Hello, all -
Esther mentioned her first OS with action planning. She said: <I read several convergence methods some of you use (on Lisa Heft's website - thanks Lisa for posting this!) and found great ideas for the future.> Here are some of those resources Esther mentioned... http://www.openingspace.net/openSpaceTechnology_method.shtml (or just go to http://www.openingspace.net <http://www.openingspace.net/> - Open Space Technology / The Method) ...in the Resources for OST Practitioners you will see papers on Convergence: A Conversation Convergence Approaches Action Plans It is interesting to me, always, to have the conversation with the client / sponsor / host about what they wish to achieve in their one (or whatever) day(s) together. Many say they want to end with the group identifying action items - however upon further discussion it turns out that it is not necessarily *action* they needed, but a sense of *accomplishment* - and all their previous models of meetings end in action items, votes or otherwise naming numbers of things - so that is naturally what they feel signals a productive end to a meeting. So I really like to have a very thorough conversation for as long as it takes to get the truest sense of this need and then decide what is the design that might accomplish it (and/or perhaps we have a conversation that to accomplish a certain desired outcome takes a longer OS or something). Action? Accomplishment? Next steps? Personal commitments? Knowing also that a) Open Space delivers closing comments and reflections (a useful deliverable) and a Book of Proceedings (measure of accomplishment) and b) I am happy to design in action identification a la Open Space if appropriate - however if we (the client and I) structure a convergence activity we need to be very clear on what are we asking, is there realistic support for follow-through if actions are identified, do people have the tools they need or freedom to break out of their traditional organizational roles to continue work post-event on their actions, and so on. All very rich conversation and detective work before finalizing design. More thoughts from Lisa's surfacing into email land today... Lisa ___________________________ L i s a H e f t Consultant, Facilitator, Educator O p e n i n g S p a c e <mailto:lisah...@openingspace.net> lisah...@openingspace.net <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net * * ========================================================== osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs: http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist