What would you do?

Thu Feb 26 16:34:20 PST 2004

Christine,
If it was me, I wouldn't do a 1.5 hour meeting for 120-180 participants (non profit leadership and management)  with a topic as broad as "what can we DO in the next year to build the capacity of our sector in Arizona?" .

I believe that 3 1/2 hours is the shortest meeting in which one really experiences the open space of an Open Space Technology meeting.  Anything shorter than that, in my experience, is a demonstration of people self managing within a set of instructions. Having said that, the topic is a very broad one and a very important one for this sector--not to be handled lightly. It is truly too bad that they didn't give you at least one whole day, preferably 2  1/2 days to really do justice to these people and the topic. 

Having said that, I think one of the challenges that you will face is the unlikelihood that all of your participants will be ready for you at the start of your appointed time, so you are unlikely to have your full 1 1/2 hours. So...I suggest you do your planning as though you have 1 1/4 hours. You need time for opening including making statements about the fact that OST has the capacity to include action planning but there won't be a special opportunity for this at this meeting. I think you will need to make the most of your words to explain what OST is when the right time is given or else you might have 180 people going off and leading exactly this kind of OST meeting throughout Arizona (often there are lots of people who imitate what they experience). Now, you can't prevent that--I realize it but maybe your words might help. Okay, you will have about ten minutes of your words, another ten minutes for topics to be posted, and then about 20 minutes for your closing. I think you would be best to have only one session time. If you attempt to go with two and then even more time gets cut away by unexpected events, you might end up with big problems.

Have they given you the right to use a closing circle to close their whole conference or is your closing only going to be the closing for your OST portion. 

I hope this helps. I can see why you would want to take advantage of the opportunity to showcase OST. However, having spent a long time in the social service sector, I know my own reaction to such a short time to discuss something so important would be very distressing.

I wish you joy, peace, God's grace and blessings, and that you prosper in all things,
Birgitt

  -----Original Message-----
  From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]On Behalf Of Christine Whitney Sanchez
  Sent: Thursday, February 26, 2004 2:57 PM
  To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
  Subject: What would you do?

  Dear Friends,

  In a little more than a week, Arizona State University Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management is sponsoring the 6th Annual Forum on Nonprofit Effectiveness:  Building the Capacity of Arizona's Nonprofit Sector.  There will be between 120 - 180 NP leaders from around the state who are well accustomed to the format they will experience most of the day...expert panels and Q&A.

  As a bold move on ASU's part, I've been asked to facilitate a very short open space to finish the day focused on the convening question, "What can we DO in the next year to build the capacity of our sector in Arizona?"  No action planning, obviously but the sponsors hope to stimulate a different level of dialogue.  Since there is only 1.5 hours available for the open space session I am leaning toward having only one 45minute breakout session with the remainder of the time devoted to opening and closing.  But I've also been considering 2 half hour breakout sessions with less time for brief reports and the closing. Given that this is going to be the first OST experience for nearly everyone in this group, I am looking for a balance between longer, richer discussions in the breakouts with the fuller self-organizing experience that 2 shorter breakouts might offer.  

  I would especially appreciate any examples of times where you've opened space for this number of people in this short time frame and what you found most effective.

  Thanks in advance for sharing your insights and suggestions.

  Christine

  Christine Whitney Sanchez
  Triune Milagro, LTD
  2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue
  Phoenix, AZ  85048-8990
  milagro27 at cox.net
  480.759.0262  phone
  480.759.0403  fax
  VISIT OUR WEBSITE:  www.triunemilagro.com 

  Invoking the wisdom and capacity of the human spirit! 

  * * ========================================================== OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu, Visit: 
  http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html 

---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.593 / Virus Database: 376 - Release Date: 2/20/2004

*
*
==========================================================
OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------
To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu,
Visit:

http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.openspacetech.org/pipermail/oslist-openspacetech.org/attachments/20040226/010d96f3/attachment-0016.htm>