Hello Dylene, Open Space is a terrific way for a fledgling organization to get its start. All stakeholders involved and have an Open Space. Find the critical business issues. And hold separate Open Space's for each of those. And it begins. At the end of this e-mail, I have a list of the critical ingredients that I pay attention to in developing an Open Space Organization. It is very simple, and a very different way to work. You may be able to make sense of the list. I apologize that I cannot write explanations for each, as I am under a tight time schedule at the moment and I'm not thinking this will come across too well by e-mail anyway. Just have assurance that it can be done and I wish you well with the work! In February of 2000 I am conducting a four day learning journey about the Open Space Organization in Raleigh, North Carolina in which we will go over what I have found to work. There is no one magic formula. All I can do is tell the story the way I have experienced it and to highlight what I found to be critical to give it the best chance of working. Organizations I have worked with are pleased with performance greater than they ever expected. However, at about the three month mark there is always a period where it doesn't feel good. Harrison calls this freedom shock and I concur that this is exactly what is happening. I have had one impassioned person really lambast me for giving him the freedom that he had wanted, and now was angry that he had it.
There are now several organizations that are intentional Open Space Organizations amongst the folks that I have been working with (which isn't to say there aren't others out there--I can only speak to those I know). On Tuesday, I am meeting with one of these, a health service organization, that has operated as an Open Space Organization for a year, with results that are pleasing, the most important of which is very high staff morale and accessing of the great resources that the staff are (ie: they and their ideas are actually listened to and acted on). Another organization that contacted me last week has been in Open Space as an organizational style for two years and continues to be pleased that it shifted from "whining" to being solution focused on an ongoing basis. There are more examples, many with good success of achieving on an ongoing basis what we experience in an Open Space meeting. There are also examples where it hasn't worked (control sets in, often from the mid management or equivalent level). My own first experience with an Open Space Organization was when we unintentionally created one form 1992 through 1995 when I was at the head of a multi service organization and I came back from my Open Space Training. We worked in ongoing Open Space for three full years. It can be done. It is easier to begin an organization as an Open Space Organization than it is to turn an existing organization to a new way of being. However, both are possible. The best way to begin is to do two things 1)be absolutely clear and truthful about the "givens" or "non-negotiables" of an organization which includes things like purpose, laws of the land etc. and 2) to conduct many Open Space Technology meetings---the organization I will be with on Tuesday does all of its staff meetings in Open Space. As a consultant, I have found that it is imperative that the formal leader wants a high achieving organization, and to really use the potential of the workforce. Beyond that, there are similar ingredients that I work with the organization to pay attention to and to get rid of all of the practices that are not necessary. Average time for a turn around is about nine months (a little coincidence in that :-) and the average amount of time I spend with the organization as an external consultant to work through their transition (as a midwife) is a total of 30 days over the course of those 9 months. 4 of those days are spent doing training for the Open Space Organization with the management team. I am clear that I am not against heirarchies --being an Open Space Organization does not preclude hierarchies (appropriate structure is the way to go and if this is appropriate....). Nor am I against middle management---they just have a different role than they were previously taught to have. In the Open Space Organization we pay attention to: -the grief cycle at work promoting understanding and tolerance -storytelling promoting awareness, collectiveness, empathy, truth -the story of the organization including purpose, values the deep structure -holding as many meetings as possible using Open Space -when holding a meeting that is task focused that is not appropriate for Open Space, hold the meeting with process and format conducive to the values inherent in Open Space including sitting in a circle -with no tables, using process facilitation involving whole brain - working with chaos by learning about it and navigating with it rather than trying to manage it -removing barriers -clarifying givens -bringing the processes and changes to everyones awareness -organizational lifecycle -providing resources -understanding authority, accountability, responsibility -formal leadership committed to working in a different way -freedom shock Hope this helps a little. Any of you who are interested in the learning journey about this can find the dates on my website. My passion lies not so much with Open Space Technology as it does with the Open Space Organization. Birgitt Birgitt Bolton of Dalar Associates www.openspacetechnology.com 55 Ravina Cres., Ancaster, Ontario, Canada L9G 2E8 phone: 905-648-5775 fax: 905-648-2262 -----Original Message----- From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]On Behalf Of Dylene Cymraes Sent: Friday, June 18, 1999 12:27 PM To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu Subject: Open Space for a Fledgling Organization To All: I am involved in two different situations, each a new organization in the beginning steps of truly "organizing". One is a business that has just received the financing it needs to move ahead, and is developing toward a "virtual" model, one of people living and working in different parts of the country, yet telecommuting, teleconferencing, etc., to keep the business operating. It has been built with talented, very individualistic people--and the CEO is looking for a way to structure his organization so it will work at the best level. His concern with OS is that he does not want to "lose control" because of some of the strong personalities involved. My thought (which I have not shared with him) is that control at this level is probably illusory anyway, and these people will self-organize--even though he is trying to find a way to create the structure so it will be ordered. I guess the question is this: Can an organization begin from the start with OS as it's basis? Harrison gave us the model of the steps a traditional organization goes through--from entrepreneurial, to workable, to proactive, to Inspired. (I know I jumped a step, and probably misnamed one, but the idea is there.) Is it possible for an organization to begin operation with OS, and what are the challenges? This is probably more a management question, but I would love feedback from the group--and Harrison, if he is not on his boat by now! <G> Blessings to all-- Dylene
