One day in OS without notes??

[Lisa Heft]

Hello, Phil -

You wrote:
<I've got this little voice tugging at my mind, telling me to leave the
laptops and the printer in the trunk, and just to let them talk. But
that book of proceedings seems to have become my own crutch over time -
I'm worried about not having anything to "show" for the time these
people have invested, many of them flying in for the day. Any thoughts
as to what you might do in this circumstance; what you've done in the
past - any would be appreciated. I suppose OS without computers "works"
- in fact, I don't question it. How do you decide when it's best just to
let them talk?>

To me, it is all about what your client/host/sponsors and participants
need - it is a conversation you would want to have with your key contact
people in these organizations as you develop and prepare for the event
together - and to inform how you want to design your OS event.

What is the objective of gathering these folks together?  What is going
to happen post-event with the ideas that come out of the event?  Would a
Book of Proceedings (even if you decide to compile and send it to
participants post-event - say, within 2 weeks following the event)
re-energize people as it would remind them of the experience they had
together?  Could they use quotes from it to create proposals for funding
future projects or collaborations?  Could it spark some continuing
conversations?  Would they want to see what happened in the
conversations they were *not* part of that day?

I have done a few Open Spaces where no notes have been taken - because
the host team felt it would not be necessary.  They did of course give
all participants a list of contact information to continue their
networking and conversations post-event.  I personally like to have the
notes-taker option, and people can 'opt out' of taking notes if they
don't think that recording a particular conversation is necessary.

Even in very short Open Spaces of just a few sessions, I have also had
groups take notes.

I've also of course done a number of Open Spaces where there is no
'technology' (no electronic support).  People can still write up their
notes on paper and we can still post them all around the room as they
happen, and we can still send out a xeroxed Book of Proceedings.

My "Devil's Advocate" question to you: why *wouldn't* this group want to
have a record of its conversations, findings and action items, like any
other group you've worked with?

More specifically, what does your little voice say?  The little voice is
often in my experience my intuition talking, which is always wiser than
my logical brain.  Is the voice saying 'no technology', 'no notes', or
... what?  I'd explore this little voice further, most of all...

My two (technologically, intuitively or otherwise) cents,

Lisa

________________________________

L i s a   H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g  S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106   USA
+01 510 548-8449
 <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net
 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net


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