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Risks & Challenges of Using OS in Fatigued and/or Cynical Organizations

Convenor: Val Embree

Participants: Maria Maguire, Jill Hardwick, Gillian Rivers, Lyneve Whiting, John James, Penny Wolf, Carla Vliex

Discussion:

Specific concerns regarding use of OS in a ‘toxic’ environment:

• Concern about potential for negative impacts on individual participants – people may pay a price for making the invisible visible.

• Assumptions about ability to safely exercise OS rules – e.g. law of two feet – may not be valid.

Is there insufficient structure or support to participants in an OS event to manage these risks?

Comments:

Appearance of non-structure is an illusion.

OS may in fact be less of a risk in this organizational structure than other appproaches.

Benefits of using OS is that it can impact the unhealthy environment. Fatigue and cynicism pushes people into isolation; OS allows people to connect with one another in organizations and to see the future.

Key issue is the pre-event work – OS facilitator must establish/confirm event sponsor/senior manager needs to understand and legitimize the OS event/approach.