This document discusses using Large Scale Interventions (LSI) to create organizational change through participatory meetings. LSI involves bringing the entire system together to work on strategic issues. The presentation outlines four principles of LSI - systems thinking, participation, action learning, and understanding the whole. It also discusses research evaluating LSI effectiveness and developing guidelines. Examples are provided of applying LSI principles to meetings in various contexts like a college discussing priorities and local social care simulating procedures. The document advocates using LSI to get diverse stakeholders involved and find common ground to drive productive change.

1. Changing the world one meeting at a time
Creating a culture of participation
with the principles of Large Scale Interventions
Symposium SoL Austria, 19 October 2012
Tonnie van der Zouwen

2. 2
Topics of the presentation
How academic research on Large Scale Interventions produced
guidelines for effective use, based on a set of principles
What does sustainable change, meaning ongoing collective
learning in organisations, look like?
How Large Scale Interventions principles can be used for rapid
change (falling trees in the forest, making a lot of noise)
How these principles can be used in almost every meeting,
making them more productive and meaningful, creating a
culture of participation (silently growing the forest)
Sharing experiences and learnings

3. 3
What is LSI?
Large Scale Interventions (LSI) form a participative
approach for change with the whole system.
On one or more occasions the whole system is invited
into one room to work on strategic issues.
The task/issue determines what the system is: Who do
you need for successful change?
LSI comprises a whole family of methods for working
with the whole system in the room, such as Open Space,
the World Café, Future Search, Search Conference, and
Whole Scale Change.

4. 4
Involvement of people in a top-down approach
“I have shared my vision, so now we have a shared vision”
Cartoon by Mark de Koning

5. 5
Involvement of people in a participative approach
Working interactively to build a shared vision on the system, looking for
common ground for action
Cartoon by Mark de Koning

6. Four basic principles of LSI
1. Systems Thinking:
Things are connected in time and space, change in part of the
system will influence the whole system
2. Participation of stakeholders:
Active participation and self-management enhance
commitment to change and learning
3. Action learning:
Not seperating thinking and doing in time, or in roles of
participants, facilitates real time change
4. Understanding the whole (sensemaking)
When participants find common ground, by sharing views and
experiences, it is possible to move forward; focus is on future
possibilities, not on past problems

7. The 4 principles produce a web of success factors

8. Architecture of an LSI trajectory for
organisational change (example)

9. 9
Research looking for evidence
When and how is LSI successful?
What does success look like?
A disturbing gab between success stories in literature and my
own experiences as a consultant and trainer of LSI methods
Growing use and abuse of participative change approaches for
organisational change
Claim on “sustainable change” in literature, but hardly any
research done on effectiveness on the longer term
Why Client Information Leaflets for medical treatments and
financial products and not for consultancy interventions?

10. Research Model
Based on the model “The elements of an intervention” of Jac Geurts et. al. 2006
Context/Task
Effectiveness
Client
Consultant
Intervention
Methods
Large Scale
Interventions
Conceptualisation
Concepts
Relationships
Theory
Logic of feeling,
Collective learning,
Systems thinking,
Sensemaking
Sustainable change
Results in : Insights
Results in: Insights
Selects
& steers
Fills &
deepens
Structure
& steer
Structure
& steer
Contribute to
Operations
Actions & Events
in LSI trajectories
Loading
Characteristics of
the cases
Results in : Experiences

11. 11
Research phases and steps
1. Exploring the field:
Literature study, interviews, websites, documents, action
research (participating in conferences and network), text
analyses of documented cases
2. Developing an evaluation instrument:
Text analyses using an analytical framework (research model)
approach; building a theoretical framework for sustainable
change
3. Testing the evaluation instrument:
Case study, evaluating past projects
4. Checking validity and usability of the practical guide:
Research conferences as member check

12. Impressions of the exploring phase

13. 13
How can effectiveness be evaluated?
1. Building a theoretical framework for sustainable change:
Non-sustainable change contributes to getting more and
better work done (first order collective learning)
Sustainable change contributes to developing capacities for
change (second order collective learning)
2. Developing an evaluation instrument based on audit methods
used in quality management systems, such as ISO 9000: audit
matrix, score tables, evaluation reports

14. Time
Development of
Capacities
Grief
Anger
Fear
Safety
Justice
Acknowledgement
Informal
capacities
Formal
capacities
Communicative
capacities
Stored in: Structures,
rules, procedures,
functions, management
systems
Stored in:
Symbols, traditions,
stories, rituals, styles
Stored in:
Images for
the future
Natural System
Internal steering by
will
Social System of rules
External steering by
discipline
Communicative self-
steering System
Self-steering in
communication
The Logic of Feeling
model for organisational change
Our feeling makes us aware of the character
of new experiences
Knowledge System
Driving force

15. Time
Development of
collective learning
in an organisation
Phase 1: Zero-order collective learning:
- Only individuals learn
- Implicit rules, mostly tacit
- Internal steering by will
Phase 2: First-order collective learning:
- Collective learning of explicit procedures
and rules
- External steering by discipline
Phase 3: Second-order collective
learning:
- Collective learning of principles
behind the rules
- Testing against goals
- Continuous collective learning
Depression
Collective communication is
invited, but it does not lead to
readjustment
Disorientation:
Lack of a guiding vision for
the future leads to frequent
changes in strategy
Growth fixation
Doing without thinking
Stagnation
No development
Chaos
No explicit agreements
for cooperation
Bureaucracy
Too many rules and norms
cause inflexibility
Emancipation
Disciplining
Burn-out
Aggression
Obstacles
Learning phases
Natural System
Internal steering by
will
Social System of rules
External steering by
discipline
Communicative self-
steering System
Self-steering in
communication
Sustainable change:
Ongoing collective learning

16. 16
Phase 3: Testing and improving the evaluation
instrument
1. Testing and improving the instrument by reconstructing 3 cases,
2 years after the LSI
2. Developing a practical guide for LSI
3. Making a Summary as Client Information Leaflet

17. Phase 4: Checking validity and usability in
a research conference

18. Content of the practical guide to LSI
A Client Information Leaflet)
What is LSI?
What does LSI do?
Before using LSI, contra-indications
How to use LSI?
Possible risks
Expert Section: Guidelines for facilitation and evaluation
For assessment of preconditions before the start
For assessment of performance during the LSI
For evaluation of effectiveness after the LSI, with procedures and
tools

19. Success factors of LSI
LSI has to be worth the effort, stakeholders need each other for
success
The system has to be ready for a participative approach, leaders
are willing to take contributions of stakeholders seriously
Facilitators have to ‘cook with the principles’, making a good
match between situation, task and design
The right people in the room, the choice of what the system is, is
crucial
Expectation management is essential to build and keep trust
Sustainable change requires follow up: Focus on the larger
change process (prolonged engagement), not on events

20. Effects of LSI
Better and faster implementation of change
Collective learning and changing continue, increased capacity to
change
Communication is more direct (two way) and more constructive
More permeable boundaries: opening up the organisation,
inviting diversity; focus on how good the system is; more systemic
thinking
Increased reflective self awareness

21. Using the LSI principles in
change processes with large
group meetings
The falling trees making a lot of
noise

22. 1. College: Discussing priorities for
organisational development

23. Stakeholders:
Teachers, managers, service employees, students,
board members

24. 2. Local social care: simulation of client
procedures

25. Stakeholders:
Local government, clients, healthcare organizations,
volunteer workers, food suppliers

26. 3. Twenty four primary schools: involving
parents in school development

27. Stakeholders:
Parents, teachers, directors, board members

28. Appying the LSI principles for
leading meetings that matter:
The silently growing forest

29. Get the whole system in the room
Define the whole system. Who ARE – IN? A group
that has within various people with:
A = Authority to act
R = Resources, such as contacts, time, or
money
E = Expertise in the issues to be considered
I = Information about the topic that no
others have
N = Need to be involved because they will be
affected by the outcome and can speak
to the consequences

30. Control what you can, let go what you can’t
Forget about being able to control
behavior of people
• Exercise maximum control before the
meeting, on structure and conditions
• Exercise minimum control during the
meeting, just keep the space open for
everyone who wants to contribute

31. Explore the “Whole Elephant”
Explore the whole before fixing any part
• Bring the enviroment in the room in the
form of people
• Use techniques to collectively get the
whole picture (timelines, mind maps,
flow charts, go-arounds, …..)

32. Let people be responsible
• Accept people the way they are, not as
you want them to be
• Do less, so others can do more
• Encourage self-management

33. Find common ground
• Focus on what people can agree on and not
on what they cannot resolve
• Focus on the future, tap into the dreams and
hopes of people

34. Learn to say No if you want your Yes to
mean something

35. 1. Planning group meeting
Exploring the whole with timelines

36. 2. Community gathering

37. Stakeholders:
Local government, police, citizens, community
associations

38. More information
Book: Building an evidence based practical guide
to Large Scale Interventions. Towards
sustainable organisational change with the
whole system
Book: Don’t just do something stand there. Ten
principles for leading meetings that matter
(Weisbord & Janoff). See summary leaflet
Book: Productive Workplaces third edition
(Marvin Weisbord)
Article: Detecting and approaching obstacles for
collective learning (Tonnie van der Zouwen)
Journal Challenging Organisations and Society,
October 2012
www.tonnievanderzouwen.com

39. What did we hear?
What questions do we have?
What are our ideas for the future?
Welcome to the
sharing and reflecting
session