Fw: Fw: Re: tech support for open space (800 participants)

[Peggy Holman, Open Space Institute]

Thought people might be interested in the 800 person Open Space conducted by
Chris Schoch.


-----Original Message-----
From: SCHOCHCHRI <SCHOCHCHRI at aol.com>
To: pholman at email.msn.com <pholman at email.msn.com>
Date: Sunday, March 22, 1998 1:44 PM
Subject: Re : Re: tech support for open space (800 participants)


Dear Peg,

Sorry for not answering sooner. I'll send along an attachment with notes
following our 900 + assembly last week in Caen with all workers and managers
from the Bosch plant that is there. It worked wonderfully well however the
most important things happened well before the " two day event" which was
the emotional and psychological high point in a process that began six
months ago and will continue for the next 7 years.

Very simply the group was ready = the purpose was clear, and they had
already been in an interactive mode for some time ( a future search
conference was held 3 weeks earlier , but even before that people were
encouraged to speak out freely and ask questions on the  process "Vision
2005".

I really Harrison is right and theres not much very different about the way
we set up the 900meeting compared to smaller ones- there was just more of
everything: more space needed ( count at least 2 sq. meters per participant
for the main meeting room, and at least 65 breakout rooms of varying size
with more large rooms than in smaller meetings.)


a much longer market space ( the wall sould be at least 80 meters long) ;
mobile sound equipment available for simultaneous "mini-open spaces" when
they occur.

Of course logistical support must be impeccable and my parteners "Feeling
Fox" are real pros (I've done several whole systems meetings with them). We
hired about 30 hostesses who helped people get throught the first day.

Our place of venu was a underlit music hall with no natural light- I felt
the energy was very negative and we did many things wrong.... and it still
worked because the participants did not let anything get in the way of what
they
wanted.....open dialogue, which is what it's all about.AS HO says if it's
gonna happen ...it will.

Some things we did do:

- A2 sized Convener sheets helped. Also we had 2 giant screens and a podium
that I hated but accepted so that they could film the proceedings onto the
screens.It probably discouraged some folk from coming for'ward with themes,
but 150 did get posted on the big board.

Having the themes posted also on a Computer screen would have helped some
people do their shopping without having to confront the chaos around the
wall, but then they might not have been quite so passionate about the
subjects they discussed.

There were 18 rows of chairs gathered around the circle in some places.....
Open space doesn't make things happen, it reveals what and where a group is
and provides an opportunity for movement.

Also there was one paraplegic man in a wheel chair- so no mention was made
of the law of 2 feet_ instead I reffered to it as the law of mobility with
no noticeable effect.

Beleive in the people if they are ready and in the space if it is safe.

Good luck. Chris