One day in OS without notes??

Mon Aug 23 22:42:08 PDT 2004

i've read the other posts quickly here, so forgive me if i overlap a
bit, but it seems to me that this question of how to document is really
a question of how to share the info from many conversations with
everyone connected to this larger piece of work.  it's not a big group,
in os terms, but it is big enough that balls can be dropped between the
cracks.  i read this as the beginning of a new group... so it seems to
me that the question of how they will share information as they go
forward and develop things together is really a question *they* need to
answer in the course of planning their work, *in* the os meeting.  i've
used letter-sized pages witha simple template (issue, convener,
participants, summary) with some cues on it like "pass a sign up sheet
to capture ppts names"... then simply typed the list of groups and
conveners, and asked the conveners to type and post their notes to all
the others in whatever system they have/develop to share info going
forward.  sometimes it's post to a wiki website, sometimes email to a
group list, other times send to one person for posting on one long
webpage or in a booklet.  whatever it is, developing a communication
system seems to be a part of their work... which would explain why you
hesitate to create/impose a temporary system for them.  just a guess.
and best of luck.  m

Phil Culhane wrote:

>Jeff,
>
>Thank you for some excellent additional insights. I always enjoy when
>someone puts their ideas in the context of a story - in this case, the San
>Fran neighborhood OS brought to life the idea (and moreover the value) of
>using flip charts.
>
>I've watched GE Workouts in the past, and have always been saddened by the
>number of beautiful ideas left on the floor, the flip charts, and the
>post-its. Perhaps someone will remind me that that's where they belonged,
>because no one had the passion or was willing to take the responsibility to
>do these ideas justice, in those times, in those places, in those events.
>With OS, capturing everything on disk seemed to offer those fledgling ideas
>more of a chance at survival. As Lisa says below, participants can review
>the book of proceedings a couple weeks after the event and perhaps rekindle
>an interest that was brought up on the day of the event.
>
>I'll have much to ponder in the remaining 34 hours prior to event setup...I
>do want to capture the conversations; given the short time these people will
>be together, I want to concentrate on capturing the greatest value from the
>conversations, with the least disruption to the participants.
>
>If anyone else has stories, I'm all ears (eyes?).
>
>Best wishes,
>Phil
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Jeff
>Aitken
>Sent: August 23, 2004 9:11 PM
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Re: One day in OS without notes??
>
>
>Phil,
>
>I'm reminded of a 6 hour OST event with a San Francisco neighborhood
>planning group who invited neighbors to offer input into a city planning
>process. During the opening circle I always say that "taking responsibility"
>for your topic includes seeing to it that good notes are generated. In this
>case, I invited them to bring back recommendations that could be put into a
>report to be given to the city. I suggested that they might try to agree on
>recommendations during their sessions, rather than come out with a long list
>of brainstorm items without agreement.
>
>In three periods of breakout sessions, participants generated high quality
>conversations which were captured in the breakout groups on flipchart paper.
>In some cases these included architectural drawings and aerial photographs!
>These were all taped to the walls for others to see during the day.
>
>During the closing circle, representatives from each group came to the front
>to briefly go over their recommendations with the whole group. I then took
>home the flip papers and supporting documents, and typed up a draft report
>for the neighborhood planning group to edit into their recommendations to
>the city, and distribute to participants.
>
>I don't mind doing such typing, esp for a short event, a day or less; it
>took a few hours. And I often invite people to capture their proceedings on
>flipchart paper in a way that can be understood and used by others -- often
>this means NOT verbatim transcripts of the session.
>
>Jeff Aitken
>California
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Phil Culhane <pculhane at magma.ca>
>Sent: Aug 23, 2004 4:41 PM
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Re: One day in OS without notes??
>
>Lisa (et al.)
>
>Thank you for the wonderful and full response. The reasons you list are the
>precise reasons I have always used recorded notes in the past. The little
>voice you speak of (and I speak of) is saying that there's so tremendously
>much for them to do in the course of 7.5 hours, and the process of
>re-entering notes onto the PC usually takes 15-20 minutes per session.
>Oftentimes, the person(s) who lead the first session(s) is/are some of the
>most passionate, and asking them not to go directly to a second group, but
>to sit and do data entry, well, it takes some of the energy out of the
>group. In particular, I had a very passionate group (only 11) work for a day
>this spring, and I noticed demonstrable lulls while data entry took place.
>With 1.5-2.5 days, there's more space for reflection, hence the lulls aren't
>really noticeable.
>
>I want them to be enabled to work passionately for the full time the space
>is open. I don't want the data entry to dilute their energy or their
>passion. I have been rereading all of Harrison's books, and I've been
>starting to wonder, maybe I push them too hard when there's only 8 hours,
>maybe they don't ~need~ notes - maybe the time would be better spent if they
>spent the time talking, without notes.
>
>Of course, you gave me a third option, obvious but hidden nonetheless. I
>think what would make everyone happy (that little voice in particular) would
>be to ask the note-taker to take notes, long-hand as best they can, then to
>give me the notes at the end of the session. I can either do the data entry
>while the sessions are ongoing (lets me hold the space and be genuinely
>busy, without being readily available to guide - I haven't learned to take
>naps during OS's!), or tape the originals up to the wall in the NEWS area,
>then compile the book of proceedings when I get back to the office Thursday.
>
>I've always though that it was necessary to have the participants do the
>data entry. They retain ownership of the document, and they go through
>mental processes while transcribing, processes that refine the original
>text, based on comments spoken at the time but not copied down. The
>transcriber can do a round of edits, as it were; something I can't do.
>Perhaps, presuming I transcribe faithfully, without my own editorial bias,
>the group is better off trading the data entry for more time in discussions?
>
>How does that sound?
>
>Warm regards,
>Phil
>-----Original Message-----
>From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Lisa Heft
>Sent: August 23, 2004 7:01 PM
>To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>Subject: Re: One day in OS without notes??
>
>
>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
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>+01 510 548-8449
> <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net
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>
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