Talk:What is LSI
Bart: The first part of the definition is about how LSIs should work, but as mentioned elsewhere still don't work, as almost all LSI approaches focus on the single event of putting all people in one room without support for follow-up. Hence, I can't see a big difference between this LSI definition and for example definitions of Organizational Design change approaches.
The second part of the definition emphasizes the need to get the whole system in one room. This excludes the possibility of having the whole system convening in virtual spaces, like a wiki. I'm referring to tools like www.ovationnet.com who provide online tools for Appreciative Inquiry, and http://www.openspace-online.com/ for online tooling for Open Space. Such tools may also be helpful to support the LSI gathering prior, during and after the physical gathering.
Tonnie: If you define LSI as a process, based on some common principles and comprising one or more meetings with "the whole system" in the room, for me there are two questions:
- What are marks for the beginning and for the end of the LSI
- What is "the room"? Can it also be a virtual room?
Ad 1: I think the LSI starts when a sponsor says "go" to a facilitator to form a design or project team. But when does it end?
Ad 2: Maybe a virtual room can work too, but under the condition that everyone is there meeting in real time, because otherwise the principles of action learning and real time work are abused. A shortcoming of a virtual room is that it is not holistic, the scale of human capactities you can address is limited, so I think you select people who can and will contribute is small. However, I have attended an Online Open Space two years agoo, and I was amaised about the large outcome of only 3 hours work. An advantage is also that it is more easy and a lot cheaper to meet online for people spread all over the world. But still I prefer face to face meetings, because I think a lot of communication and connecting is done in a none-verbal way.
