Dear Jaime Fitzgerald Of course, Open Space can be used in strategic planning. Ignore those negative comments about the planning process, it just reflects individual experiences probably with a poor planning model.
If people want to look at the future and call it strategic or corporate planning, that's their business. What matters is that they are willing to look at future issues and actions, the heart of Open Space. The really important issue is how many people will be involved in the process of agreeing THEIR organization's future? And, as we know, OST is a great process to involve lots of people from all parts of an organization (and outsiders too) on an equal basis. Open Futures has used OST in two recent and successful strategic planning applications: 1. Scottish Further Education Funding Council, September 2002, with 45 principals or 98% of the total system in Scotland with Council members and staff. The theme was "what are the issues and actions for the Funding Council to consider in its 2003-06 corporate plan?" This was the first time that college principals participated in the planning process by raising their burning issues and proposed actions for consideration. So, OST can be used effectively as a front end input on issues and actions to be considered by a smaller planning group. Conversely, another event can be used after a planning group establishes a planning framework, e.g. direction, objectives and goals, by asking participants to devise strategies and make detailed action plans for implementation. In this way, plans do not have to be cascaded through an organization, because they are agreed and owned during the OST event. 2. Scottish Arts Council, December 2002, with 31 senior managers to review key parts of the corporate plan in open space, revising the plan in accordance with the agreed outputs of all participants. If you would like to review a tested and effective planning model, please see my book THE STRATEGY LED BUSINESS (McGraw-Hill 1996, ISBN 0-07-709285-6.) Although it was presented as a step-by-step process for small and medium sized businesses, it is a universal model for all sectors. I have used it in government and voluntary organizations. Our large group processes - Vision Search and Strategy Search - are based on this model, allowing the planning process for up to 120 people in teams of eight. For more information, please visit our website, www.openfutures.com. Good luck on your project. You are doing ground breaking work! It can be done with the right design, using Open Space for front end inputs, back end detailed planning for implementation or review of specific parts of an existing plan. Cheers Kerry Napuk Open Futures Ltd. Edinburgh, UK -- * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
