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<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Harold -- It is not about trusting the process for after all Open Space
has been "done" well over 100,000 times in 134 countries -- and it
always seems to work. It is really about trusting the people. And if the 150
employees of your company are anything more than marginally competent,
committed and brainy, there is not a question in my mind that they will come up
with the pertinent issues for the company. After all, they </span></font>ARE
the company. Not everybody will have the same issue (thank God), nor will
everybody be interested in all the issues -- but take it from an old timer you
can be totally certain that the right people will come up with the right issues
-- the ones they care about. And of course, if there are no issues, you will
have a very short session. </p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>You may also need to think about another company </span></font><font
face=Wingdings><span style='font-family:Wingdings'>J</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>A suggestion: Do you Open Space as the last day – in which people
are challenged to assess and synthesize what they have learned on the first two
days, and point the way forward. Doing OS on the first or second day will create
problems. As you know from your own experience, life in Open Space will get
pretty energetic, exciting and stimulating – after which sitting at the
feet of Talking Heads will not seem appealing.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I am reminded of working with a group of Japanese engineers (software)
and the sponsor’s concerns were totally similar to your own. Not only
were these engineers, but they were Japanese Engineers (whatever that was
supposed to mean). I told him that as long as the group fell generally within
the genetic pool of Homo sapiens there should be no difficulty. There wasn’t.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>It’s true. Even Engineers can do it!</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Have fun!!</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Harrison </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Harrison Owen</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>7808 River Falls Drive</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Potomac, Maryland 20854</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Phone </span></font>301-365-2093</p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Skype hhowen</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Personal website www.ho-image.com </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>OSLIST</span></font>: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>-----Original Message-----<br>
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harold
Shinsato<br>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:20 PM<br>
To: OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
Subject: Re: Advice for an OS for learning & sharing for software
developers</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Dear Owen,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Thank you, it's such an honor to get a reply directly from you. I
think my</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>issue is faith in myself and in the process. I've read the book
(some</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>chapters more than once). I think maybe I just needed to hear it
again in a</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>different way to help me "get" it. I appreciate the
encouragement. I've</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>seen Open Space work in other scenarios and I just need to trust that
people</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>will bring the topics that they care about. But I keep thinking I
have to</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>"do" something to make it work, to allow people to bring
questions or topics</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>like "How can we lead in a 50K Conglomerate?" and not just
some engineering</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>topic that they had to spend a week preparing a powerpoint based on
their</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>prior experience, which is the "box".</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>It's like an ugly itch in the brain, but is there some way to help me
quiet</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>it down? I keep seeing this image of me opening the space and
then no one</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>filling in any topic cards, or just a few that didn't get put in the
first</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>tracks. Has anyone had experience in a similar situation for
30-50</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>engineers in a single department but working on different projects?</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> Harold</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>*</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>*</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>==========================================================</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>------------------------------</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=3 face="Courier New"><span style='font-size:
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