<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><HTML><FONT COLOR="#000000" FACE="Geneva" FAMILY="SANSSERIF" SIZE="2">Thomas--<BR>
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For about a year, I had the pleasure of working with an organization that wanted to do what your client has done. They had two offices in different parts of the region, and both offices were too small and lacked facilities for some of their important programs. They decided to build a large new headquarters building in a new area between their current offices, and move all employees from both offices into the new building. To complicate matters, people would be moving from individual office spaces to an open-space plan with many staff members sharing a large space. And, the new office would be in a rather remote location, so there were security concerns for people who were there for evening meetings.<BR>
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They did something really great--they called me and said that they wanted to solve some of their potential problems ahead of time, instead of after they moved and people were unhappy. Both staff and clients had had lots of input into the design of the new building. Now, we brought everyone together in Open Space, and let staff members define the problems that were worrying them, and recommend solutions. <BR>
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They did this with one day of Open Space for the entire group, then task forces based on the OS work groups were asked to continue working on solutions and policies. A Transition Team worked on both the project management of the construction and the implementation of recommendations from the Open Space. I worked with the Transition Team during the time until they actually moved into the new building. It was a very smooth transition, despite the fact that it occurred during their busiest season--they were "open for business" right through, though there were two days that the office was just the director's laptop computer and the assistant director's cell phone. More important, everyone in both offices felt that their concerns had been heard, and the staff was able to decide for themselves how they would integrate the two groups and work together effectively.<BR>
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Hooray for your client, for wanting to do this, even after the fact, now that they see that some work is needed. I think that any design will succeed, so long as it gives people a way to voice their true feelings. I knew that we would come out alright when the topic "Change and Grief" went up on the wall alongside "Storage" (which was the hottest and most contentious topic for these people who had almost no storage space in their old offices!).<BR>
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Any way that you decide to open space for honest conversation, I am thinking of you and wishing you all the best.<BR>
<BR>
Joelle<BR>
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