Change Manager

Context

1. Name of Interviewer/Facilitator: Larry Peterson


2. Date of Interview: 01/28/05


3. Role of Person Interviewed: Change Management Lead


4. Country Where Event Held: Canada


5. Sector/Business: Government: Provincial


6. How Many OST Events Has the Interviewee's Organization/Unit had? 16


7. Theme of This OST Event: Enhancing Integration Action Plans


8. Key organisational challenges, issues, drivers for this Event?

● Supporting regional planning initiatives that are largely self-organizing (and that came from an OST event)
● Shift to regional health planning when there are cross-region issues to address

9. Date of Event: 01/12/05


10. Number of participants: 175


11. How long was the event? 1 day


12. Planning Process with the Client
a. Number of Planning Meetings? 3


b. Length of Planning Process (weeks or months)? 3 weeks


c. Number of people involved in the planning of the event? 6

13. Follow-up with regard to this event
a. Was the follow-up planned before the event took place? Yes


b. Number of Follow-up Meetings 1


Interview responses

1. How would you describe your experience of Open Space Technology?
-Creative
-Engaging
-Self-directive
-Leveling: Equal playing field with all voices included
-Liberating
-Free Flowing


2. Describe the impact of OST on:
a.The people who attended
-Profound: Hard to believe that something so unstructured can produce results
-Daunting: People have to take responsibility for acting
-Taps into creativity that may not have been experienced
-People need to do something about what they discussed

b.On organizational results
-Process enables results to happen
-Surprising/Astounding
-Difficult to image that something you do not structure can give these results
-It does yield results
-Process and results are defined by the people who have claimed ownership
-Results much more sustainable
-Greater buy in, affiliation, results
- Risk Taking – Courageous step for government


3. How was it different from your experience of other approaches?
-Depends on your objective
-If you want something internalized, where people claim full ownership you use it.
-Best breakthroughs occur in this environment
-A process that realizes that people do not come in as a blank slate, they bring wisdom and knowledge
-It appreciates what people come in with
-Output includes a wealth of diversity, ideas and mutual wisdom
-It is not “banking” of ideas with experts


4. Given your experience, in what circumstances would you recommend the use of OS to others?
-If want clear compliance and understanding then do not use OST, there you need to be linear and didactic
-Don’t use in a highly controlled or regulated environment
-Useful in other fields: designing, conceptualizing, creativity – e.g “What colour should the Smartie be?”
-Must be willing to go with the results that come up