Open Space Prep and Follow-up

[Birgitt Bolton]

Having done hundreds of Open Space events, I have a variety of experiences
in  the amount of prep work and follow up work and the impact of these. My
learnings are that an Open Space event will do just as Harrison notes "I
know that there are certain, concrete accomplishments that may be expected:
1) Every issue of concern will be on the table to the extent that anybody
chooses to put it there. 2) That all issues on the table (wall) will be
discussed to the extent that anybody cares to do so. 3) That all discussion
will be recorded as long as somebody takes the time and effort to do that.
4) That  (in a 2 and 1/2 day OS) "Hot" issues will be identified. 3) Related
issues will be converged. 4) Immediate Next Step actions will be identified
and responsibility assumed IF anybody cares to do that. All of the above can
be made as a promise to those involved. " whether or not there is prep or
post work done with the client.

However, in every contract that I take on, I ALWAYS have a pre-OS meeting
with the client and I insist on a post-OS meeting with the client. Or I will
not take the contract. This is a result of my experience of what works and
what doesn't---not about the event itself, but about the impact of the event
in the life of the organization and the individuals who make up the
organization. And this is not about money. If the client believes I want the
post-OS meeting so that I can charge a higher fee, I do that meeting for no
charge to make the point of how important that meeting is. The pre-OS
meeting in my ideal world is anywhere from two to six hours and at the very
least works at clarifying the theme (focusing question), the "givens" for
the OS event including what happens to the information after the event (this
discussion is done in a way to surface values, assumptions, and expectations
as well as whether OS is appropriate, and the story of the OS so that it is
clear why the OS is being done at this time in the bigger story of the
organization that includes a past and a future).

And no matter how much work we do ahead of an OS meeting, the client cannot
grasp the complexity of the many many layers of what will happen in an OS
meeting until actually experiencing the meeting. As we know with
experiences, once we have had the experience, it too is part of our story
(unless we live in denial) and so it has its effects that go way beyond the
OS meeting itself. The good news is that Open Space works and the bad news
is that Open Space works.  People within an organization continue seeing
each other/working with each other after the event. We cannot be attached to
outcome and as Harrison notes, sometimes there is a death or other
unexpected outcome. We can, however, based on the fact that we have learned
what kinds of things might be happening based on many experiences with OS
and the client may be new to OS, have a discussion with the client about
things to pay attention to, once the client has experienced the OS event.
Making the most of the event and the many many results experienced even
during the event.

Sometimes the client is so pleased that a discussion about becoming an Open
Space Organization is possible, experiencing daily the authenticy and
realized potential that was experienced during an Open Space meeting. In
this case, the prep work and post work become invaluable for the
transitioning of the organization from a good foundation and understanding
of the dynamics of what we are doing.

During the actual opening of and holding of space, I believe that the
facilitator is like a shaman/priestess/Reiki practitioner/midwife. Connected
to source and using universal flow of energy to awaken the individuals to
their greatness. And they always access their greatness. I have the good
fortune of having been trained in Reiki. I experience the same
healing/loving energy flowing through me when I do Open Space as when I do
Reiki. In Reiki, we begin by personal preparation to clear the self to be
fully present and to enable healing/love energy to flow through us. We then
ask the person to identify their intention for the session. It is
interesting here in terms of clear intention. I might look down at the
person on the table in front of me, knowing the person has cancer and expect
that the session will be about healing the cancer. I am trained not to
follow my expectation or intention, but to work with the intention of the
person. This same person with cancer might make an intention that the
session will be for healing of the heart from past hurts. Nothing to do with
the cancer. I do not judge and insert my expectations and work with the
cancer anyway, even if I'd like to because I can see death in the near
future. Instead, it is my job and privilege to work with the heart for
healing from past hurts. Anyhow, this has taught me alot about holding the
space  in Open Space and setting my own expectations aside to work with the
stated theme of the client. And of course, whatever happens....

Within the context of organizational life, the facilitator/consultant is
like a midwife. Which includes preparation, information sharing, assuring
what is normal and what the stages are. It involves being fully present
during the event. With the expectation that a baby will be born, in whatever
shape. And it involves checking in after the event to again reassure,
discuss, explore the possibilities for optimal health.

The 4 day Open Space Technology training program that I lead prepares
consultants and leaders in what to do with the client before and after the
Open Space meeting, as well as how to facilitate the meeting, paying
attention to the myriad of nuts and bolts items that need to be attended to.
I designed the program to enable facilitators to give their clients the best
not only in terms of doing an Open Space event itself, but also for the
impact of the Open Space in the ongoing organizational life. The program is
based on my experience and learnings. People take from it what is useful for
them, for their unique way of working, and hopefully discard that which is
not.

Birgitt

Birgitt Bolton
www.openspacetechnology.com
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