Ventana software support forum

Posted: **Sat Apr 24, 1999 4:24 pm**

large group interventions--where its done competantly (which admittedly
isnt as often as one would like), Total Quality Management deals in only
large group (i.e. organization) interventions, reaching hundreds or
thousands of people. My book and many others describe the techniques
(relatives of techniques from organizational development). Its been
applied successfully in universities and school systems; the two sources I
know about are the Center for Quality of Management in Cambridge
Massachusetts (and elsewhere) and the American Society for Quality Control
(whose conferences usually include sessions on application to communities
and education). I assume both of these organizations are accessible on the
Web.

cheers,

alan
From: Alan Graham <Alan.Graham@PA-Consulting.com>

Posted: **Sun Apr 25, 1999 5:26 pm**

Little context is given. How large is large? etc. Have been involved in the
following:

1) Group Explorer - a group decision support system that uses cognitive mapping
as the way of eliciting and recording group knowledge. The process is driven by
a competent facilitator and was developed by Colin Eden et al. I see Group
Explorer as an invaluable aid to group model building as decribed by Vennix et
al. In fact Colin Eden has written up some of the work that combines SD
modelling and cognitive mapping in Chapter 3 of Multimethodology: the theory
and practice of combining management science methodologies edited by John
Mingers and myself published by Wiley. Details of Group Explorer are available
on our web site.

2) Team Syntegrity - again a very interesting approach for knowledge
elicitiation, sharing and problem solving. It is ideally suited to a group size
of 30 but protocols have been developed for larger or smaller numbers. For
those wanting more information visit:
http://www.phrontis.com/TSBackgr.htm
plus other related pages.

Tony Gill tel: +44 (0)1295 812262
Phrontis Limited
Beacon House fax: +44 (0)1295 812511
Horn Hill Road
Adderbury email: tonygill@phrontis.com
Banbury
OXON. OX17 3EU web http://www.phrontis.com
U.K.

Posted: **Mon Aug 23, 1999 9:09 am**

Dear System-Dynamics group members

I have recently begun to train and work in the field of large group
interventions in the UK and am interested to find out who already uses
these techniques, who delivers the necessary consultation and what results
are being achieved.

If you have been part of such an intervention, in the field of education,
community, public or private sector, I would welcome hearing from you.

Kindly submit replies to HelenaBrown@Compuserve.com.
Thank you

Best, Helena
From: Helena Brown <HelenaBrown@compuserve.com>

Posted: **Wed Aug 25, 1999 9:59 pm**

Dear Helena,

Weve used Large Group Interventions (LGI) in several projects. In one
particularly large project, we combined LGI with a system dynamics modeling
effort. In that project, we used the Real Time Strategic Change methodology
with a group of about 250 from across the country, then we employed a Future
Search with a more focused group of 80, and finished up with another group
of about 200 high level, leadership participants - also from across the
country - in a modified RTSC.

The project was to change the entire culture of a 110,000 person military
organization for increased racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. We
attempted to identify all the system structures that constrained diverse
participation and create policies that changed those structures. The LGIs
allowed for maximum participation and buy in from a large, diverse group of
stakeholders in a short period of time. I believe that LGIs can greatly
assist in "selling" a system dynamics analysis to a large group of people.
Each one that weve done has had a powerful impact on the participants.

We developed a list of lessons learned in applying the LGIs. If youre
interested in hearing them, drop me a note and Ill dig them up and send
them along.

The firm that we used for the work is GDSS, Inc. of Washington, DC. Their
web site is www.gdss.com. Since the project mentioned above, weve done
another LGI to quickly build consensus on the US Air Force consequence
management plan for Y2K -- about 120 folks attended from around the world.

Robert J. Glitz, Col, USAF
glitzfam@mindspring.com