Elena, Thank you so much for telling us about your Open Space afternoon. I feel warmed by your enthusiasm and your success! And inspired, too. Your courage and preparation and willingness to be surprised brought your participants a wonderful opportunity.
Megan Davis > ---------- > From: Elena A. Marchuk[SMTP:ma...@mail.nsk.ru] > Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 9:02 AM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: OS in Siberia > > Hi all OSers! > > I'm Elena Marchuk, from Novosibirsk, West Siberia - the geographical > center > of Russia. > > I want to thank you all whom I write personally and who helped me with > their > advises and inspiration... > > that is Harrison Owen - first, then Peggy Holman - the book of whom I'm in > love - I mean The Change Handbook, > Michael Pannwitz with his equipping me with 1 and 2 hours design of OSs > and > his report on Moscow training. > > And all who participate in the discussion on OSlist about 2 hours OS > which > I just followed silently... > > THANK YOU! > > I had 3 hours. > > So I feeled a little bit relaxed with timing but very worried what those > Russians will do with the method and small timing - from 2 to 5 pm. > > The topic was "Civic Initiatives" in the afternoon of the Conference > "Local > governments and NGOs - from interconnection to partnership" . two sessions > were very traditional - one with 13 speakers (in a hot day), another like > round table - also with honoured speakers > > and ours - with OS... > > it was 40 people > > first we moved to a more fresh aired room from 2:00 pm to 2:15( from 2-nd > to > 5-th flor, those who was very tired - by the lift) > and then installing in a circle > > then 15 miniutes of instructions. > > and you should see this frustraited faces - what we have to do with this? > > then one after another we had about 15 topics.. > > then signing and organizing 6 groups. > > 2:45. > I desided that there will be one session of 45 minutes as we had to > prepare > the general presentation for the plenary session (from 5 to 6 pm), and > that's why we have to listen what groups would working on and decide to > present. > > So I told them that they have 45 minutes for discussing their topics and > for preparing the report on a flipchart, > > 3:30. two groups from 6 were ready and all others asked for 5 minutes > more... > > 3:45 we started presentations - they were nice and everybody listened as > the > topics was intersting for all. > > one group presented two reports on different topics - one evaluation of > the > work of NGOs and the other - Working through Internet > > one woman after working in a group, as nobody signed on her proposed > topic, > wrote quicly on a flipchart the presentation on her topic and made a > report - why not - ecological education... > > we ended in 4:20 with presentations (a little bit less then 5 min each > together with the applouds) and discussed 15 min the results we shoul > present on a plenary and then > > 15 min of closing session where people surprised that it worked somehow > and > it was great experience where NGOs representetives and local government > officers worked together as normal people...and very democratic and > wonderful... > > Marina, my friend, said that I always had a smile on my face and smoothed > all hard parts by saying - that is your chance to say everything you want > and find partners right here in the room... > > So it looks like we all won! > > we shall print all the results tomorrow and will put them in the > newsletter > > Thanks a lot to everybody and for OS and for Harrison who invented this > method. he said that I have just to try. > I did > Best wishes to all! > > elena marchuk, Ph.D. > director of the Regional Development Center "Ceres" > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu]On Behalf Of Doersam, > Laurel > Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2000 12:03 AM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: Re: I need advice . . . > > > Thanks, Michelle. The time factor is a huge caution for me, too. I > wonder > if they care enough to devote the time they need to resolving the issue? > I > think I'll need to take a firm stand on this. What is your opinion of > spreading the space over several subsequent sessions? (When I voiced my > concerns about the time issue, they were prepared to devote a couple of > followup weekly sessions of two hours - but again the same issue of > opening > space "a little" - just as people start to become engaged in the process, > it's time to go scrub!) The other complicating thing is that the > physicians > have the largest interest in getting home on time because they don't get > paid any extra for being there late - the others get compensated, so there > are certainly power issues involved. > > Do you think this could be spread over a few weeks, or should I hold out > for > a full day? > > Laurel. > -----Original Message----- > From: Michelle Cooper [mailto:coop...@interlynx.net] > Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2000 11:34 AM > To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu > Subject: Re: I need advice . . . > > > HI Laurel; > I would suggest not using open space for two hours for this particular > scenario. OST is just the right process for the problem, but anything less > than 4 hours would have the potential to backfire and a day would be > minimal > in my opinion for this issue. It sounds typical of the desire for instant > fixes to huge problems that is rampant in health care. My other concern is > that they will be so caught up with being ready for the OR to start, they > may not be fully present. I would suggest that if they are truly committed > to resolving the problem, they will dedicate more time to it and they will > find a way to make the time happen. Sometimes that requires investing in > time on a weekend or (god forbid) closing down the OR for a half day. > This > is often done when anaesthetists go for their annual conference!! My > thinking is that a 2 hour event in any form is not going to help them > resolve the issues. They are likely looking at many 2 hour sessions which > would have the same effect on productivity as closing the OR for a day and > not nearly as effective as just one day in open space. > > One of my nursing colleagues participated in a 2 hour "demonstration" > event > recently at a conference where there was not particular passionate issues. > She said that people got into the discussion so deeply, that they were > angry > when they were forced to stop. Not in the spirit of OS and could > particularly backfire if volatile issues got raised that could not be > discussed until "it is over". > > Two hours might get you an opportunity to do some story telling to start > people getting a handle on the issue and then follow with a longer open > space. > > My humble opinion; > Michelle > > > Michelle Cooper, RN, MScN > The Cooper Group Consultants > 200 Crestview Avenue > Ancaster, Ontario > Canada L9G1E2 > Telephone - (905) 648- 4633 > Fax - (905) 648-1763 > E-mail coop...@interlynx.net > The paradox of control is simple. The more we try to control life, the > less control we have. Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., Minding The Body, Mending > The > Mind >