Came across this for the first time last night…anyone have any experience? Thoughts?
In their version of “the big picture” there’s a callout in the upper-right corner that says “During the first 100 days, teams are encouraged to experiment with any and all practices that align with the Agile Manifesto” which I think is fantastic advice. We should get away from being married to frameworks and move to what works, so to me this is a sound strategy.
If you get a chance, the book is worth picking up. It’s very short, but packed with useful insight.
Personally, OSA is just one way of applying important principles of change (in people and structures): create purpose, provide clear intent, involve people, create boundaries for experimentation. Wrapping these principles up in open space technology is clever.
What I dislike is Dan’s railing against the “agile industrial complex” (i.e., the “scaling” companies, big box consultancies, and money-mills like Agile Alliance).
Yes, most thoughtful people I know see the faults of the above. But OSA is also a “sellable” thing that Dan has a financial interest in. To me, it comes off as nuclear advertising and makes OSA no different than the rest. There’s an almost cult-like behavior of those committed to OSA, at least, as I’ve observed.
With that said, I’ll repeat how useful open space is for change.
thanks Zach, I’ll check it out. I have found a terrifying amount of cult-like obsession with ideas/practices/frameworks in the agile space that I find quite perplexing. To each his own I guess.
I’m also going to trademark “agile industrial complex” 