever. They are
doing a great job to keep us as a leader in this work in North America.”
(CEO)</P></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
size=2><FONT face="Arial Narrow">
<P><FONT face="Arial Narrow" size=2>Blessings to you and to all with whom you
make Genuine Contact,</FONT></P><FONT face="Arial Narrow"><FONT size=2>
<P>Birgitt</SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Birgitt<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Williams of Dalar International
Consultanc</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">y <A
href="http://www.dalarinternational.com/">http://www.dalarinternational.com</A>
</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><FONT color=#0000ff face="Arial Narrow" size=2>view the
calendar for upcoming training at <A
href="http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html">http://www.openspacetechnology.com/training.html</A></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">We
invite you to join the list serve at </SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><A
href="http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact">http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/genuinecontact</A></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Courier New'"><?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Contact
information for Dalar International Consultancy<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Mailing
address: Po Box 19373, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 27619 or for courier 12136
Shooting Club Rd., Raleigh, North Carolina USA 27613<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">Phone:
919-522-7750<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Fax:
919-870-6599<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT
face="Arial Narrow"><FONT face="Arial Narrow"> </P></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT
face="Arial Narrow" size=2>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">"I
believe that Spirit matters and people are precious. I know that organizations
incorporating these values have exciting, tangible results including wealth,
prosperity, and abundance. Daily, these organizations attend to their health and
balance. Participating in the Genuine Contact program takes you on a learning
journey of HOW to achieve the healthy and balanced organization (the conscious
Open Space Organization).”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Birgitt
Williams, Dalar International Consultancy<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoAutoSig><SPAN
style="COLOR: blue; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial Narrow'; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></BODY></HTML>