| from Berrett-Koehler's "At Work"
Publication
The Bank of Montreal uses Open Space more than any other large organization in Canada. Here's why. The times are changing at the 34,000-employee Bank of Montreal. Bob Dylan's song has been purchased for a new ad campaign, and people are opening space all over the organization. There have been at least 12 major Open Space events over the last two years, as well as many others that haven't been counted. Cross-bank meetings on productivity, divisional meetings, senior team meetings, and business unit sessions have all been held using Open Space Technology. The bank's own internal evaluation research has encouraged increased understanding of the process and continued use. Open Space has had more use in the Bank of Montreal than in any other large organization in Canada. The bank's three-year-old Institute for Learning is one of the major reasons. Institute for Learning The Institute for Learning was created by Chairman Matthew Barrett to foster "a bank that will be able to sustain a competitive advantage in a world that is rapidly and constantly changing." He wanted the bank to become a learning organization, and knew that traditional approaches to learning and training were not going to be enough. He envisioned the Institute as a "nexus for learning ... an incubator for new ideas and the focus of the bank's commitment to lifelong learning." Teams of developers, educators, and line experts work together to create tools that both support learning and further the work of the bank, while a "Manager of Meta Learning" focuses on new approaches to learning. The Institute also helps the bank tackle the "wicked problems" -those that cross organizational boundaries and defy solution The Institute recognizes that the desire and capacity for learning are as important as the learning itself. This requires personal initiative and self-directed action. Open Space Technology creates the conditions for both, and works well with both very large groups and small groups, thus providing the Institute with a "large systems intervention" for solving wicked problems and cultivating a learning culture. The Bank of Montreal's connection to Open Space began serendipitously. While at the Center for Creative Leadership in the United States, Jim Rush, director of the Institute, met Jim Emerich, an independent consultant. As they discussed the challenges of creating a learning culture, Jim Emerich suggested Open Space as a way to engage employees in their own learning and better tap the knowledge within the organization. Rush liked what he heard and, with the assistance of Harrison Owen, planned the bank's first Open Space event, a two-day forum with the Institute's I 10 staff. The theme of the event was "What does success look like for the Institute for Learning?" and it was facilitated by Jim Emerich. The event was powerful in demonstrating the value of Open Space as a catalyst for both collaborative learning and problem solving. Next was a larger, bank-wide event focused on the issue of productivity. Productivity is one of those wicked problems that crosses all boundaries. In April 1995, 150 people from throughout the bank gathered at the Institute for Productivity Forum '95. The event, led by Harrison Owen, generated palpable enthusiasm and commitment. Those who saw productivity as being related to morale were amazed at the energy that was created. The executives and managers interviewed after the forum saw it as "just the beginning," which it was. Although the forum was a relatively small event, there was enough
of a critical mass present to have a significant impact on the bank. There
were no immediate improvements in overall productivity that could be measured,
but a number of small Open Space events, led by forum participants, began
taking place throughout the organization. These events also fostered a
positive shift in morale and energy. People were starting to put up paper
on the wall to create agendas and to address their issues. A new way of
meeting and learning from colleagues was discovered. Stories began to ripple
across the country. Over the next several months, demonstrations of productivity
improvement resulting from the initiative of Open Space participants began
to emerge.
Building on the Momentum
The Institute for Learning wanted to build on this momentum and arranged for a November 1995 workshop entitled 'Living in Open Space," which brought together those who shared an interest in continuing the use of Open Space. The weekend event reinforced interest in Open Space across the Bank and increased the confidence of executives to try this approach in a variety of settings. It also allowed some bank employees to gain skill in facilitating Open Space meetings. For example, Diane Blair, the Manager of Meta Learning, developed the capability to lead large Open Space events and now assists others in designing Open Space events to fit their particular circumstances. I met Diane Blair at an annual gathering of Open Space practitioners called "Open Space on Open Space." She saw me as a local resource having experience with small, abbreviated Open Space events. At her request, I answered the questions of a newly appointed Eastern Division senior executive concerning the use of Open Space. In January 1996, this executive proceeded with an Open Space event for his first divisional meeting. The event was unusual for the bank because it was truly by invitation. Divisional managers or staff who usually attended meetings but did not RSVP did not get to come. The first meeting's results were so productive that the division held its second meeting in Open Space in November 1996. Other divisions of the bank have been following this lead. In
March 1996, I worked with the senior management team in a Western Canada
Division to prepare for a divisional Open Space in April. The executive
hosting this Open Space was newly appointed; neither she nor her team had
direct experience with the group process. I led a small, one-day event
during which they explored the challenges and opportunities for leading
the shift to a sales-focused culture. This small event consolidated the
senior team in surprising ways, preparing them for the larger event. One
vice president said that it had been one of his few "wows" at the bank.
An example of how Open Space can catch on comes from a Western
region vice president who attended those meetings. He was excited by the
results of the small space event and the following divisional meeting.
He took the Toronto "Train the Trainers" event in early June 1996 and then,
in the same month, led four Open Space events in his division. At one of
those events, the participants were told, not invited, to come. They still
said it was the "best meeting ever." Some of the Open Space groups formed
during these events have continued to work for months on the issues for
which they had a passion. The divisional meetings are now "more open and
more productive" because of Open Space. This experience led another Western
Canada division to hold its annual leadership meeting in Open Space in
December 1996.
Lessons Learned
I have opened the space in other Canadian corporations and banks over
the last two years. There have been some productive and energizing meetings;
strategic plans have emerged and been implemented in record time. The Bank
of Montreal, however,has moved the farthest. I think the following factors
have contributed:
-A culture of innovation, which encourages experimentation, has been fostered by the chairman. -The Institute for Learning and its staff have championed and supported Open Space. -The first use of Open Space at the Institute for Learning had a positive impact. -Productivity Forum '95 had enough of an impact to catalyze a critical mass of interest. -Word has been spread through both personal stories and the bank's internal communications system. -Confidence in Open Space was supported by the Institute for Learning's positive assessment of the nontraditional and broad-ranging Open Space outcomes. -Some senior and divisional executives were willing to take the risk to set a theme and parameters and then let go to allow self-organization to take place. -Participants have found the experience of Open Space liberating and morale boosting, and they have been willing to try it in their own settings. -A variety of external consultants and events
helped legitimize the approach and build connections to the internal leadership.
As divisions begin to hold their second Open Space meetings, the focus of the Institute for Learning is to build on what has been learned over the past year. It wants to help divisions harvest what is generated in Open Space. This image of harvesting what is grown in Open Space is certainly better than trying to leverage what is not a mechanical process. Executives and managers reap what they sow, but in Open Space the synergy and surprises often go beyond what is expected. The Institute for Learning is also sharing some of what it has discovered through its Business and Educational partnerships. One example is the Summer Institute on Exploring Change, a forum that involves 13 school boards in the Greater Toronto Area and now uses Open Space as part of its approach to change. Even with its extensive use of Open Space, the Bank of Montreal has not transformed most of its decision-making processes. The hierarchy is suspended and old barriers are overcome on occasion, but many decisions are still managed with a traditional top-down approach. What seems to be evolving is the presence and acceptance of multiple structures and processes working in the corporation at the same time. Open Space meetings demonstrate a new form of ongoing management.
Managers can clarify focus and parameters, let go, and engage spirited
performance and frequent breakthroughs. The Bank of Montreal is now on
a journey of experiencing and exploring these possibilities.
Larry Peterson assists spirited, focused, and effective performance
and change in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, and is a founder of
the Open Space Institute of Canada. He can be reached at 416-653-4829 or
lpasoc@inforamp. net.
*With special thanks to Diane Blair of the Bank of Montreal
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