Dear oslisters'
Remember my call for help how to pick 150 out of 750?
I want to start with thanking, Gerard Muller, Chris Corrigan, Harrison,
Joelle and all of you' and here is my debt of story to you :
150 out of 750 – continued: the story of a two day OS with a division of
an Israeli high-tech global company
Tova Averbuch
As I was preparing for Practice Of Peace conference on Whidbey island on
November 2003 I got a phone call inviting me to consider working with a
division of an Israeli high-tech global company " to promote motivation"
after very hard three years in this business-market in general and for
those people in particular. Since I do not do "promote motivation" work
I was trying to look for the picture of the desired future the person
talking to me had in mind and we both became more and more interested in
exploring working together. We met a month later, when I was back from
the US. They were eager and impatient to move on. I was in the
beginning.
The way I generally view my work with organizations is as short term
interventions with the intention of transformation. OS gathering is a
very powerful and preferred practice I incorporate in this process and
the most visible one. Because open space is about inviting and about
choosing it is very important for me to provide it both in my very being
and in doing, so… after meeting the HR people and the CEO and the
management we moved from "promoting motivation" to " creation of a
division we would like to work in and be happy to belong to.." They were
ready to move on. My gut was that it was too soon. My clear sense was
that 'what OS actually is' didn't seem to get through and their everyday
culture was 180 degrees deferent. Another barrier was that this
management who, until recently, was a management of subsidiary company
now became management of a division, much more dependent on the mother
company feeling limited in what they can do by themselves and for
themselves. Fallowing my senses I insisted on the regular process we
use: having a diagonal preparatory committee as means of still
questioning if OS is what they really choose and distilling the unique
way to do about it. Meet again with the management team in an OS format
(this I usually do not do) to learn more and explore their issues and
challenges as managers/management in this process and particular
situation.
In the preparatory comity people were very reserved, skeptical, cautious
and cynical. Sooner then latter – I was in the middle of a battle field
with this or that person from senior management in front of 20 other
people (stirring or steering? committee). Anxiety of letting go was very
high, fear to raise expectations and fail them was enormous so ideas
like: "let the preparatory committee be the OS event" or: "we can guide
it a little, who said we have to do it exactly the way you say?" were
offered along the process. Let me tell you I was defiantly bruised in
this battle. For those of you who know me personally this will not come
as a surprise that I wished I was not so direct and I wished I could
shut up …neither the client nor I were sure we can make it together or
that we are a good fit but thanks god we stayed together long enough.
Slowly but surly too things emerged very clearly:
* No way a management can go to OS 'to see and get ideas' and
then do whatever they wish, regardless (not because I say so but because
through the preparatory committee and the talk about trust, management
commitment etc. it became very clear)
* One can confront high rank and stay alive (bruised but alive):
maybe everyone can choose to make a difference, after all.
People from preparatory committee decided they go for OS and "dare
hope". They created a remarkable process of invitation formulation and
talks to inform everyone in the deviation (750 people) in 2-3 days
(50-70 every time with a member of the committee who is not 'the boss'
of those who listen and question – it was the first time I had people
create such a process). After the talk was over the person who was in
charge beautifully informed everyone else that had still to go, of what
were the challenges of the meeting and how was it resolved. It was so
lovely to be on their list and witness these little tips and care. When
they decided the OS will be for 150 people I had asked Avner to join in
with me and had the pleasure to learn again how beautiful and fun it is
to work together!
170 people from all departments registered and 180 showed up on the
morning of the first day. How shall I sum it up in "bottom Line"
language? (We maid a joke out of how they will report to those who chose
not to come): "In the beginning people were very skeptical!" ye' but
what happened at the end? – "they were not skeptical!"…
I opened the space asking them to do something revolutionary, something
they do not usually do – to take 3 breaths… (thank you Gerard, Harrison
and Brigitt for building in me the courage to actually dare start this
very way with 180 people, technical people, mainly men…) Like taking a
lid off a steaming pot 50 out of the 180 people, who were seating very
quietly (too quietly) for the first half an hour, jumped out off their
chairs to create their agenda for 4 breakout sessions that day and one
the next day. Wonderful energy of finding one another again as people,
after three years of survival mode on the personal and organizational
level, they began to shade prickly porcupine skin and try on new, softer
modes. 44 conversations, 44 summaries attended with care by the evening
and collected as a book of proceedings from 'everything-culture' to
'working patterns' in general and in specific. Trust… open, candid,
genuine words were spoken and heard. One participant put it beautifully:
'we had told them every thing before this event. We talk it in the
corridors, in 'round table talks', everywhere! So what difference will
it make'? Another, standing by, said: (this could be a day of grace)
'you know what the definition of a psychologist is: a person to whom you
pay for hearing all the things your wife has been telling you for so
long …, maybe today it will sink in'.
Evening news with a shift: transparent, open to all public. Evening
decision meeting together (some traps we glided through) also added a
pillar of trust and transparency.
Most amazing was the depth of wisdom on day two (10 more groups added
their conversation proceedings in writing and orally (in 10 minutes, all
together!). All an all, 54 active and vibrant ideas merged into 16
implementation groups who had their first session in the afternoon. That
was just blooming energies – seeding and harvesting work together. Being
the action-biased people they are – they came up with wonderful ideas,
fun, appreciation, recognition, and programs and it is on its way….!
Up in the sky Avner and I drove home
Knowing this is a very unique time in this industry, they are in a
turning point, seems they chose to turn.
Last one:
This morning the CEO called saying "thank you, you know I don't speak
much and I am very cynical but it seems to genuinely matter for many
people; the sales man's singing, in the closing circle, "you and I will
change the world" (a Hebrew song, like 'Imagine') was moving even for
me.
We may have some challenges in the coming six months; we shall need a
little your help from you during this 'crossing the minefield'. And- if
you need recommendation I will be glad to do it. I didn't believe this
phone call; he hardly ever had the time (or preference) to talk one
sentence to me…
Thank you for hanging there with me until now, there was a lot of
learning on my side and on Avner's side (he even came up with some
computer and logistics break through). A little bird told me Avner is
going to say more…
Thank you all again
With much love
Tova
Tova Averbuch טובה אורבוך
34 Rabinovitz St. רחוב רבינוביץ 34
Holon 58672 חולון
Israel
972-3-5523476
averb...@post.tau.ac.il
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