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<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Hi, Craig --</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>(I notice you are using a title for your message from another
conversation. If you can change the title when you have a new very
separate topic, others will be able to find this topic in the archives of our
OSLIST when they are researching there to learn about - for example - action
planning. I have taken the liberty of changing the title in my response.)</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>You wrote: </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText style='margin-left:.25in'><i><font size=2
face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-style:italic'><I
would like to hear more about the alternative action planning steps that you or
others have used effectively because I find the action steps are where the road
and the tire meet. Without taking the conversations to the place of
action steps, which in my opinion is key to the transformation, the process'
ability to effect the possibility for major change seems limited.></span></font></i></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>I favor the 'reopening of space' for action planning. For a last
session before Closing Circle, the group gathers again in full circle and the
facilitator invites participants to reflect on their experiences and
discoveries during the day(s) full of sessions. Then s/he invites whomever
would like to champion an action to - as they did in the beginning of the Open
Space meeting - come to the center, make a sign for their topic and announce
it. And the group then moves in to a (for example) 45-minute action
planning session. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Instead of using a notes-taker form the convenor is given an action
planning form (who is in the action group, who else should be invited, what are
the immediate, do-able next steps, when will the group next meet, what
resources are needed, who will be the point-person for the group until/for the
next meeting, and so on).</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>In the pre-work and planning stage before an Open Space I find it is
essential to discuss with the client/sponsor/core team whether action is needed
or who feels the urgency towards action - sometimes conversations like this
bring to light the fact that they don't really need *action*, they more
specifically need a measure of *accomplishment* (such as that documented by the
Book of Proceedings). Or sometimes (for example when gathering people for
a conference in Open Space) it turns out that the sponsor is the only one who
wants/needs action - ('people *should* do this / they *should* feel this / why
don't people ever....). And if you ask the sponsor to reflect on things
from a participant point of view sometimes they will acknowledge that a majority
of participants come for - and are served by - the networking, best practices
and resource-sharing deliverables of an Open Space, and do not share the
sponsor's sense of urgency. So the discussion then includes questioning
whether action planning is still appropriate.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>But if action planning is identified as a specific need and part of the
design, I favor reopening of the space because it shows who has the passion and
responsibility to take care of business, what are the items people care about
(and what are not), and it supports the value that even an idea with one person
passionate about it can be accomplished.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>You may enjoy reading two papers on my website, where I gathered the
thoughts of many of our colleagues by researching through the archives of the
OSLIST (hence my interest in message titles that reflect the topic of
conversation):</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>A conversation on convergence:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><a
href="http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method_resources_Convergence_A_Conversation.shtml">http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method_resources_Convergence_A_Conversation.shtml</a></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>...and a conversation on convergence approaches:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'><a
href="http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method_resources_Convergence_Approaches.shtml">http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method_resources_Convergence_Approaches.shtml</a>
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Take care,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Lisa</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>___________________________</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>L i s a H e f t</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>Consultant, Facilitator, Educator</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=ES-MX
style='font-size:10.0pt'>O p e n i n g S p a c e</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=ES-MX
style='font-size:10.0pt'>lisaheft@openingspace.net</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=ES-MX
style='font-size:10.0pt'>www.openingspace.net </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=ES-MX
style='font-size:10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:
10.0pt'> </span></font></p>
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