<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I could not say it better, Chris - about moving people from the abstract to the concrete.<div><div><br></div><div>And instead of talking about process (and I have found that most prospective clients or participants not only are not interested in process but are unsettled by hearing about process in advance of their sitting in the circle), but use the tool when it is the right fit to the task, and invite people to come based on task, deliverables (idea generation, knowledge sharing, understanding across disciplines, whatever).</div><div><br></div><div>No need to talk anybody into anything - just invite and welcome participants (and your intellectual friend, Juan Luis) to come and he either will or will not. I do not think that giving 'proof' will answer his concern, either.</div><div>Whenever it's the right time, he might enjoy coming for the sake of interest, not for scientific demonstration of anything.</div><div><br></div><div>And I am no expert on scientific measurement - I am just reflecting on my small amount of knowledge about one facet of measuring such things.</div><div>Some years ago I was given funding and training in a partnership between scientists and educators where the educators taught the scientists about their innovative HIV/AIDS community education projects and the scientists in turn taught us how to measure the impact of those projects on behavior change and communication.</div><div><br></div><div>In this project and others that followed it I learned that the kind of scientific measurement and evaluation that is typically done regarding behavior change (which is often how academics look at dialogue work and other such things) is very costly (data designers-gatherers-analysts, outreach to prospective participants and design of data collection materials, resources like phone and postage and travel time, engagement and commitment of the groups being studied) and requires following groups and individuals over time, measuring large enough groups against other similar groups, and so on. And the idea is not to measure *intention to change* but actually measure if this one event / tool changed behavior (or efficacy or whatever).</div><div><br></div><div>Well then, when you look at the generally-used theory of behavior change, it is almost impossible to scientifically measure if *one* situation / intervention (such as the participant's having attended a fabulous, meaningful and productive Open Space event) was the thing that changed someone's behavior (including inspired them to action or change). Because there are so many other influencers in that person's environment - outside events, things that happen in one's personal life, things that happen at work or in the world, how someone is feeling physically or emotionally, what their support system is, what their access is for the tools or information to support their change, what in their environment, peers' norms or way they navigate through the world supports / inhibits / delays that ability to change - and on and on. So you can see the challenge of truly knowing if one in a series of things on one's life was 'the thing' that inspired-affected-supported-began change.</div><div><br></div><div>And it is not just something one measures at the end of a retreat or meeting (that is more about intention to change or ideas for action). Behavior change - and the impact of things - is typically measured over quite a long time after a catalyst event - noting everything else that is happening that may affect or inform the person and noting what was still true after a bit of time had passed.</div><div><br></div><div>So it's a very costly thing to do that can be very hard to do with our clients and communities in the contexts we work with them.</div><div><br></div><div>Of course it is also true that we need different ways of measuring.</div><div>I remember Larry and Peggy and others designing and inviting an appreciative interview process to gather narrative, reflective data about experiencing or being affected by an Open Space event.</div><div><br></div><div>And I have seen whole walls full of data that I could not read, but I could feel - in Open Space and other dialogue work I have done. </div><div>Some of you know that I am very interested in designing and exploring the use of participant self-documentation in dialogue work.</div><div>For example, I recall the feeling of seeing 800 graphic images created by 200 immigrant and refugee farmers, government and ngo representatives about their discoveries, hopes, challenges and imagined legacies as they reflected on farming and their connection to it. Or 240 graphic images created by HIV/AIDS scientists and educators in Mozambique sharing learning about their own physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health and wellness.</div><div><br></div><div>So sure, you could measure that there were 40 images of tractors or 100 images of family in those graphics - but I do not think measuring in terms of numbers is the only way we will know how to measure things in the future.</div><div>I am excited about the breakthroughs we will have in our thinking about new ways to measure - including non-linear and diverse modalities ways.</div><div>So excited.</div><div><br></div><div>Lisa</div><div><br></div><div><div apple-content-edited="true"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; 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line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000FF" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; "><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#811107" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; "><i><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000000"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 10px/normal 'Trebuchet MS'; color: rgb(155, 44, 1); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; ">Lisa Heft</span></div></span></font></span></font></i></span></font></div></span></b></span></font></div><div>Consultant, Facilitator, Educator</div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><b><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#0000FF">Opening Space</font></b></span></font></div><div><a href="mailto:lisaheft@openingspace.net">lisaheft@openingspace.net</a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br></span></font></span></div></div></div></span></div></span></span></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span> </div><br><div><div>On Nov 25, 2010, at 10:59 AM, Chris Corrigan wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">So I have used OST several times within academia as a way of organizing gatherings. I have worked with scientists (including most recently some of the top brian scientists in the world looking at early adverse childhood brain trauma), medical scientists, business school folks, diversity departments, continuing education people and many others.<div><br></div><div>The trick to tthis ease of application is to focus on the work and not on the process. Academics, whether they are artists, social scientists or scientists, love to think and debate ideas and abstractions...that is what they are paid to do. If you introduce OST as an idea, they will immediately engage in it critically and my experience is that they will either support it or oppose it, purely on grounds of theory. However, if you have a real business issue at hand, then there is no need to discuss the idea of Open Space...you simply need to to create the conditions for them to get down to work. In other words, no mess, no fuss, opening of space.</div><div><br></div><div>Engage in the concrete, not the abstract. people find it hard to be opposed to actually doing work, but they will find a million hypothetical and ideological reasons why your process will fail. the easiest way to do tis is to open space without talking about Open Space. Skip all the interesting bits about how it's a self-organizing meeting process that combines passion and responsibility and works with high levels of complexity. Forget all that. Just invite people to make their own conference complete with two plenary sessions - at the beginning and end - and a series of concurrent breakouts. This goes for any group of people for whom ideas are paramount: academics, politicians, activists, unions, philosophers, lawyers...</div><div><br></div><div>And as for scientific research and evaluation, I have recently stumbled upon the discipline of "developmental evaluation" which is a fantastic framework for understanding learning with in complex adaptive systems. Here are a few resources I have found and I reccomend Michael Quinn Patton's book on the subject as well. This could be the academically acceptable theoretical framework we are looking for.</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/?p=3001">http://chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot/?p=3001</a></div><div><br></div><div>Chris</div><div> </div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>*
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