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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Dan said – “As Open Space Facilitators, we (and we alone) are in a position to maintain the sanctity of Open Space, and prevent it from becoming a tool of manipulation and control in Agile adoptions.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Dan – I hear your thought, and can’t help but appreciate your concern. But I have to say, I think you are worrying needlessly. My reasons are two. First, I really don’t think that “we” (individually or all of us collectively) can do a thing about the miss-use of Open Space if that is what some folks choose to do. And I would agree that there is a very high likelihood that they will try, if for no other reason than that “manipulation and control” seems to be a driving force in management behavior generally, so why not in Agile Adoptions? Speaking personally, I just can’t bring myself to the point of worrying about something I can do nothing about. Such worry consumes massive amounts of time and energy that I would rather expend elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>My second reason is that I believe we have a very powerful Secret Agent. Open Space itself. In every situation I have encountered, where people have tried to make Open Space something it is not...there is a very natural self correction. It may not occur in the moment, but somewhere, sometime people come to realize that whatever it was they thought they were doing, it surely wasn’t Open Space. And of course, the real losers are the managers and organizations that attempt to do the dastardly deed. Sort of rough justice, but I never worry about the “sanctity” of Open Space. That critter is alive and well, been that way for eons, and shows no signs of quitting. I can’t quite say the same for a lot of contemporary organizations and managers, but people do make their choices. As the saying goes...You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Harrison<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Harrison Owen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>7808 River Falls Dr.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Potomac, MD 20854<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>USA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Camden, Maine 04843<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>Phone 301-365-2093<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'>(summer) 207-763-3261<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><a href="www.openspaceworld.com%20">www.openspaceworld.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><a href="www.ho-image.com%20">www.ho-image.com</a> (Personal Website)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Consolas;color:#1F497D'>To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:<a href="http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org">http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:windowtext'> oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces@lists.openspacetech.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Daniel Mezick<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, April 26, 2014 9:59 AM<br><b>To:</b> oslist@lists.openspacetech.org<br><b>Subject:</b> [OSList] Agile Adoptions, Open Space, and control<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>There is a fellow named Ed Seykota. He innovates. He has 2 pairs of models: a pair for 1-to-1 relationships, and a pair for group & system level relationships. His models confirm and align with the philosophies and assumptions which form the foundation of Open Space:</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77 style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:Symbol'>·</span></span><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-size:7.0pt'> </span>All systems are open</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77 style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in'><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:Symbol'>·</span></span><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-size:7.0pt'> </span>All systems are self-organizing</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>The Models</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>(1) </span></span><strong><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>intimacy-centric</span></strong><span class=auto-style78> and </span><strong><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>control-centric</span></strong><span class=auto-style78> models for relationships;</span><br>In a control-centric relationship, the parties go for control. They use manipulation, force, threats, guilt, etc. to get each other to "behave" properly. In an intimacy-centric relationship, the parties go for connection. Every event becomes an opportunity to become closer and more intimate.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><br><span class=auto-style78>(2) </span><strong><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>causal</span></strong><span class=auto-style78> and </span><strong><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>system</span></strong><span class=auto-style78> models for dynamic behavior. </span><br>In the causal model, we have a cause and an effect. You flip the switch and the light goes on. In the system model, you have inter-relating elements that co-evolve as their effects on each other change. Some examples of systems are a thermostat that intends to keep the temperature in the room constant and a futures market that intends to find a price that balances supply, demand and other speculative interests. Politicians typically apply the causal model to economic situations so as to find a convenient "cause" that justifies expenditures on their pet projects.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Now, what is interesting & concerning (to me) is the way the so-called Agile institutions tacitly support the control-centric model for relationships and the causal model for dynamic behavior, in Agile adoptions. Throughout the world.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>I am an Agile consultant. I choose to focus my attention on finding ways to reduce the number of coaching days, such that organizations can reach a state of self-sustaining, “freestanding” agility faster. And here is what I have discovered: to speed up the process of change, the people in the situation have to actually <i>consent</i> to the change. They must be <i>willing</i>. They must be choosing <i>freely</i>. High Performance in Agile adoptions is a function of <i>opt-in willingness to proceed</i> on the part of the people who actually do the work. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Sound familiar?</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Typical Agile adoptions today are implemented as imposed and mandated process change. By “management”. By "formally authorized leadership." This is the control-centric model for relationships. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Typical Agile adoptions today are implemented as imposed, mandated process change. The assumption is that if we can just "make them do this or that", we can “cause” improvement in the organization. This is the causal model for system behavior. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>This is a very serious problem in our world, and one that the so-called Agile institutions are just not addressing. The Agile Alliance, for example, has various policy statements. Yet the Agile Alliance has no policy statement whatsoever regarding the harmful, mandated imposition of Agile practices. This amounts to a rubber-stamping of the control-centric, causal, imposed-Agile “status quo” that we see in the world today. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Open Space can help with Agile adoptions, but only if the Facilitator is unwilling to implement the control-centric model for relationships, and only if the Facilitator is unwilling to implement the causal model for social-system behavior. Well-intentioned management often just does not see it that way. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>I’m concerned that we are entering a period where, absent any clear position statement on mandated-Agile from the so-called Agile institutions, we can expect trouble in the way Open Space evolves in the Agile-adoption marketplace. As Open Space Facilitators, we (and we alone) are in a position to maintain the sanctity of Open Space, and prevent it from becoming a tool of manipulation and control in Agile adoptions. </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Daniel</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Related Link: The Agile Imposition</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'><a href="http://martinfowler.com/bliki/AgileImposition.html">http://martinfowler.com/bliki/AgileImposition.html</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Related Link: Sample Agile Alliance policy statement on certification</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'><a href="http://www.agilealliance.org/news/agile-certification-a-position-statement/">http://www.agilealliance.org/news/agile-certification-a-position-statement/</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>Control vs Intimacy Model for 1-to-1 Relationships; Causal vs System Model for Groups</span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=auto-style77><span class=auto-style78><span style='font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'><a href="http://www.seykota.com/tt/workshops/examples.html">http://www.seykota.com/tt/workshops/examples.html</a></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>-- <br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=p1>Daniel Mezick, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>New Technology Solutions Inc.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>(203) 915 7248 (cell)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=p2><span class=s1><a href="http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/">Bio</a></span><span class=s2>. <a href="http://newtechusa.net/blog/"><span class=s1>Blog</span></a>. <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/"><span class=s1>Twitter</span></a>.</span><span class=apple-converted-space><span style='color:black'> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=p3><span class=s2>Examine my new book:</span><span class=apple-converted-space><span style='color:black'> </span></span><span class=s2><a href="http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/"><span class=s1>The Culture Game </span></a></span><span class=s1>: Tools for the Agile Manager</span><span class=s2>.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>Explore Agile Team <a href="http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/"><span class=s3>Training</span></a> and <a href="http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/"><span class=s3>Coaching.</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=p1>Explore the <a href="http://newtechusa.net/user-groups/ma/"><span class=s3>Agile Boston </span></a>Community.<span class=apple-converted-space> </span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>