Workplace Australia: Lessons for the Planning and Design of Multisearches

Abstract

The search conference as a method of participative planning has been undergoing development for over 30 years. Its success depends on careful planning, design, and management. For groups larger than about 35, the multi search has been invented. The Workplace Australia conference was the largest multi search ever tried. This article critically examines the planning and design of Workplace Australia and isolates two interrelated weaknesses. The first was lack of conscious awareness of the organizational design principles and their effects. The second was inadequate appreciation of the need for search conference managers with conceptual knowledge and experience. Both contributed to planning failures, poor conference coordination, and loss of learning opportunities. There were, however; many successful features of this multi search and much to be learned from its mistakes.

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