moving to next steps/future action

[Birgitt Bolton]

A number of people call every month, asking how to converge what they are
going to do in their Open Space meeting into clearer next steps/future
actions. I think there are a number of ways to do this, and some of those
discussions have taken place on this list.  I believe that in the new
version of Open Space Technology: a user's guide, that Harrison covers this
as well with the way he prefers to do this (I confess that I haven't read
this newer version :()

 I find it easy to talk to someone on the phone about converging than to
write about it. Actually talking in person is better because talking with my
hands in motion is my way of communicating. However, this medium is that
limited written word, so I hope that what I am trying to say is clear and
easy to follow for anyone that chooses to.

I always make it clear that converging is taking place throughout the Open
Space and often reports will indicate some next steps and so on. It is my
belief though, that this is convergence at the small group level and that it
is beneficial when possible to set time at the end of the Open Space to do
convergence as a collective, so that all members of the group can see where
the energy is highest and where the commitments really are NOW, despite all
of the good ideas. When this is done, there is a higher likelihood of
implementation of the "hot" opportunities. My experience is that 90% of
plans made in Open Space when the collective convergence is attended to,
materialize in the life of the organization (a far greater % than what is
currently said about strategic planning in which apparently only 10% of
plans generally are implemented).  I think that the reason for the high
success rate is due to what happens with energy when carried by passion and
responsibility and CHOICE. It is much more about the essence of Open Space
than about the form.

I share with you the way that I do this part of the Open Space in the hope
that it may be useful to some of you. Unfortunately, in this quick writing
of it, which I am really doing for a colleague who is going to go through
this process this week and really wished to see it in writing, my notes here
are about the form of what I do and I have not attended to the essence. The
only thing I would say about the essence is to stay true to the intent,
principles and law of Open Space. Pay attention to the energy and to not
"being in control". It is easy at this point as facilitators to move into
control behaviours as we get anxious about outcomes. Just remember that this
is still Open Space and you are still responsible for keeping the space open
and safe.

Convergence

One can always converge the ideas that come out of Open Space
electronically, and I think that works just fine with a few limitations. If
I am working with a group of 120 or less, I like to do the convergence in a
less technological way. I feel that I am better able to work with the energy
of the people this way.

Now just imagine that you have reached the stage in your Open Space
Technology process when all of the issues and opportunities have been
discussed, the reports are entered and you are compiling them into the book
of proceedings. In an ideal situation, you are in the process of a 2 1/2 day
Open Space in which you had 2 days to work with the issues and
opportunities, it is about 6pm, the book of proceedings is ready to go to
the printer (whom you've prearranged late night printing with) and in the
morning you will distribute a book of proceedings to each participant to
read so that they can then converge to action more completely than any
converging that has already taken place naturally in their initial
discussions. You may be in less than the ideal condition and be doing a 1
1/2 day Open Space and are doing this work on the eve of day 1, or you may
be in an even less ideal condition in which you are in a 2 full day process
and you opted for 1 1/2 days of dealing with issues and opportunities and
you are frantically trying to get the book of proceedings done over an
extended lunch break on day 2 in such a way that all participants will have
a copy in their hands when they return from the lunch break. This last
version would be a real "nail biter" if you had any time to bite them.

And then of course, in relation to maximizing the energy that flows in Open
Space, when all parts of it are done during consecutive days, you may be in
what I think of as the least ideal condition (and I have worked in these
conditions many times) in which day 1 and day 2 are separated by days or
weeks, or the 1/2 day of a 1 1/2 or 2 1/2 day process is separated from the
previous  1 or 2 days. A little confusing? All of this is part of doing Open
Space and the ways we try to stay true to the integrity of Open Space while
at the same time, often being faced with situations that are not the ideal.
Open Space works in all of these permutations. It takes a lot of thinking to
sort out how to best maximize the energy and create the conditions for
maximum performance.

So, in whatever configuration your Open Space is taking place in, you are
now at the point of clarifying priorities and next steps, future action. You
have a book of proceedings for each participant, complete with a numbered
table of contents. The group enters the room and sits in their circle. I
prefer to have the reports in the centre of the room on the floor. People
can certainly pick them up and start reading. At the opening time, I ring
the bells for an opening. I generally stand and present a book of
proceedings to the sponsor, and say words of acknowledgement about the hard
work and wisdom that has gone into the book so far. I also talk about it as
a great source of data and that the notes in it, the issues and
opportunities are valuable as input for all future networking and action.

I then talk about the process. The law of mobility and the four principles
still apply, as does the bounding of the space of our work together, by
passion and responsibility. I ask people to read the book of proceedings in
silence. I suggest that they don't come to assumptions about the topic of a
report by its title only because the titles can be misleading. I then state
that they are going to vote in order for us collectively to get a sense of
where the energy is amongst the people for which topics should be moved
forward first. I make it very clear that this is not an exercise about "best
ideas" because there are a lot of very good ideas (there always are).
Rather, it is an exercise to look at what we have energy for now because it
would not be feasible for us to take on moving all of the opportunities at
once.

I have the titles of all topics posted separately on sheets of flip chart
paper that I have taped on the wall around the circumference of the room.
Each person is handed anywhere between 5-8 sticky coloured dots (hot dots)
for voting with. They are invited to "spend" their dots on the topics that
they personally feel the strongest at this time. They can spend all of their
dots on one topic, if they so wish.

After a time of reading, people mill around the room, voting. A question has
been asked of whether or not seeing how the votes are going influences the
rest of the votes. I believe that it does, but I believe that this is
actually positive for the process as energy builds. People then return to
their seats in the circle.

The next few minutes are a bit fiddly and I've always worried that the
energy might drop too much here, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. We add
up the votes on each page and I actually move the pages of flip chart paper
so that I have all of the "top vote getters" on one wall. The number of "top
vote getters" is not predetermined. There is always a natural cut off
between "top vote getters" and lesser ones. Let's say there were five votes
per person, we may have eight top vote getters. I then suggest to the group
to look at the balance of the topics and see which of these are really
"sub-topics" of the "top vote getters". Many of them usually are. I ask
people to move the pieces of flipchart paper with these items directly under
the "top vote getter" that they are linked to.

These "top vote getters" then become the main thrusts for the opportunities
that will be moved forward now, along with what is pulled into them from the
sub-topics. I address the group at this point and say that although in the
previous part of our process, no one volunteered to move a topic forward
beyond our time together, and I want to be sure not to violate our process
and agreements and understandings, I would appreciate if whoever championed
the "top vote getter" when it first went up to start the next step of the
discussion on that topic. I make it clear that this person does not need to
stay as the champion of this topic, nor even stay with the topic at
all---only to get it started. People are generally pleased to do this.
Sometimes, a person has two topics that made it as "top vote getters" and I
ask if someone that was in the discussion could please assist with one of
the topics and someone always does.

So, the visuals at this point are a room full of people in a circle, pieces
of flipchart paper with topics on them on one wall, with a number of papers
hanging underneath, down the wall. A few papers that didn't make it to this
wall at all. And a person standing right by each column of papers. These
people choose the room number that their topic will take place in. Post it
notes with room numbers are handy. I suggest that when the groups convene to
discuss these "top vote getters" that they look to see what information in
their book of proceedings should be considered, including the good ideas
that are in the topics that are neither "top vote getters" or subtopics.
This helps remind people whose topics are not being considered, that their
ideas are valuable.

I then say that people should sign up for one of the topics and add their
name to any of the others that they cannot attend right now but have
interest in working on in the future. Following the sign up process they are
to go to the assigned rooms and create a report that includes the following:
1. Name of who will champion this topic forward in the organization
2. Names of those who will assist
3. Name of topic (this often changes from the original name)
4. Next steps and future action (this is to include a next meeting time,
etc.)
5. Ballparking of resources required

I remind them that this is not a time for rediscussing the topic, but a time
to determine how to move the topic forward so that it doesn't just become a
good report on the shelf, as is the fate of so many efforts. People
generally nod their heads and smile in recognition of that. The usual length
of time for this is 1 1/2 hours. Sometimes I shorten it to 1 hour, depending
on the total time available. And sometimes we go with 1 hour to deal with
half of the top vote getters, followed by another 1 hour to deal with the
other half of the top vote getters. This last scenario is what I use when
the size of the group is quite small and they have more than 2-3 "top vote
getters".

Reports get entered into the computer and become part of the report that
gets mailed to participants after the Open Space, hopefully with a report of
approval from the CEO or other authority figure if authorization is needed
to move the item forward (don't' forget that we would have told the group at
the very beginning of the Open Space if their items would need
authorization---we don't spring this on them as a surprize when it is all
done---it is one of the "givens" from the beginning.

We then reconvene in a circle. I ask for groups to give quick reports to the
whole group of what the next steps are. I find that this builds collective
"buy in" and momentum to moving things forward. And then we do a closing of
the space, with the talking stick going round til we're done.

When possible, I have worked out with the sponsor that there will be a
regathering of the people four months or six months hence so that the
working groups can report back on their progress to the whole. This shifts
accountability to the whole rather than to an authority figure. It is
supportive of the self managed work teams that have just been created and
keeps people in creative tension with their passion and responsibility. To
date, I have experienced 100% follow through on commitments made, with
"champions" always ready to report back on the progress of their working
group. And all of this happens without any formal "boss" making sure things
are on target. Which then becomes an amazing learning for all involved.