Micro Open Space

[Pannwitz, Michael M]

Dear Chris,
I have been involved in a number of open space-events with fewer than
34 people (34 people or more is what feels like a large group to me).
Have a look at my chronological list at
http://www.openspaceportal.de/openspace/list/list.php?id=1
especially at
nr.111 which will take place in January 2004 with 25 people, 3 days
nr. 102 with 16 people, 3 days
nr.98 with 30 people, 1,5 days
nr.95 with 20 people, 1,5 days
nr.94 with 21 people, 2 days
nr.93 with 23 people, 1,5 days
etc.
the smallest number of people were at
Nr. 60, 12 people, 0,5 day
Nr.56, 11 people, 1 day
Nr.46, 13 people, 1 day
Nr.29, 10 people, 0,5 day
and if you go further back there are a few more between 10 and 20
people.

My observation is that as a rose is a rose is a rose
open space is open space is open space,
not micro, nor macro nor in-between
just the plain old stuff with the number of participants underlying
the influences of some givens.
My role as facilitator is often to ask "who all needs to come to
achieve what your are aiming at?" and mostly that means adding at
least on subsystem (like say the customers, etc.) which usually also
tests the givens.
In examples you are imagening the number of participants seem to be
pre-shrunk...if you spell out the 5 pre-conditions for open space
with any of the examples you are mentioning you might be in for a
surprise how quickly the groups grow or how clearly the group
realises that open space is not the choice here.
The design of how things might be is something the planning group
might have a look at with you as facilitator keeping in mind that
less is more and hard work is hard work is hard work and that should
not be the fate for the facilitator.
Merry Xmas
and greetings from Berlin
mmp

On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 10:52:59 -0000, chris macrae wrote:

>Do we have a Micro Open Space Format and what might its components be?
>
>I am thinking deeply micro, eg 6 people
>
>Some situations where this could be a valid starting point are:
>
>A huge organisation where the 6 people who feel most passionately about
>long-term design purpose want to make sure organisation is always
>capable of doing what it was designed to do (given Harrison's book
>mentions 'many' organisations are losing this long-run structural
>gravity)
>
>Trying to get 6 large peace or humanitarian network coordinators
>together in network of network actions
>
>Where a few entrepreneurs come together because they realise their SME's
>need to cluster either to make sure the geography of the place sustains
>or because they want a network model (for me one big reason most dotcoms
>failed is that they were part businesses that desperately needed other
>partners)
>
>I've just taken some guesses at what a micro-OS format might include.
>I'm taking a guess at a 2-day format. Do feel free to open-edit:
>
>Have say 10 minutes of agenda surfacing time. Then do a poster session
>of all the agendas so that each agenda proposer had a couple of minutes
>to answer questions on the agenda. Aim to choose the top 6 agendas (or
>favourite per person) that everyone wanted to attend. Do these in a row
>back-to-back so all 6 can attend BUT still use the law of 2 feet so that
>people could go use time in their own way if any agenda wasn't working
>for that person.
>
>Have a break. Ask people to add any new agendas to the wall. Start again
>with the whole wall of agendas; some that didn't make the top 6 the
>first time might now.
>
>During this first day have some other stuff. One example might be if an
>actor had pre-interviewed the 6 people to do a short "This is your life
>and passions" collage of all of them. Include some other communal
>exercises as a group.
>
>Before retiring for the day make sure that all the meetings are written
>up in bedtime or waketime reading documentation; including those that
>didn't happen (ie at least a record of how they were Q&A'd at the poster
>session stage)
>
>Day 2 after letting the 6 informally mingle over coffee, proceed by
>letting the group talk in a circle to find out where we are : either
>huge convergence versus 24 hours ago, or no progress, or the opposite. I
>assume the rest of the day divides a lot depending on those 3 paths
>
>Summing up this conversation opener on MICRO OS:
>
>I do believe there are times where 6 people need hi-trust before they
>can take it to lots of people. I suspect their characters would need
>just as many and diverse facilitators as larger events so that the
>intensity of the content conversation is blended with spiritually
>refreshing and respect for each other.
>
>I would hope that if we ever did refine a micro open space format , one
>thing it would do even if it didn't succeed on the issue in hand is
>leave the 6 people likely to want to do big open spaces in the future.
>In other words at least as much a personal conversion process to Opening
>up conversational formats everywhere as typical Open Space
>
>I have no idea whether the sequence above is going in a good open
>direction or not, but look forward to any comments
>
>Chris Macrae, wcbn007 at easynet.co.uk
>
>2004 Year of Transparency - help nominate events/movements to watch, or
>sign up a Transparency wish of yours : www.valuetrue.com
>
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Noch 4 Plätze zu vergeben zur 3. Lernwerkstatt für open space-BegleiterInnen vom 25. bis 28. Januar 2004 in Vlotho. Jetzt anmelden   www.michaelmpannwitz.de/o_lernwerkstatt2004.htm

Michael M Pannwitz, boscop
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
FON: +49 - 30-772 8000   FAX: +49 - 30-773 92 464
www.michaelMpannwitz.de
www.openspace-landschaft.de

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