Sorry - found another error. Please ignore the previous version and use this new - and hopefully improved - one instead.
Thanks! Martin * * * * * * * Artur makes some really good points in his posting about "OST Counties". <And what about France - I heard about an American that conducted some OST events in the past - is he still there? is he still working in OST?> The man in question is Chris(topher) Schoch, a friend who I spent a few hours with earlier in the year. While working at hotel group Accor ten or more years ago, Chris contributed a chapter to the Harrison Owen edited book, Tales from Open Space - now out of print, but published online at http://www.openspaceworld.com/tales.htm. (Warm thanks to Michael Herman for putting it up there, and to Harrison for giving Michael permission to do so.) Chris is still active with OST. A few years ago he conducted a two day OS Gathering for almost 1,000 people, in French. I was fortunate to be one of his assistants. The biggest thing I learnt from that experience was this: However much wall space you think you need for such a big gathering, double it. If you're interested, you can see Chris's biog and photo at http://www.wdhb.com/en/wdhb/cv_cs.php3 * * * * * * * I also read Artur's posting about the apparent incompatibility of OST and other "large group intervention" (an inaccurate and unhelpful term, but it's in widespread use) methods. I've been working with a wide range of methods (inc. OST, Real Time Strategic Change, Future Search and Simu-Real) for nearly ten years, and these days I work with the principles that these methods seem to share, rather than following the recipes. And it seems that apparently contradictory approaches can indeed be combined or integrated effectively. As I see it, there are two main categories of large group intervention method. Category 1 methods, typified by Real Time Strategic Change (RTSC), involve designing, ahead of the large group intervention (collaborative gathering), a sequence of activities for making a rapid shift from the current reality to the desired future (or what I prefer to think of as the desired reality). This sequence is determined by a design team, which includes the sponsor, the consultant/facilitator and a selection of people from the different stakeholder groups that will take part in the gathering, including a vocal sceptic. One of the explicit principles of RTSC, "Reality is a key driver", is to redesign this sequence of events at any given moment if what is happening in the room suggests that such a redesign is called for. Quite often, although not always, participants in Category 1 gatherings sit at round tables, often but not always in a "max-mix" (maximum diversity) configuration. The principles of RTSC can be used to create a gathering that, to an observer parachuted into it, might appear to be a Future Search conference, Search Conference, Simu-Real event or some other "branded" gathering. To put this another way, RTSC is a philosophy and a set of principles, whereas the other Category 1 methods are, if you like, recipes. So, in my mind at least, Category 1 is Real Time Strategic Change. Category 2 is what I call "Open Space Gatherings" (a nod to Birgitt Williams here, who prefers the term "Open Space Technology meetings"). Note that there is a still a pre-designed sequence (circle, session offers, sign-up, OS sessions, more OS sessions, and so on) but that the activities taking place within this very tight and explicit structure are designed by the participants. Or rather, by a subset of the participants - i.e. the ones that choose to offer sessions. I'm just noticing that this isn't so very different from RTSC, where the activities are designed by ... a subset of the participants! In fact, if someone were to suggest that RTSC is _more_ emergent than OST, it would be hard to disagree. Using the RTSC model, if things start going what we quaintly call "tits up" here in the UK, the design team calls a break and quickly redesigns the agenda. Under OST, if something similar happens, the facilitator does little or nothing, trusting (hoping? praying?) that matters will resolve themselves. OK, I'm being a bit provocative here, but viewed from the client's perspective RTSC and its siblings can look much more attractive than OS. On many occasions I and others I know (including Romy Shovelton, a longstanding contributor to OSList) have effectively combined Category 1 and Category 2 approaches, usually an RTSC-style pre-designed sequence with an Open Space chunk somewhere along the way (typically in the middle or towards the end). This requires a wide range of facilitation styles, from very hands-on to totally hands-off (invisible and present). But I believe that all professional facilitators need to be accomplished in all styles of facilitation, and be adept at switching from style to another in a microsecond. If anyone reading this would like to know more about Category 1 methods (and Category 2 for that matter), you can download various documents from www.martinleith.com/downloads. You can also see the chapter, "Creating Collaborative Gatherings Using Large Group Interventions", that I contributed to the Gower handbook of Training & Development, at www.martinleith.com/lgi/chapter.html. I've included the six principles of RTSC below. * * * * * * * Warm wishes to everyone on OSList, Martin Martin Leith Limited The Open Space Agency * * * * * * * Six key principles of Real Time Strategic Change By Robert Jacobs (originator of RTSC) Source: http://www.rwjacobs.com/ActionIdeas111.html There are steps organizations can take to enhance the success rate of their current change efforts while creating greater capacity to navigate future changes as well. By implementing the SIX KEY PRINCIPLES OF REAL TIME STRATEGIC CHANGE, organizations succeed because they learn to change while they change. EMPOWER AND INCLUDE. This principle is about developing commitment to and alignment with a shared purpose and future direction by engaging people in ways that matter to them and in which they can make a valuable contribution. THINK AND ACT IN REAL TIME is about accelerating the pace of change by bringing your preferred future into the present thinking and acting as if the future were now. GET CLEAR ON YOUR PREFERRED FUTURE is based on energizing and guiding plans and actions with compelling possibilities for the future that are informed by the past and present. RERALTY IS A KEY DRIVER counsels us to anticipate and respond to new realities by seeking out and making sense of emerging issues and opportunities. BUILD AND MAINTAIN A COMMON UNDERSTANDING is about creating shared meaning, and freedom to act, by appreciating important issues based on diverse perspectives. CREATE COMMUNITY is about fostering learning, growth, and spirit by developing an environment where people come together as part of something larger than themselves that they create and believe in. Real Time Strategic Change compels organizations to think and act as if the future were now to engage entire organizations in the strategic thinking and action required to create rapid and sustainable change. * * * * * * * Martin Leith Limited, 1 Princes Road, Wells, Somerset BA5 2DT, United Kingdom Telephone 01749 673999 (+44 1749 673999) Mobile 07808 773713 (+44 7808 773713) email mar...@martinleith.com www.martinleith.com * * ========================================================== 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