Anne – You Sneaky Lady! And I suppose it may be a factor of increasing age and
curmudgeonly disposition, but when faced with the suggestion of admixtures,
alternatives, and/or dilutions of Open Space I obviously do not have your grace
and patience. It really boils down to my aversion to wasting the participants’
time, the client’s time and my own. If there is something to be done that is
worth while doing, the people who care are in the best position to accomplish
the task, provided the essential time/space is available. In a word – Open
Space. The suggestion that somehow “These Participants” will be unable to
function effectively is to demean those people, consigning them to the bottom
end of the intelligence/ability curve. Perhaps someday I will run into a truly
aberrant group, but experience to date says that if the people fall generally
within the classification Homo sapiens, they will do just fine. Of course
clients, sponsors and facilitators do get nervous, but that is not the issue,
though it may be the problem. I am reminded of the CEO of a large American
corporation who reportedly said in reference to the employees, “Never turn the
asylum over to the inmates.” With a corporate mindset like that it will not
surprise you to learn that the useful mental and emotional space available in
that place of work was minimal, closely paralleling an appalling lack of
innovation and creativity. It should also come as a non-surprise to learn that
when “the inmates” were introduced to open space, their performance was
outstanding. Blew your socks off! As for the CEO – he survived. As a matter of
fact, when last heard from he was laughing all the way to the bank to deposit
the profits from the renewed innovation and creativity.
Yours timorously,
Harrison
Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
Phone 301-365-2093
www.openspaceworld.com
www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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From: OSLIST [mailto:osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu] On Behalf Of ANNE BENNETT
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 7:19 AM
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Subject: Re: OS & Open Conferences
Hi Jon
I have indeed made fast and loose with OS form and process in such events - I
appreciated greatly Lisa's skillful and instinctive list of key design and
decision issues recently in response to the US+ 50 events extravaganza. I would
add one of my typically esoteric points, which is about finding a way to be
explicit about facsimile engagement which colludes with the starting
nervousness and self-limits the experience and conclusions/perceptions of what
OS is about...I feel it really is better to say "of course this is not the real
thing/we are not doing the real thing because ...." and as one can expect a
belated "but we could hack that/why did you under estimate us?" I embolden
myself earlier on to push against the timorous prologue with the client....
Anne M Bennett
Champion Hill
London
_____
From: Jon Harvey <j...@jonharveyassociates.co.uk>
To: osl...@listserv.boisestate.edu
Sent: Monday, 10 January, 2011 12:09:51
Subject: OS & Open Conferences
Dear all
I think I have managed to persuade a public conference producer to run (and
charge for) one of their conferences using Open Space. I debated with her that
the ‘talking heads’ type of conference with a smattering of workshops (which
are usually mini plenary sessions too) could be so much more valuable and
productive if OS was used. I said I would enquire if anyone else had done this
– how did it go – what lessons did you draw?
This is something of a gamble I recognise, as this will not be quite the kind
of issue that has to be solved yesterday kind of context. (Although given the
current austerity measures which are sweeping across the UK public services
right now – a lot of things have to be solved yesterday!) Also the people
gathered will be a community of interest (ie they will all have signed up to
come to the topic in questions) but not a community / group in any other way...
So what do people think – can this work – has this worked?
Many thanks
Very best wishes
Jon
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