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<TITLE>Re: innovative organizations</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Hi Glory.<BR>
<BR>
The beauty of the work back then was that I was fully-embedded in organizations in senior management roles. As part of a commitment Anne Stadler and I had made to exploring what it meant to “live our lives in Open Space”, I had decided to experiment with leading and managing my organizations “in Open Space”. <BR>
<BR>
This meant that along with doing on average bi-weekly OS events for various organizations — for-profit and non-profits — I conducted my leadership teams, program and project teams, and Lean Kaizens (12 per week on average across my “span of control”), staffs, and work groups in Open Space. I carefully and subtly trained my staff and organizations to function in Open Space.<BR>
<BR>
Some cool observations from the experiments:<BR>
* With teams conversant in trying to “Live in Open Space”, I found that I and they could convene <BR>
profound and productive “spaces” as short as fifteen minutes, and as long as several months<BR>
— yes, in corporate settings<BR>
* In 1997 I blended “Living in Open Space” with principles from Buddhist living to build a<BR>
team (and set of organizations) that could eliminate a “$3million” a day production problem. <BR>
It took about six weeks for folks to really get it — and when they did, they not only solved the<BR>
production problem but innovated a set of processes and tools that are still in use today<BR>
* In 2000, I tried the blended approach in the bowels of the US Government. About three<BR>
to four months into the experiment, a Government manager exclaimed that “we” had been<BR>
doing that “Open Space stuff”. I had never used the term “Open Space” in that setting. <BR>
Apparently folks got curious about what they were experiencing in the daily life of the<BR>
organization and started to research what it might be. And discovered that in fact we had <BR>
been conducting our work in Open Space. This came as quite a surprise to some of the “OD”<BR>
folks who had “made up their minds” about things like OST and AI — without ever (knowingly)<BR>
participating in them.<BR>
* Working with the CEO (who was my boss) from my previous company, my job was to infuse<BR>
and embody a “”Living in Open Space” practice into our work force, and particularly our<BR>
executive decision-making processes (think “off-sites”). I watched as this contributed <BR>
to our financial success as an organization, and allowed me the financial option to “retire”<BR>
from the “rat race” and explore living my life in Open Space in the service of the transformation<BR>
of consciousness. Which is what I do nowadays !<BR>
<BR>
In the seventies I spent five years living in an intentional community (7x24 residential community). We did not “Live in Open Space” -- yet the experience profoundly positively shaped my life. I had an extended family that had experimented with convening itself ala OS-like Law and Principles for a number of years. Anne Stadler suggested that the next experiment should be an intentional community based on “Living in Open Space”. So she founded the “Spirited Work Community” in 1999. With that, our focus (Anne and I) changed from predominantly organization-oriented OS to community-oriented OS. And I drastically reduced the pace and my involvement in OST events. This experiment led us to India in 2001, and later again in 2004 with an expanded configuration that included Peggy Holman. The 2001 trip brought about the establishment of the Radiant Networking” experiment — which continues to this day, and shapes the work and participation of Anne, Peggy, and myself (individually and collectively).<BR>
<BR>
In the nineties, the “pace” was exciting and profoundly meaningful to me. And eventually, I felt that I had pretty much “mined the goodies” — I was no longer being surprised and growing from the experiments. The results were always positive and always the same — which was good — but I needed to find the next learning and growth edge. I kept notebooks to track and map my experiments.<BR>
<BR>
My experimental trajectory regarding Open Space progressed from Item-1 to Item-8:<BR>
(1) OST for the increased effectiveness of individuals <BR>
(2) Living in OS for the evolution and transformation of individual consciousness<BR>
(3) OST for the increased effectiveness of groups and organizations <BR>
(4) Living in OS for the evolution and transformation of organizational consciousness<BR>
(5) OST for the increased effectiveness of communities <BR>
(6) Living in OS for the evolution of collective (“Community”) consciousness<BR>
(7) Living in OS as an integral wellness practice for the transformation of (individual and<BR>
collective ) consciousness — Self | Other | The Whole<BR>
(8) Radiant Networking — Practices of Peace — Integral Wellness <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
“Pace” drove both Anne and I to our explorations of what I call “efficiency”:<BR>
What is the minimum necessary but sufficient gentle structure upon which we can hang things ?<BR>
<BR>
Harrison sometimes frames this as “what is one less thing to do?”<BR>
Peggy sometimes frames this as “what is the basic underlying pattern?”<BR>
Tom Atlee sometimes frames this as discerning “pattern languages” <BR>
Anne has taken this to the simple inquiry of “what is optimal . . . “<BR>
<BR>
Based on conversations that Peggy, Tom, Chris Corrigan and I have had — I suspect that the more one mucks — with intention and intensity — with Open Space, the more Open Space becomes a “life practice” for everyday living and community. And one becomes even more appreciative of the experience — thus the more deeply and pervasively one mucks with it. Nowadays, I rarely refer to Open Space Technology, for me Open Space has simply become a way of living.<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Thanks for the compassionate and inviting asking !<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Monotype Corsiva"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18.0px'><B><I>Mark R. Jones<BR>
</I></B></SPAN></FONT></FONT><B><FONT COLOR="#FF00FF"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>Chief Executive Officer<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000080"><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Academy Engraved LET"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:16.0px'>The Sunyata Group<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></FONT><FONT SIZE="5"><FONT FACE="Academy Engraved LET"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:16.0px'><FONT COLOR="#008000">The Integral Wellness Group<BR>
</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></B><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'>----------------------------------------------------------------------<BR>
PO Box 58788<BR>
Renton, Washington<BR>
USA 98058-1788<BR>
Phone: 425-413-6000<BR>
e-Mail: sunyata@att.net <a href="mailto:sunyata@att.net"><mailto:sunyata@att.net></a> <BR>
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On 4/27/06 6:41 PM, "Glory Ressler" <on.the.edge@sympatico.ca> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:12.0px'><FONT FACE="Arial">Me too, Mark - I'd love to hear a story that reflects your experience/learning associated with the intense pace and # of sessions....<BR>
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</FONT><FONT FACE="Arial">Best wishes,<BR>
Glory<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"> <BR>
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----- Original Message ----- <BR>
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<B>From:</B> Tree Fitzpatrick <a href="mailto:therese.fitzpatrick@gmail.com"><mailto:therese.fitzpatrick@gmail.com></a> <BR>
<BR>
<B>To:</B> OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU <BR>
<BR>
<B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 27, 2006 9:21 PM<BR>
<BR>
<B>Subject:</B> Re: innovative organizations<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
Wow, Mark Jones, you did more than two open space events per week one year!<BR>
<BR>
I am impressed. <BR>
<BR>
Has anyone else on this list had such a pace?<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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