STORIES, The Newsletter of the
Open Space Institute (US)
Issue 6, October, 2003
Purpose of the Newsletter
The purpose of the newsletter is to make our stories
available to each other so that we continue to learn and grow. We hope they will serve you for education,
examples, connection and pleasure.
This newsletter is intended for the use of friends and
members of the Open Space Institute (US).
It may be reproduced in any useful way with acknowledgement. When copying, please include the
author/contact/publication information at the end of each story.
In This Issue
1—Three Short Stories About My
Journey Within Open Space
2—Open Space Applied to Cross-Cultural New Product
Development
3—Footprints In the Wind
4—Another Lesson in Letting Go
5—Be Prepared to Be Surprised
6—Living in Invitation
7—Coming Events
***************************************************************
THREE SHORT STORIES ABOUT MY JOURNEY WITHIN OPEN SPACE
Mikk Sarv, OS Facilitator,
Opening
November, the 10th of 2001 found me sitting in Open Space,
the opening circle of Scottish Community Woodland annual conference in the
small
The reports were made on flip charts and hung on the walls of the big hall, shot by digital camera and were
supposed to be available on the www.reforestingscotland.org
website. For some reason it didn't work out properly. The report from the
conference reached me by post nine months later, in August 2002.
But being part of the whole process got me interested to
peek more deeply into it. So I went to my brother’s internet bookshop www.kriso.ee, typed in Harrison Owen, and found
more fascinating books. I ordered several books, including the Power of the
Spirit.
There I found
with one's own tongue, so the Tongue equals with
The second level has in our tradition the same name as in
The third level is called by Harrison Intellect, in our
tradition it is called Heart. Both the Intellect and the Heart are needed for
completion.
The discussion in a breakout group concludes with a report.
Writing a report is an intellectual effort, which has to be made through heart,
with full responsibility.
The fourth level is again the same in our tradition and in
The last one is Spirit for
This got me to work more with OST, as I have been working
with our tradition for about thirty years and OS was for me the most
fascinating branching way to walk along, with curiosity and admiration.
The Trees Talking
Through Me
Two months after my first OS in
At that time I didn't know what tree it might be, but Les
smiled and said he knows, what tree it is. Next
morning I woke up early and got out to garden to look for the tree. First I
assumed that it might be some pine or spruce, as I had earlier experienced them
to be beneficial and close to me. But walking near to a thirty years old Western
Red Cedar I felt such a strong pull, like yelling: “It's me, it's me!”
I was a bit surprised, but sat down to the tree. I took my
flute and tried out, what melodies are flowing around and through us. They were
beautiful and fascinating. I went to the tree every morning and we learned
together many wonderful tunes.
After our first meeting with the cedar I went to have
breakfast with Leslie. He confirmed, that that was
just the tree he mentioned last night and told me the story of it. When they
were building their house, the cedar was a small sapling, supposed to take off.
It was saved by their daughter Marchi.
One night Marchi gave me a small
hand-made book of her poems. For me most fascinating was the poem on loose
list, not bound into the book. Next morning I got from the Cedar a melody to
sing it. Since then I use this specific song for preparing myself to open or
close space. For me it postulates the right attitude towards people,
participating in Open Space:
I Think
--By Marchi Wierson
I think by telling you I love you,
I can protect some part of us.
I think by being grateful,
I can keep us safe from harm.
I want to draw a circle,
Around us,
To shield us.
I want to keep you safe from hurt.
Every day,
I want to tell you I love you,
And I want you to believe.
The experience with the cedar opened me up to listen to the
melodies and stories, what the trees are singing and telling to me. I have
introduced many people to trees and vice versa, trees to people. We are all
connected together, we are all part of the same life
flowing through us.
Now
My brother Tonn Sarv, reading some Harrison's books I bought through his
bookshop, asked me to facilitate open space about more reasonable ordering of
foreign books for Estonian libraries. The conference was sponsored by his
bookshop Krisostomus and
I asked Michael Hermann for permission to use for the
conference the www.openspaceworld.net
wiki web space. He agreed, even though the language
of the proceedings is Estonian, and not understood by other users of www.openspaceworld.net.
The format of OsonOS Swenmark wiki web was excellent
and fascinating for me. I translated it to Estonian and asked sponsors to
invite participants to sign in there. It made sense for them to have such a
flexible and interactive web space prepared for conference. Still the use of
the space wasn't very active -- possibly people are not much used to the
format. Writing down the reports to the web deprived the writers from
opportunity to attend other break-out sessions. Next time it might be good to
try to write the reports simultaneously, with wi-fi
internet connected laptop computers during the break-out sessions.
We got 12 break-out sessions, some with four attendants, others with thirty to forty. The convergence was for a while
a problem for me, as the time was limited, and the web-site reports were more
short summaries than numbered proposals easy to vote. Then I proposed the
voting by raising hands, to prioritise the 12
break-out topics. Everyone got five votes; if they wanted to give more than one
vote to one topic, they announced it. The voting selected rapidly out three
topics, which were recommended for further consideration.
Mikk Sarv mikk@elfond.ee
for
STORIES, the Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
***************************************************************
OPEN-SPACE APPLIED TO CROSS-CULTURAL NEW
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
David S. Morgan
The Trinity Group, Organization & Leadership
Consulting,
Annotation: For nearly six months the product development
efforts of two product development teams; one located in the United States and
the other in Holland, struggled to develop a common purpose and identity, to
develop and communicate, and to create a common language from which they could
collaborate on technical discussions and resolve technical issues.
Background: This firm is part of the semiconductor
equipment industry. The industry is well into a 24-month recession. Generally
known for its product and process innovations, the semiconductor industry is
highly competitive and depends a great deal on its ability to innovate and
develop leading edge products in short development cycles. A successful
semiconductor company is arguably one that is a technology and innovation
leader in its respective market segment.
Challenge:
A combination of events; including the industry downturn, recent merger
activities, significant leadership changes, and the multi-culture nature of the
management posed significant challenges to this division in its effort to bring
new innovative products to market. Traditional approaches to product
development had yielded traditional results.
The cross-cultural, cross-functional development teams struggled with
issues of power & control, communication, trust, and the creation of a
common purpose. Formal meetings were mildly successful and informative, but
broke no new ground in building innovative approaches or in helping the group’s performance. Neither team sought understanding, but
instead assessed blame for delay in the schedule and the absence of true
product innovation.
Though the
The Response: The pressure to achieve technical
breakthroughs within modest means and tight schedules further undermined early
team effectiveness. In order to reenergize the team and re-create a sense of
purpose and begin to build trust and camaraderie, the President of the Division
decided to apply a new approach he had uncovered in his doctoral work in
organizational leadership; Open-Space Technology (OST).
The Event: A two day Open-Space event took place in late
spring and brought together 13-members of two teams from
As one might expect, the participants were at a loss with
how to deal with a room full of circles of chairs, and no table. The American
contingent was apprehensive, but nonetheless excited about any process that
would build consensus and energy around their project. The European contingent
was at a complete loss to understand what was going on. When confronted with a
meeting without an agenda, the senior manager commented, “Perhaps we can review
my agenda and bring the table back into the room.”
After a brief introduction of Open-Space Technology and the
process, a number of engineers offered their issues to the group. After some
gentle cajoling, they got up, picked up a marker from the middle of the room,
and began building an agenda for the two day event. Ten key topic areas emerged
that led to 2-break out rooms and 5-time slots. The air became electric.
Within 2-hours of our start, each participant was
energized, actively participating, and without exception, getting their
particular issues addressed. Rather than advocating their particular functions
and positions as individuals contributors, a systems approached emerged that
elevated the process and the whole product above its constituent parts.
Outcomes: Though the long-term results are uncertain, the
open-space event initiated a transformation of both attitudes and the product
development process. The president relinquished control and responsibility for the project to the team
and the process. Key issues were raised in the spirit of cooperation and
collaboration. The participants identified the issues, co-created an agenda,
and successfully completed two days spirited debate and purposeful, follow-up
action.
This small
product development team was recognized company-wide as spirited, dynamic and
innovative: a model of future development efforts. Perhaps the most promising
development, long term, was the informal creation of communities of practice.
“Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern, a set of
problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and
expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis” (Wenger et al., 2002, p. 4). These CoPs emerged as an
unintended consequence of like minded people combining common purpose, a
passion, a need and the means to share with and learn from one another.
Feedback from both
Wenger,
E. McDermott, R. & Snyder, W. M. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice.
David Morgan tiesdm@msn.com
for
STORIES, the Newsletter of the Open
Space Institute (US)
***************************************************************
FOOTPRINTS IN THE WIND/sm # 418
ooOOOoo
o
o
The only people
in the world who can make change here
are these people.
o
o
ooOOOoo
Please pass it
on--especially to someone you know who wants
change
in their organization or life. -Doug.
By
Douglas D. Germann, Sr. Ó Copyright 2003, Learning
Works, Inc.
All rights
reserved. Reprint permissions: Doug@FootprintsintheWind.com
Archived http://www.FootprintsintheWind.com
Please publish in
your print or electronic periodical,with
the above info.
***************************************************************
ANOTHER LESSON IN LETTING GO
Patricia Henderson, Facilitator, Yoga Teacher
The Inner Path, An Organizational
& Training Development Company,
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have. This is
the second of the Four Principles of Open Space, and certainly an essential
element for a successful session. But
for a facilitator, letting go, surrendering the outcome of a workshop while
still meeting the client’s expectations is not always easy.
I facilitated a workshop for a university client to explore
a vision of how education will be conducted in the future. A group of fifty professors, curriculum developers,
administrators, and students were brought together for the one-and-a-half day
event.
The dean opened the workshop with a short presentation to
provide a context. Participants then
engaged in small-group discussions to remember the best of the past. A panel of experts presented a variety of new
technologies, which was followed by more small-group discussion to share ideas
about the application of these technologies to education. By lunchtime, energy among the participants
was high.
Following lunch, we all filed into a large room I had
prepared in advanced. The dean
reiterated the value of everyone’s participation. I explained the Four Principles and One Law
of Open Space and then reviewed our theme, How Shall We Create Our Future:
University Education 2020 and Beyond.
There were a few moments of silence, followed by some
nervous chatter, after all this was a novel experience for almost everyone in
the room. Finally, one intrepid
professor stepped forward, grabbed a piece of paper and wrote: “My issue is
Keeping (and valuing) the Status Quo.”
Okay, this was not what I was expecting. We were supposed to be engaged in a
discussion about how to design the educational experience of the future, which
implies changing the status quo. I
thanked the professor and waited.
A student stepped forward: “My issue is Campus Life &
Environments2020.” Then another
professor: “My issue is The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Job
Market.” Hmmm. .
.these topics seemed tangential to our theme.
As a former drill instructor, I was tempted to call everyone to
attention, recite our theme in unison, and threaten 20 push-ups for everyone if
one person veers off course again. But,
I refrained and "Whatever happens is the only thing that could have"
became my mantra.
More topics were generated, and suddenly the room emptied
as participants dashed out to the breakout rooms to find the session of their
choice. I took a few deep breaths and
went to prowl the halls, lurking at doorways, eavesdropping on the sessions. What I heard surprised me. The conversations were animated and
passionate and on track, at least peripherally, with our theme.
The workshop turned out to be a success. We had hoped to get tangible ideas on how
education will be conducted in the future, and, in fact, we did touch on
that. But, just as importantly, we
uncovered concerns that must be addressed so that the university can be
successful as it moves forward toward its strategy for the future. Had we not used Open Space and instead generated
the discussion topics ourselves, those concerns might not have surfaced. And me? I got another lesson in letting go. Whatever
happens is the only thing that could have.
Patricia Henderson yogitrish@mac.com
for
STORIES, the Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
***************************************************************
BE PREPARED TO BE SURPRISED
Fr.Brian S. Bainbridge,
Opened space for some 35 Diocesan Religious Education
Coordinators from all over OZ:
One guy said, in the talking stick time, that he was extremely disappointed with the whole event. He had come, after having experienced OST a couple of times, with an utter
cynicism about Open Space as pointless and fruitless and really not worth the
time and energy. His utter
disappointment was that he could not now go home with increased cynicism at all
(as he had expected), that he was taking home an absolutely revised view of OST
- which was his "disappointment". Australians have a funny way of
being "disappointed" sometimes, it seems.
And there was a West Australian nun who came knowing from
previous OSTexperience that she was quite likely in
the first afternoon to use her two feet and go and do something useful with her
time in
Cheers and blessings,
BRIAN
Fr Brian S. Bainbridge
briansb@mira.net
for
STORIES, the Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
***************************************************************
LIVING IN INVITATION
Maureen K. McCarthy, Consultant to Organizations
Engaging the Soul at Work
My husband, Zelle, and I live in
a pre-Civil War, 150-year-old, stone house in Flat Rock, N.C. (outside
We have people stay with us from all over the world and are
always open to people stopping by. Now it might seem that we’re into
entertaining, but the truth is, most of the time we’re not. What1s important to
us is to have a place where everyone is welcome, where each person can
determine their own experience while they’re here. We tell people we live in
Open Space.
Several years ago we were introduced to a process of large
group conversation called Open Space Technology. It begins with a written
invitation drawing people together around a particular topic or idea,
triggering each person’s individual passions and interests. Within thirty
minutes of gathering, a group of five to five thousand creates the agenda for
their time together, whether it’s three hours or three days. There are four
principles of Open Space:
1. Whoever comes
are the right people.
2. Whenever it
starts is the right time.
3. Whenever it’s
over, it’s over.
4. Whatever
happens is the only thing that could.
The overarching principle that really makes Open Space work
is called The Law of Two Feet. It says that if you’re not learning or
contributing in any conversation, use your two feet and go someplace else.
Each person is responsible for their own experience, as
only you know where you need to be and what you need to talk about. In fact, if
you’re bored and want to leave but think it’s rude, it’s not. It’s rude to
stay. Uninterested people bring down the
energy of everyone who cares.
After using Open Space in our consulting work to support
organizations in creating a more inviting style of leadership, we realized the
principles operated at a truly foundational level. They would work everywhere
in our lives. So in an effort to live a more inviting life, we truly brought it
home. And it fit perfectly.
When people arrive at our house we give them our
"Welcome Home" page. It says:
Just a few
thoughts while you’re hanging out here...
*Ask for everything you want. Always.
Sometimes it may not be possible, but always ask.
*This house is as much yours as ours. Be comfortable
everywhere. Do what you want. Go where
you want. Stay as long as you want. If you see something that needs doing, go
for it. If there’s something that bugs you, feel free to take care of it.
*We don’t live on one particular schedule. We eat when
we’re hungry. We sleep when we’re tired. If you’re hungry and want to eat,
forage... or chat with us about what time we all want to eat together.
*Because our office is at home, sometimes we need to get
work done, even though we might rather be lounging with you. If there’s
something you want to do, we’ve got maps, guidebooks, etc. to help you know
where you want to go. Even if we don’t see you, we love it that you’re here!
*There’s a journal where we’d love to have you write about
the places you’ve seen and things you’ve done while you were here. It will help
us get to know the area, as well as our future homecomers.
*Lastly, but most importantly...Our ultimate goal is to be
in a state of grace with each other, with you, with everything, always. That
means that if at any time you’re frustrated or something’s not feeling right,
you absolutely must share your thoughts.
*Enjoy!
Zelle and I grew up in homes that, for very different reasons,
were places that discouraged us from inviting people over. So we agreed it was
integral to our relationship to create a foundation of invitation as we built
our lives together. We couldn’t possibly sustain our desire for invitation if
we felt obligated to entertain everyone every moment, but our Welcome Home page
helps us set expectations, alleviate misunderstandings and make everyone more
comfortable.
Being inviting is always rewarding, but not always easy.
The very notion of being inclusive says you don’t exclude, which means you
invite the bad in with the good. We found that if we put parameters around who we invite, whether it’s because they think like us or
are easier to get along with, we could no longer call ourselves inviting. We’ve
had people stay who really triggered us, but in the end we welcome them back
anytime, because it’s important to us that our minds be stretched and our
hearts opened. And who’s to say we weren’t the ones creating the circumstances.
Recently we met a couple on the streets of
For us, invitation seems to be at the heart of our
diversity issues. As soon as we create "the other," we forget we’re
actually one. Beginning with our home is usually a breeze and sometimes a bit
of work, but it’s helped us branch out and be more inviting in everything we
do.
Want to come over?
Maureen K. McCarthy
maureenkmccarthy@mindspring.com
for
STORIES, the Newsletter of the Open Space Institute (US)
***************************************************************
COMING EVENTS
Practice of Peace, November 9-12
Whidbey Institute, one hour north of
There's still time to register...and do it soon because
accommodations are going fast….
The Practice of Peace is an international gathering
bringing people from six continents, including many working in conflict areas,
such as
Inspired by Harrison Owen, founder of Open Space Technology
(OST), and his recently published book, The Practice of Peace, this conference
is both timely and unique. As people
facing different conflicts act as mirrors for each other, perhaps the
complexity of each situation will resolve to a higher order of clarity for all
involved, illuminating essentials that participants can apply in their work,
their communities, and their lives.
FEES: Tuition, meals
and conference materials included.
Accommodations not included.
*
Individuals with for-profit
support: $750
*
Individuals with non-profits or
without organizational affiliation: $450
*
Students: $350.
***************************************************************
Practice of Peace workshops with Harrison Owen, details and
registration information at www.openspaceworld.com
January 12 – 14,
March 21 – 24,
June 6 – 9, Chicago, Michael Herman, mherman@globalchicago.net
For stories of opening space for peace, follow these links:
Notes by Harrison Owen
http://www.openspaceworld.com/intro%20to%20pop.htm
Israelis, Palestinians hope retreat helps awaken peace from
its Slumber
http://practiceofpeace.com/PoPannouncement_files/MiddleEastReport.htm
People to People Dialogue for Peace and Prosperity
Panchgani,
http://practiceofpeace.com/PoPannouncement_files/KashmirOS.htm
Open Space in Oral Cultures
http://practiceofpeace.com/PoPannouncement_files/HaitiOS.htm
***************************************************************
Open Space and Emergence in Human Systems: The Challenges and Opportunities for
Collaborative Research, November 28 –
30.
Oakham House,
Details and registration, www.openspacecanada.org/OSResW.htm
The Ryerson Faculty of Business and the Open Space
Institute of Canada are co-sponsoring this first-ever conference to focus on
opportunities for research about Open Space and emergence in human
systems.
Fee: $150.
***************************************************************
Open Space Training Events
For the most current information on Open Space training
resources, visit
http://www.openspaceworld.org/wiki/wiki/wiki.cgi?OpenSpaceTraining
December 10 – 12,
January 13-16, 2004, Sweden, Working With Open Space
Technology, Thomas Herrmann, thomas@openspaceconsulting.com and Eiwor Backelund, eiwor@leda.se
Other Parts of the World
March 29 -
Winning Stakeholders' Hearts and Minds, Holger
Nauheimer and JoToepfer, http://www.change-management-toolbook.com/training_2004_ost_ct.html
STORIES is published occasionally, online, by the Open Space
Institute (US). To subscribe, contact
Peggy Holman, usa@openspaceworld.org
To submit your story, contact Joelle
Everett, jleshelton@aol.com