AW: open space and open space technology

[Visuelle Protokolle]

hi kenoli,

In 1999 I met "world cafe" for the first time. Young people from London came
to an international gathering in Borl, Slowenia, and used this method. I
found it interesting, but really structured, all this sitting in organized
groups, which then are restructured and so on. People had the chance to
talk, in changing roles, that is what I liked. We took part in the
conference as visual facilitators.

Then I was engaged by Hewlitt Packard for two International conferences.
They used "knowledge cafe", very similar. They have installed a system of
visualisation to grab the results, together with our American friends. In
fact they have stopped using written records and use structured visual
records on large wallpapers instead for conference documentation.

I had some discussions with the moderators, because I found it rather
structured, too much result orientated and not so much space for surprise,
discussion, self regulation. I would say that by the goal of a final common
statement, which is reached step by step , there is a strong orientation
towards this end.

I met these cafe methods now and then, but so far found nobody in the
community of large group methods like OST, Future search, AI or RTSC , who
seemed interested. There seemed to be two different worlds. So I am glad to
hear from you, and am a bit surprised at the same time about your comments,
because for me these cafe methods are more similar to AI than to OST (which
I prefare).

But excuse me everybody, who is representing a certain method. For me the
methods are something to forget, once you really reach the  people.
Sometimes when I was accompanying  a conference with my visualisation, a
confernce that was structured according to one of these methods, I
afterwards could not say which method it was. But I can clearly remember til
this very day, whether it was alife or not.

Reinhard


VISUELLE PROTOKOLLE
Kuchenmueller & Dr. Stifel

Munich Germany

Tel: +49-89-202 447 48

http://www.visuelle-protokolle.de






-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]Im Auftrag von kenoli
Oleari
Gesendet: Dienstag, 5. Februar 2002 21:43
An: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Betreff: Re: open space and open space technology


I just spent an interesting weekend with a group of leaders in the
"conversations school", who practice "world cafe"
(http://www.theworldcafe.com/) as a core part of their work.  There
are obvious similarities with open space -- particularly conceptual
congruences -- though at a process level (and also to some extent at
a conceptual level) there are also significant deviations.  The focus
is on going deeper and building bridges between people where walls
may have once stood.  There is a strong, voiced "systems"
perspective.  Re-iterations of conversations in constantly changing
configurations serve to integrate what is born and grown in small
groups back into the entire system while also providing for lots of
cross pollinization.  This is structured, while in OST it depends on
"Bumblebees".  There seems to be more of a focus on process and
quality of dialog than on content in this process as compared with
OST.  I'm wondering if others have had experience with this form.  It
has been used extensively around the country to convene conversations
about 911.  It has also been used world wide to bring together
specific groups of people who live in polarized realities.  It seemed
to me that a comparison with Open Space could provide for a rich and
stimulating conversation.  My interest here is in exploration to
expand our understanding and not trying to decide which approach is
better.  It felt to me like a good additional tool for certain
purposes in certain situations.  It is also quite adaptable.

--Kenoli

--
Kenoli Oleari, Horizons of Change, http://www.horizonsofchange.com
1801 Fairview Street, Berkeley, CA  94703   Voice Phone: 510-601-8217,
Fax: 510-595-8369, Email: kenoli at igc.org (or click on:
mailto://kenoli@igc.org)

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