Room Set-Up Questions

Peggy Holman peggy at opencirclecompany.com
Mon Apr 10 07:15:55 PDT 2006


Kathleen,

A question and a suggestion.

The question: are notes really necessary?  I find that with 4 hours it is 
far better to invite people to focus on the conversation and not worry about 
notes.

The suggestion: if notes REALLY are important, a strategy I use for one day 
meetings or less is to ask that the notes be e-mailed to me or whomever is 
compiling the report.  I pass a clipboard during the closing circle and ask 
that anyone responsible for providing notes write down the topic name, their 
name and email address.  I make sure they have something with the email 
address they're sending the notes to and that they know that they have 24 
hours (sometimes 48 hours, never more) to send the notes in.

The down side is that there is usually follow up to remind a number of 
people to send in their notes.  The upside is that the notes are far more 
complete.

back after months away from the list,
Peggy

________________________________
Peggy Holman
The Open Circle Company
15347 SE 49th Place
Bellevue, WA  98006
(425) 746-6274

www.opencirclecompany.com

"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt, 
is to become
the fire".
  -- Drew Dellinger

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kathleen Osta" <kathleen at vitalclarity.com>
To: <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 8:23 PM
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Room Set-Up Questions


> Thanks very much, Elwin, for sharing your perspective. The sessions will 
> only be 30 minutes long so we can cover a good range of topics from the 
> number of people that you estimated would probably be posting them. I 
> think that will help.
>
> This meeting is not until June so I have some time to play around with 
> space and some different scenarios.
>
> More noodling to come,
> Kathleen
>
> On Apr 6, 2006, at 10:52 PM, Elwin and Joan wrote:
>
>> Kathleen,
>>
>> Definitely find another room/place for the Report writing. The same for
>> workgroup meeting spaces check every nook and cranny.
>>
>> Also, consider that with a group this large there will something close
>> to 40 - 50 people wishing to post Agenda Issues. That's 40-50 meetings
>> inside of 4 hours. That suggests to me that unless you expand the
>> number of workgroup areas you would have to have three, one hour,
>> sessions using 18 workgroup spaces. I am afraid that is asking a lot.
>> It's doable, but I would not want to do it.
>>
>> Elwin Guild
>> Future Development International
>> Baltimore
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --- Jeff Aitken <tzimtzum at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Kathleen,
>>>
>>> I always forget to say one or two things during the opening, and it
>>> works out fine. If I were in your shoes, with 300 people in a short
>>> time in a tight space, I would be sure to talk about "when it's over
>>> it's over" and the corollary "when it's not over it's not over".  I
>>> like to remind folks that if the first session that's scheduled for a
>>> particular space is not over when the second one is trying to gather,
>>> the folks in the first session ought to find another space to
>>> continue their conversation.
>>>
>>> Best to you in what should be a lot of fun and learning.
>>>
>>> Jeff Aitken
>>> Petaluma river valley
>>> San Francisco bay area
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Kathleen Osta <kathleen at vitalclarity.com>
>>>> Sent: Apr 6, 2006 5:35 PM
>>>> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>>> Subject: Re: Room Set-Up Questions
>>>>
>>>> Thanks, Harrison, for affirming that 4 concentric circles is okay -
>>> and
>>>> for the suggestion to identify additional space options. We may have
>>>
>>>> some possibilities there. I will explore them.
>>>>
>>>> I do have quite a few lap tops, it's true. Because this session is
>>> in
>>>> the middle of a more traditional conference, I wanted to be sure to
>>> get
>>>> their notes recorded since the OS ballroom has to be re-set for a
>>>> keynote and we can't stay in that room past noon. Guess I could have
>>>
>>>> some of the lap tops set up in an adjacent courtyard area where
>>> they'll
>>>> be picking up their box lunches (and probably continuing their
>>>> conversations). Whaddya think?
>>>>
>>>> ko
>>>>
>>>> On Apr 6, 2006, at 5:50 PM, Harrison Owen wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> You have your work cut out for you! Four circles are fine -- just
>>> as
>>>>> long as
>>>>> you leave enough room in the center so that folks can move about
>>> when
>>>>> they
>>>>> come up to post issues. My rule of thumb is MORE SPACE! You might
>>> save
>>>>> a
>>>>> little bit with fewer laptops -- for a group that size (300) my
>>> number
>>>>> would
>>>>> be 15, maybe even 10. However, you are cramming a great deal in a
>>> small
>>>>> time/space slot. So you may need the additional ones to deal with
>>> the
>>>>> traffic. If it were me, I would be looking around for some
>>> additional
>>>>> space
>>>>> -- anywhere. In the coffee shop, out of doors, down at the corner
>>> bar.
>>>>> The
>>>>> problem with using just the "big room" is that you will have a lot
>>> of
>>>>> chair
>>>>> shifting, noise, confusion and general hubbub. It will probably be
>>> OK
>>>>> -- but
>>>>> I would still be on the lookout for some more space. Even a little
>>> bit.
>>>>>
>>>>> Harrison
>>>>>
>>>>> Harrison Owen
>>>>> 7808 River Falls Drive
>>>>> Potomac, Maryland   20854
>>>>> Phone 301-365-2093
>>>>> Skype hhowen
>>>>> Open Space Training www.openspaceworld.com
>>>>> Open Space Institute www.openspaceworld.org
>>>>> Personal website www.ho-image.com
>>>>> OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the
>>>>> archives Visit: www.listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
>>>>> Kathleen
>>>>> Osta
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, April 06, 2006 3:31 PM
>>>>> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>>>> Subject: Room Set-Up Questions
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi there,
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm doing a 4-hour Open Space session for 300+ people in a hotel
>>>>> ballroom that is 80 feet x 150 feet. Using a to-scale room
>>> diagram, it
>>>>> looks like I may have to have 4 concentric circles because I plan
>>> to
>>>>> have several aisles, e.g., at least 7. I've never had that may
>>>>> concentric circles and wanted to know if that's workable.
>>>>>
>>>>> I also plan to have about 21 lap tops in the News Room in one
>>> corner of
>>>>> the room, which will chew into small group space around the
>>> perimeter
>>>>> of the room.
>>>>>
>>>>> Since I won't have quite enough space around the perimeter of the
>>> room
>>>>> for all 18 small groups, about how many can I put in the middle of
>>> the
>>>>> room (once the space is cleared because people have taken their
>>> chairs
>>>>> with them)?
>>>>>
>>>>> Experience input requested, please. Thanks.
>>>>>
>>>>> Kathleen Osta
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Kathleen S. Osta
>>>>> Vital Clarity
>>>>> 15 Hunters Way
>>>>> Asheville, NC 28804
>>>>> 828-253-8343 office
>>>>> 828-231-5565 cell
>>>>> 828-253-8284 fax
>>>>> www.vitalclarity.com
>>>>>
>>>>> *
>>>>> *
>>>>> ==========================================================
>>>>> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
>>>>> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>>>>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>>>>>
>>>>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>>>>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>>>>>
>>>>> *
>>>>> *
>>>>> ==========================================================
>>>>> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
>>>>> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>>>>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>>>>>
>>>>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>>>>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>> *
>>>> ==========================================================
>>>> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>>> ------------------------------
>>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
>>>> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>>>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>>>>
>>>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>>>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>>>
>>> *
>>> *
>>> ==========================================================
>>> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>>> ------------------------------
>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
>>> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>>>
>>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>>>
>>
>> *
>> *
>> ==========================================================
>> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
>> ------------------------------
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
>> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
>> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>>
>> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
>> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>>
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
> 

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

To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist



More information about the OSList mailing list