Being Ourselves, Finding Our People

Recently, I looked back at the Book of Proceedings from the BAodn Best in the West 2010 Open Space: Leveraging the Power of OD in Changing Times. Have you ever analyzed text for themes? Well, skimming through the Closing Circle Comments and Reflections made the job easy. Over and over again people commented that they felt like they belonged, even if they had never been to a BAodn event before. But, that belonging was not gained through the loss of their individuality. As one person said, "everyone here is so different, even though we are the same tribe."

Another theme was the feelings people had about using Open Space rather than a traditional conference format for the meeting. Some people were grateful that they had not endured yet another day of Power Point slides from sages on the stage. Others appreciated the ability to go deeper into topics than a traditional presentation format would have allowed, with engagement from everyone in the small groups. A few people mourned the loss of a more structured approach.

It was a bold move for BAodn leadership to make the decision to try the Open Space format last year. Perhaps that bold move was a preview of a series of shifts from more traditional approaches to experimental new modes, like this blog, and BAodn's LinkedIn presence. Perhaps BAodn's new direction represents where OD is headed--distributed, ubiquitous, embedded.

This is what BAodn members are thinking about and talking about. Won't you join us?
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Katherine Kott is the Volunteer Coordinator for BAodn. When she is not matching up volunteers to interesting BAodn opportunities, she manages digital library projects for Stanford University Libraries. In her spare time, she is pursuing a PhD in Human Systems and Organizational Development at Fielding Graduate University. Contact Katherine at volunteering@baodn.org.