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About Open Space
What is it?
Open Space is a self-organizing way of getting to group action that awakens
and empowers the inherent creativity and leadership in all people. In Open Space
meetings, events and organizations, participants create and manage their own
agenda of parallel working sessions around a central theme of strategic importance.
The term "Open Space" literally refers to the central open space, market place,
or town square that serves in any community as the regular gathering place for ideas,
events, gossip, plans, grand speeches, festivals and various unveilings, along with
numerous levels of networking and commerce. It is where the community continuously
self-organizes around what it believes, and gravitates toward which ever current
leader, whether of not they are sanctioned as such by the hierarchy, stands up to
take responsibility for his or her particular passion. This has been the central
organizing principle of human community since village life first emerged some 12,000 years ago.
Open Space brings a refreshing change to the “meeting as usual.” Because the agenda
is created by the stakeholders who show up, it is always exactly what they REALLY
wanted to get accomplished. There is no room for complaint, nor boredom, nor blame,
unless that’s what you want to create.
When to use it
- where the situation is complex
- where there is a high degree of diversity
- where all stakeholders are needed for good decision making
- where there is a clear inquiry or problem to solve
- where conflict is holding back the ability to change
Probable Outcomes
- builds energy, commitment and shared leadership
- participants accept responsibility for what does or doesn't happen
- action plans emerge from discussions as appropriate
- participants create their own record of the proceedings
How it works
The following structure was developed by organizational consultant
Harrison Owen when he observed, repeatedly, that the most productive
and energized work happening at large company planning sessions seemed
to occur during the coffee breaks. If it was so hard to get people "back
to work" after the coffee breaks then something must be backwards
about the conference schedule. It was worth asking, "What if the whole
conference were a coffee break?"
Reflecting on this question, Harrison Owen was led to a second
question, "What are the minimal requirements that enable diverse
stakeholders to take responsibility for what they truly care about?"
Harrison came up with one law and four principles. Simple, but really challenging.
One Law, The Law of Two Feet
The Law of Two Feet means you take responsibility for what you care about,
stand up for it, and use your own two feet to move to whatever place,
whatever conversation or activity you can best contribute to or learn from.
Four Principles
How to Navigate in Open Space...
- Whoever comes are the right people: Whoever is attracted to the discussion are the people who can contribute most to that discussion because they really care about it.
- Whatever happens is the only thing that could've: Our creativity is often limited by our past experiences and by our expectations for the future. This principle acknowledges we'll all do our best, in the present time and place, and not worry about what could've happened. This principle challenges us to be clear about intention but let go of any expectation about how it might manifest, or when.
- Whenever it starts is the right time: The creative spirit has its own time, and our task is to make our best contribution and enter the flow of constructive creativity whenever it starts. This might be at a coffee break if a conference, workshop or training session is overly prescribed. It might be in a stairwell.
- When it's over, it's over: Creativity has its own rhythm. So do groups. Just a reminder to pay attention to the flow of creativity, not the clock. When you think it is over, ask: Is it over? And if it is, go on to the next thing you have passion for. If it’s not over, let go of the clock and stay with the inspired synergy. Sometimes a session lasts a whole day. Sometimes it continues online.
Group Size
To date, we know that Open Space accommodates groups from 5 to 500 people.
It can be run for three hours or for three days; consecutively or over time;
at one site or at multiple sites connected by computer. The longer it runs,
the more learning and depth happens.
The Steps in brief
- Select a focusing question for your gathering. It should frame the largest context for your discussion in a positive way.
- Invite the people: all stakeholders or all the people you'd like to have in the room. Include the theme and the date, place, and time of the gathering.
- Create the space: Set up chairs in a circle or in concentric circles, leaving space in the center. Choose a blank wall for the agenda wall and label it AGENDA WALL: AM, PM across the top. Set up a table for computers near a wall you label NEWS WALL. Put blank sheets of newsprint (about half size of a flip chart page) and colored felt pens in the center of the circle. Near the Agenda Wall and the News Wall put masking tape to post papers on the walls.
- To begin the gathering the Facilitator explains: (a) the convening question, (b) the one law and four principles, (c) the simple process the group will follow to organize and create a record, and (d) where to put things up and find out what is happening.
- To create the agenda for the day the Facilitator invites anyone who cares about an issue to step into the middle of the circle ("The Market Place") and write their topic, their name, a time and place for meeting, announce it and post the offering on the agenda wall, one sheet per topic. These individuals will be conveners who take responsibility for facilitating their session and seeing to it that a report is made and shared on the News Wall and/or entered into the computer record. Conveners DO NOT HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT on their subject, they need only the passion to see that it get some light and hold the space open for positive interaction.
- When ALL offerings are concluded, the Facilitator invites people to move to the Agenda Wall, sign up for what they are interested in, and take responsibility for their own schedules, using The Law of Two Feet.
- People participate in discussions, the Facilitator takes care of the space, Reporters record action taken on flip charts or enter it in computers. A gallery of the day’s efforts is posted on a wall for community reflection.
- Closing: All participants reconvene as a community an hour or so before closing to share key learnings simply listening to whatever people have to offer without discussion. You can pass a "talking stick" to focus the twin disciplines of speaking succinctly, and listening deeply. It’s okay to pass. Useful questions to focus reflection are (a.) What did you learn? (b.) What commitments have you made? (c.) What support do you need?
- Mail out and/or post on linked websites whatever record is created, plus an address list, to all who came.
ALSO: Check out the international website Open Space World
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