Room Set-Up Questions

Mon Apr 10 09:44:08 PDT 2006

Thanks, Peggy, for the alternative suggestion. Given that notes are 
important to this group and have always been described as a part of the 
meeting outcomes, I will think through how your idea for ensuring that 
they get collected beyond the actual meeting date might play out. I 
think the client might appreciate having an option like this. I also 
appreciate your comment about the follow-up effort that is involved. 
Will make sure they realize that.

Kathleen

On Apr 10, 2006, at 10:15 AM, Peggy Holman wrote:

> 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
>>>>>>
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