Barbara, I am intrigued by your ????? I sense there is a deeper conversation there? Suzanne<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 8:56 AM, Barbara Bunker <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bbunker@buffalo.edu">bbunker@buffalo.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">I think that this very interesting conversation is moving from disasters to<br>
situations where we feel that more could have happened....sometimes because we<br>
didn't do all that we might have done in the contracting or in the event itself<br>
or...?????? B3<br>
<br>
Barbara Bunker<br>
<br>
On Mon 11/16/09 4:46 AM , Tonnie van der Zouwen <a href="mailto:info@tonnievanderzouwen.nl">info@tonnievanderzouwen.nl</a> sent:<br>
> So pleased to see I am not the only one with events that turn out<br>
> more or less as disasters. I am very pleased this topic showed up.<br>
> For my PhD project I read a lot of stories about OS and other large<br>
> scale interventions, but it seems as if in formal literature all<br>
> projects are successful. Maybe we don't like to talk about the less<br>
> successful ones, so thank you all for sharing. Then again, what is<br>
> success and when is going to show? I notice that especially in<br>
> projects that "fail" you see the working principles very clearly.<br>
> I want to share a story of an OS I facilitated a few years ago. It<br>
> really educated me J . It is about an organization that consists of<br>
> 55 schools on 70 locations in one city. The public schools in the<br>
> city are dealing with a negative image: many children from lower<br>
> income families, too much foreigners, lower quality of education.<br>
> They face a serious decline in pupil numbers. If the trend was not<br>
> turned around some schools would have to close and the image of the<br>
> public schools would become even worse. We had two meetings with a<br>
> preparation team of seven people. We planned a one day OS as start of<br>
> a bigger project to make the schools more attractive. The OS is<br>
> planned on an already scheduled directors meeting. A second<br>
> conference is planned a few month later. They didn't want to invite<br>
> parents or teachers, that had something to do with dirty laundry.<br>
> What happened?<br>
> The OS is in the communication museum in the city centre. The<br>
> conference room is long and narrow. Murphy's Law is working: The<br>
> project leader is unable to come. The sponsor, the general director,<br>
> is delayed. After reception with coffee, about 70 directors take a<br>
> seat in a wide oval of chairs. My colleague Ronald, who is<br>
> specialised in school marketing, starts with a visualization of<br>
> twenty minutes. He tells a story of what parents are experiencing<br>
> when they visit one of the schools. Then the sponsor explains the<br>
> goals for the day and for the larger change process, including<br>
> personal targets for acquisition. After one hour, I introduce Open<br>
> Space. The theme is: How do we make our schools more attractive?<br>
> Energy levels are low. Looking at a lot of skeptic faces, I feel my<br>
> energy dropping too. For a few minutes no one enters the circle to<br>
> announce a topic. I just wait. Finally, eleven groups are formed for<br>
> the first round and seven for the second round. The sponsor is<br>
> enthusiastic about the process: they are really taking responsibility<br>
> for subgroups and some groups have lively discussions. He sees the<br>
> lack of taking own responsibility as one of the problems in his<br>
> organization. Each group produces a report in a news centre with ten<br>
> laptops. Reports are copied in a nearby copy centre. During lunch,<br>
> information about school marketing and support options is displayed.<br>
> Participants read the reports. After a plenary discussion,<br>
> participants place stickers on flip charts to select the most<br>
> important items. A third round for action planning is on the agenda,<br>
> but energy is dropping fast. In the corridors I hear some very<br>
> negative voices. At three o'clock p.m. the sponsor decides to skip<br>
> the third round and start with the conference evaluation in the<br>
> closing circle. Am I pleased with that decision? It was enough for<br>
> that day, but what about action planning? In the closing circle some<br>
> are positive about the exchange of experiences and the opportunity<br>
> for everyone to contribute who wanted to, some pass the microphone<br>
> with a sceptic face. Every participant receives a binder with the<br>
> reports and information about school marketing. The next week the<br>
> planning group meets for the third and last time. The evaluation is<br>
> positive in general, but they say the program could have been shorter<br>
> and the beginning more energetic. The twelve items with the most<br>
> stickers are selected for follow up actions in a project team. The<br>
> second conference is called off.<br>
> I evaluated this case after two years, for my PhD study, using an<br>
> evaluation instrument with success factors and effects I developed.<br>
> The overall project was a success. A negative trend of ten years is<br>
> turned into a positive one. The image of the schools is improving.<br>
> The sponsor thinks the OS was worth the effort, it raised awareness<br>
> of the urgency and collective responsibility for the issue. Among<br>
> directors and consultants, perceptions of causes and effects differ<br>
> strongly. It worked, but couldn't it have been done much better?<br>
> There hasn't been another interactive project so far. Was this the<br>
> only thing that could have happened? School directors face a lot of<br>
> problems, maybe this was all the energy they could offer. But what if<br>
> we had insisted on inviting more diversity, other voices? Same people<br>
> - same interaction certainly showed here. What if we skipped the long<br>
> introduction and opened space as soon as possible? My presence was not<br>
> good, I felt intimidated. I think it could have been done much better,<br>
> in any case by me.<br>
> Hope to hear more of your learning experiences,<br>
><br>
> Tonnie<br>
> VAN: OSLIST [mailto:<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] NAMENS Suzanne<br>
> Daigle<br>
> VERZONDEN: maandag 16 november 2009 2:08<br>
> AAN: <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
> ONDERWERP: [SPAM]Re: [OSLIST] Facilitation disasters - your stories<br>
> please<br>
> Such wise words on a topic that has generated so much insight.<br>
> I felt myself seeped in what has been described and discussed. This<br>
> community of learning and sharing is the best!<br>
> Suzanne heading back to Florida after 2.5 wonderful days of Wave<br>
> Rider surfing in Orillia, Canada!<br>
><br>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry<br>
> -------------------------<br>
> FROM: Harrison Owen<br>
><br>
> DATE: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:53:12 -0500<br>
><br>
> TO:<br>
><br>
> SUBJECT: Re: Facilitation disasters - your stories please<br>
> Absolutely Annamarie! It is all about choosing. A friend told me -<br>
> never sell Open Space. It is like teaching a pig to sing. Sounds<br>
> terrible, and annoys the pig. I think so.<br>
> ALSO - There really isn't any sale to be made or choice, for that<br>
> matter. The nasty truth is that the whole cosmos is self-organizing<br>
> (Open Space) - and so the fundamental choice was made just about 13.7<br>
> million years ago. We do, however, have the choice about how well we<br>
> "do" it. Or more extremely - whether we want to maintain the delusion<br>
> that we are actually in control, and if not us, then surely somebody.<br>
> Ah - the great aching simplicity of the days when we actually knew<br>
> what we were doing, and did what we knew…<br>
> Harrison<br>
> Harrison Owen<br>
><br>
> 7808 River Falls Drive<br>
><br>
> Potomac, Maryland 20854<br>
><br>
> Phone 301-365-2093<br>
><br>
> Skype hhowen<br>
><br>
> Open Space Training <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.com" target="_blank">www.openspaceworld.com</a> [1]<br>
><br>
> Open Space Institute <a href="http://www.openspaceworld.org" target="_blank">www.openspaceworld.org</a> [2]<br>
><br>
> Personal website <a href="http://www.ho-image.com" target="_blank">www.ho-image.com</a> [3]<br>
><br>
> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the<br>
> archives Visit: <a href="http://www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html" target="_blank">www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</a> [4]<br>
><br>
> -----Original Message-----<br>
> FROM: OSLIST [mailto:<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] ON BEHALF OF<br>
> Annamarie Pluhar<br>
> SENT: Sunday, November 15, 2009 7:13 PM<br>
> TO: <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br>
> SUBJECT: Re: Facilitation disasters - your stories please<br>
> Such an interesting conversation that you have started Robyn.<br>
> My own experience was (gulp!) 15 years ago. My life has taken twists<br>
> and turns away from group facilitation - the fact that I'm on the list<br>
> now has everything to do with a current contract/assignment. Before<br>
> meeting the client - knowing what they were looking for "empowering<br>
> the people" "new ideas" "enthusiasm" and "excitement" I thought that<br>
> sounds like OS. Turns out those are just words.. they only want want<br>
> is safe and familiar and what they did last year.<br>
> 15 years ago, I was facilitating a two-day annual retreat for a<br>
> smallish company. Day two was to have been OS. It was started OK,<br>
> but the owner of the company hijacked the process (I can't remember<br>
> the exact words) - he invited (he's the boss so invited...) everyone<br>
> to go on a hike with him on a trail. When I was invited to go, I said<br>
> "no" on the grounds that I wasn't sure everyone was there and some<br>
> might be looking for the group. I was told that they ended up having<br>
> a very good conversation on top of the mountain.<br>
> I think that the contracting process is the most important. what I'm<br>
> holding to is that the client has to choose OS rather than it being<br>
> recommended...<br>
> Annamarie Pluhar<br>
> PLUHAR CONSULTING<br>
><br>
> Results through effective group process<br>
><br>
> _802.451.1941_<br>
><br>
> _802.579.5975 (cell)_<br>
> On Nov 14, 2009, at 7:44 PM, Robyn Williams wrote:<br>
> Hi folks<br>
> On Friday I was facilitating a 2 hour workshop primarily using Open<br>
> Space<br>
> principles as requested, and as I would have suggested anyway given<br>
> the task<br>
> in hand. My own 2 feet did the walking less than halfway through<br>
> when the<br>
> 'person in charge', who I'd not met before, interrupted the process,<br>
> criticised me, and gave me directions (in public) and not for the<br>
> first<br>
> time. The agenda items were being announced, and her direction was<br>
> that all<br>
> the issues should be dealt as a whole group and indicated that I<br>
> should<br>
> facilitate that. I said no, thanked them for their time, wished them<br>
> well<br>
> for the rest of the session, and left.<br>
> Given the short duration and the task at hand, this had been a<br>
> long-winded<br>
> arrangement which resulted in more questions than answers. Arranged<br>
> by a<br>
> delegated person without authority, I wasn't able to ascertain who<br>
> was<br>
> really 'in charge' (I was told that it was a group project, ie all<br>
> team<br>
> leaders) or get agreement for a meeting to clarify expectations. The<br>
> day<br>
> before the workshop I contacted the Director of the department, had<br>
> a<br>
> pleasing chat, and arranged to meet before the session. That session<br>
> was<br>
> cancelled later in the day, and a shorter session was re-convened<br>
> for<br>
> another time (when critical people could be available). Sure bells<br>
> were<br>
> ringing but I started to think that I was being overly consultative.<br>
> I mean<br>
> what could go wrong in 2 hrs? Right?<br>
> On the way home I reflected on how it had unfolded and my part and<br>
> felt that<br>
> I'd done as well as I could do under the circumstances despite my<br>
> inner-critic suggesting that walking out was pretty extreme and<br>
> surely I<br>
> could have done better. Needless to say I've learned lessons from<br>
> this and<br>
> have damage control ahead of me this week (sigh).<br>
> So what would you do, or have you done, when your role is<br>
> undermined?<br>
> And how did you reach closure with the client/s?<br>
> Best wishes, Robyn<br>
> Fremantle Western Australia<br>
> PS WA colleagues - anyone available to debrief this with me?<br>
> *<br>
> *<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Suzanne Daigle<br>NuFocus Strategic Group<br>7159 Victoria Circle<br>University Park, FL 34201<br>FL 941-359-8877; CT 203-722-2009<br><a href="http://www.nufocusgroup.com">www.nufocusgroup.com</a><br>
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