Camps. Gatherings & Un-conferences

Fri Aug 25 18:56:35 PDT 2006

Hi Justin,

As the person who opened and held the Space at Agile 2006. Everything  
you heard was true. (Lots of reasons I won't go into here.) With all  
its challenges, it still managed to be the most valuable part of the  
conference for a number of conference goers - they told me so.  
However, it was largely invisible to many others, especially those  
who had never experienced it before and didn't think to seek it out.

Some of us had already planned to hold an all Open Space event on  
Agile topics in the NW (there's already one in Europe), and that  
experience solidified our determination. That's partly why I'm asking  
the question. The term "Open Space" in some circles is becoming  
associated with mildly satisfying group discussions that don't go  
through the program review process and, therefore, are of dubious  
value. I'd like to sneak up on those folks with the real power of  
self-organization. So, I'm seeking some sheep's clothing in which to  
hide my wolf. :-)

Diana

Diana Larsen
co-author, _Agile Retrospectives: Making Good Teams Great_ (Pragmatic  
Bookshelf, 2006)
www.futureworksconsulting.com
503-288-3550

Upcoming: "Secrets of Agile Teamwork: Beyond Technical Skills"   
public workshop, Dec. 5-7, 2006. Contact me for more information.

On Aug 25, 2006, at 1:33 PM, Justin T. Sampson wrote:

> Hi Diana!
>
> Your question raises a related question for me -- Open Space
> Technology is often used a part of a conference, but not the whole
> conference, with varying success/satisfaction. For example, at NCDD
> 2006 the explicit use of OST was restricted in time to just a couple
> hours in the middle of the conference; I liked the taste, but wanted
> more. And I heard from colleagues who attended Agile 2006 that the OST
> component was less satisfying this year because it felt "second class"
> -- it wasn't restricted in time, but the opening circle was run
> concurrently with other planned sessions, and the space set aside for
> it was depressing (low ceilings, bad lighting).
>
> Does this trend raise hope that OST is becoming more well-known and
> accepted, or concern that it will be misunderstood as something more
> restricted than it is? Both, I'm sure; just curious how folks here are
> dreaming about it.
>
> Cheers,
> Justin
>
> P.S. Diana -- it's fun to see a name I recognize from another context!
> I'm an agile software consultant myself.
>
>
> On 8/25/06, Diana Larsen <dlarsen at futureworksconsulting.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I've seen notices of gatherings where people will come together under
>> an Open Space self-organizing process called variously Camps,
>> Gatherings, Conferences and Unconferences.
>>
>> I'm intrigued. What other names have folks given an Open Space
>> conference-type event besides Open Space?
>>
>> Curiously,
>> Diana
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
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*
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>From  Fri Aug 25 20:20:55 2006
Message-Id: <FRI.25.AUG.2006.202055.0700.>
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2006 20:20:55 -0700
Reply-To: lisaheft at openingspace.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Lisa Heft <lisaheft at openingspace.net>
Subject: Re: Open Space for small groups
In-Reply-To: <NOEPIGMAFNFLGJPILKKFMEGCEEAA.thomas at openspaceconsulting.com>
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Hi, all - as you may tell, I have been away for a bit traveling and
facilitating, and I am catching up with an ocean of emails, including
delicious little fishes in that ocean: many thoughtful messages on =
OSLIST.

=20

In response to Justin's questions about holding a very small Open Space.

Fabuloso Jaime wrote:

I remember a posting on the OSLIST about an OS meeting with as few as 2
people!

 I am not sure if I could find this message for you, but no doubt that
someone else will. Just wait and see.

 Welcome to the OS community!

Marvelous Thomas wrote:

I don't think that's the record Jaime. I remember Lisa telling a story =
where
no-one showed up and she had an OS-meeting by herself!! Hard to beat!

And, of course, it worked out marvellously - well, you are marvellous =
dear
Lisa - sure missed you in Moscow!=20

Warm regards

Thomas

=20

Thomas, you and everyone at the Moscow conference were very much in my
thoughts!  I did write about a very small Open Space - only one =
person.below
I shall reprint the posting I sent to OSLIST about it back in May 2002.

=20

Cheers,  Lisa

=20

_______________________________=20

=20

So there I was last week at the International Association of =
Facilitators
conference in Fort Worth, Texas.  It is a conference put on by all
volunteers (fellow facilitators) where facilitators present workshops to
each other ...

=20

I only had a few people signed up in advance for my Open Space =
Technology
workshop (hey - whatever happens), and so when I got to Fort Worth I =
asked
the conference hosts if they might spread the word to and invite people =
from
the community, so that I could offer this service to people working in =
Fort
Worth.

=20

Well, after thinking so very hard on how to put together a message and =
how
to get the word out over the holiday weekend, I suddenly realized that I
should let it all go and see what(ever) would happen.

=20

So I set up the room and waited for the adventure.

=20

I had invited a volunteer who was helping with the conference to come to =
my
workshop, as he had been working so hard he had not attended anything.

=20

And so it turned out that Doug was the only participant in my Open =
Space.
(!)  Nobody else showed up.

=20

So we went on an adventure together.

=20

I asked him if he was interested in testing out two questions about OS: =
one,
with how few people can you do OS, and two, can you teach one-way
information (such as how to do OST) in a completely OS setting.  He was =
open
to it and so was I, so we just dived in together!

=20

- - - - -

Our Open Space lasted from 8:30am until 3:00pm.

=20

My preparation included handouts (checklists, planning, further reading,
samples), a collection of books of proceedings, and flyers about =
OSonOSinOZ
and other upcoming events.  The room was set up like a normal OS, with =
the
inclusion of a wall full of little signs organized into Role and Task =
(the
idea is to choose a role from one column and a task from another and put
them on like nametags, so in a group of people you would have a whole =
range
of circumstances and settings for using OS and you could role play =
talking
to clients about these situations).

=20

Signage around the room included areas A, B, C and D.

=20

I set up about six chairs in a circle (even though Doug and I only =
filled
two of them - our imaginary colleagues filled up the rest), and I opened =
the
space.  The theme was "What Can We Learn From One Another?"

=20

Doug immediately lay down on the ground to write sign after sign with =
his
topics; I soon joined him to add some topics that I thought might play =
well
off of his topics along that same line.  We generated 17 topics:

=20

His topics were all about what he wanted to know about OST (bear in mind =
he
had not read the book and had no previous knowledge of OST):

=20

- 1st Time OS Experience

- Worst OS Experience

- Open Space versus Other Methods

- Use of Computers to Track Minutes

- Follow-up after Meeting

- Best Food for Open Spaces

- How Much Space Needed

- How Long Is Too Long?

- New Techniques

- Agenda Planning

- What's Changed About OST In The Last 5 Years?

=20

My topics - I could probably have not written any topics at all.  Of =
course
I have never written topics when I was the facilitator, and Doug was =
doing
just fine.  But I thought it would help to play off of each other, =
because
of the issue of diversity.  So here's what I added.

=20

- On Being an Independent

- What Do You Love About Texas?

- Where Are The Indians?

- Spirituality and Work

- What Do You Want To Be Remembered For?

- If You Could Try Anything, What Would You Try?

=20

So now we had a wall full of items, complete with the time/space =
stickies.

So here's what we did next:

=20

We took all the 9:30-10:15am topics and posted them on the wall near =
area A.
And we brought three chairs over there (one for each of us and one for a
virtual colleague).  Doug led the order of the session, picking out each
item from the wall as he felt drawn to it, and that is what led our
discussion.  We covered all those issues, and then it was time to go 'to =
our
next session'.  So we moved all the chairs over to area B, brought all =
those
topics over to post on that wall, and continued as such around the room
throughout the day.

=20

"My whole group" decided to go to lunch together, and I was happy to =
take
'my whole group' out to lunch.  My whole group took 'bio breaks' =
together,
as well, whenever needed throughout the day.  By the end of the day, =
every
topic had been discussed, *plus* Doug had a complete education in Open =
Space
based on his own learning needs - a custom-designed master class on Open
Space.  Proof that you can give one-way information in Open Space and =
still
have it be learner-centered (a big surprise to me).

=20

But wait - something even more wonderful happened...People came to =
visit!
Our workshop was near the bathroom - maybe that helped, plus we kept =
both
doors wide open.  (I was tempted to put up our "Session Full" sign on =
the
door....).  Two other workshops were meeting that day.

=20

So first, Rob Stroober (hi, Rob!) from the Netherlands came by and sat =
in
our third chair in the circle.  He dropped in right when we were talking
about the Your First OS and also If You Could Try Anything...topics.  He
just fit right in and we learned from him regarding those topics.  Then =
he
had to leave to catch a plane.  Bye, Rob!

=20

Later on Sherwood ___ came into the room.  He had experienced OS many =
years
ago with Harrison, and he walked right in on the topics of how OST has
changed over the years.  So he was able to share some thoughts on that
overview.  Then we left to rejoin his other workshop.  Bye, Sherwood!

=20

David Johnson, a facilitator from Texas, shared his scariest facilitator
moment - ironically, when he had to dump a very carefully planned agenda =
and
suddenly respond to the group's need and found himself booking rooms for
self-organized discussions a la Open Space.  See you later, David!

=20

And Laura Hsu from Taiwan (hi, Laura!) dropped in to share how she =
teaches
the method of OST, and we had a wonderful exchange of ideas and =
materials.
(Bye, Laura!)

=20

So we had international cross-cultural input and surprises that happened
when new folks sat in our third chair!

=20

- - - - -

=20

To close, I passed my favorite special rock around our circle, now =
reformed
in the middle of the room, of six chairs.  Doug shared some thoughts, I =
sat
in another chair to share with him what sometimes people say in a =
closing
circle, and then I sat in my own chair to close.  In the center of the
circle were fabric, the rock, my Tibetan bells, my compass, flowers and =
some
food offerings.

=20

It was a wonderful, magical experience, and it taught me much that I =
would
never have known in any other way.  Doug is off to lead his own Open =
Spaces,
and I thank him for his partnership in what was a delightful day full of
learning, laughter and exploration.

=20

And PS: We still made enough noise for the two other workshop groups to =
hear
us through the walls!  I guess joy is sometimes loud....

=20

Lisa

___________________________

L i s a   H e f t

Consultant, Facilitator, Educator

O p e n i n g  S p a c e

 <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net

 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net=20

=20

=20

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<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>Hi, =
all –
as you may tell, I have been away for a bit traveling and facilitating, =
and I
am catching up with an ocean of emails, including delicious little =
fishes in
that ocean: many thoughtful messages on OSLIST.</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'>In =
response to
Justin’s questions about holding a very small Open =
Space…</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'>Fabuloso Jaime
wrote:</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><i><font size=3D2 =
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";font-style:italic'>I
remember a posting on the OSLIST about an OS meeting with as few as =
2
people!</span></font></i></p>

I
am not sure if I could find this message for you, but no =
doubt that
someone else will. Just wait and see.

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><i><font size=3D2 =
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";font-style:italic'> Welcome
to the OS community!</span></font></i></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'>Marvelous
Thomas wrote:</span></font></p>

I don’t
think that’s the record Jaime. I remember Lisa telling a story =
where
no-one showed up and she had an OS-meeting by herself!! Hard to =
beat!

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><i><font size=3D2 =
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";font-style:italic'>And, of
course, it worked out marvellously - well, you are marvellous dear Lisa =
- sure
missed you in Moscow! </span></font></i></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><i><font size=3D2 =
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";font-style:italic'>Warm regards</span></font></i></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><i><font size=3D2 =
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";font-style:italic'>Thomas</span></font></i></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>

Thomas, you and
everyone at the Moscow conference were very much in my thoughts!  I =
did write
about a very small Open Space – only one person…below I =
shall
reprint the posting I sent to OSLIST about it back in May =
2002…

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'>Cheers, 
Lisa</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'>_______________________________
</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>So there I was last week at the International Association =
of
Facilitators conference in Fort Worth, Texas.  It is a conference =
put on
by all volunteers (fellow facilitators) where facilitators present =
workshops to
each other ...</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>I only had a few people signed up in advance for my Open =
Space
Technology workshop (hey - whatever happens), and so when I got to Fort =
Worth I
asked the conference hosts if they might spread the word to and invite =
people
from the community, so that I could offer this service to people working =
in
Fort Worth.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Well, after thinking so very hard on how to put together a =
message
and how to get the word out over the holiday weekend, I suddenly =
realized that
I should let it all go and see what(ever) would =
happen.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>So I set up the room and waited for the =
adventure.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>I had invited a volunteer who was helping with the =
conference to
come to my workshop, as he had been working so hard he had not attended
anything.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

And so it turned out that Doug was the only participant in =
my Open
Space. (!)  Nobody else showed up.

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>So we went on an adventure together.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>I asked him if he was interested in testing out two =
questions
about OS: one, with how few people can you do OS, and two, can you teach
one-way information (such as how to do OST) in a completely OS =
setting. 
He was open to it and so was I, so we just dived in =
together!</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- - - - -</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Our Open Space lasted from 8:30am until =
3:00pm.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>My preparation included handouts (checklists, planning, =
further
reading, samples), a collection of books of proceedings, and flyers =
about OSonOSinOZ
and other upcoming events.  The room was set up like a normal OS, =
with the
inclusion of a wall full of little signs organized into Role and Task =
(the idea
is to choose a role from one column and a task from another and put them =
on
like nametags, so in a group of people you would have a whole range of
circumstances and settings for using OS and you could role play talking =
to
clients about these situations).</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Signage around the room included areas A, B, C and =
D.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>I set up about six chairs in a circle (even though Doug and =
I only
filled two of them - our imaginary colleagues filled up the rest), and I =
opened
the space.  The theme was "What Can We Learn From One =
Another?"</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Doug immediately lay down on the ground to write sign after =
sign
with his topics; I soon joined him to add some topics that I thought =
might play
well off of his topics along that same line.  We generated 17 =
topics:</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>His topics were all about what he wanted to know about OST =
(bear
in mind he had not read the book and had no previous knowledge of =
OST):</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- 1st Time OS Experience</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Worst OS Experience</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Open Space versus Other Methods</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Use of Computers to Track Minutes</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Follow-up after Meeting</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Best Food for Open Spaces</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- How Much Space Needed</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- How Long Is Too Long?</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- New Techniques</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Agenda Planning</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- What's Changed About OST In The Last 5 =
Years?</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>My topics - I could probably have not written any topics at
all.  Of course I have never written topics when I was the =
facilitator,
and Doug was doing just fine.  But I thought it would help to play =
off of
each other, because of the issue of diversity.  So here's what I =
added.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- On Being an Independent</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- What Do You Love About Texas?</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Where Are The Indians?</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- Spirituality and Work</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- What Do You Want To Be Remembered For?</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- If You Could Try Anything, What Would You =
Try?</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>So now we had a wall full of items, complete with the =
time/space stickies.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>So here's what we did next:</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

We took all the 9:30-10:15am topics and posted them on the =
wall
near area A. And we brought three chairs over there (one for each of us =
and one
for a virtual colleague).  Doug led the order of the session, =
picking out
each item from the wall as he felt drawn to it, and that is what led our =
discussion. 
We covered all those issues, and then it was time to go 'to our next
session'.  So we moved all the chairs over to area B, brought all =
those topics
over to post on that wall, and continued as such around the room =
throughout the
day.

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>"My whole group" decided to go to lunch together, =
and I
was happy to take 'my whole group' out to lunch.  My whole group =
took ‘bio
breaks’ together, as well, whenever needed throughout the =
day.  By
the end of the day, every topic had been discussed, *plus* Doug had a =
complete
education in Open Space based on his own learning needs - a =
custom-designed
master class on Open Space.  Proof that you can give one-way =
information
in Open Space and still have it be learner-centered (a big surprise to =
me).</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

But wait - something even more wonderful happened...People =
came to
visit! Our workshop was near the bathroom - maybe that helped, plus we =
kept
both doors wide open.  (I was tempted to put up our "Session
Full" sign on the door....).  Two other workshops were meeting =
that
day.

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>So first, Rob Stroober (hi, Rob!) from the Netherlands came =
by and
sat in our third chair in the circle.  He dropped in right when we =
were
talking about the Your First OS and also If You Could Try =
Anything...topics. 
He just fit right in and we learned from him regarding those =
topics.  Then
he had to leave to catch a plane.  Bye, Rob!</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Later on Sherwood ___ came into the room.  He had =
experienced
OS many years ago with Harrison, and he walked right in on the topics of =
how
OST has changed over the years.  So he was able to share some =
thoughts on
that overview.  Then we left to rejoin his other workshop.  =
Bye, Sherwood!</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>David Johnson, a facilitator from Texas, shared his =
scariest
facilitator moment - ironically, when he had to dump a very carefully =
planned
agenda and suddenly respond to the group's need and found himself =
booking rooms
for self-organized discussions a la Open Space.  See you later, =
David!</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>And Laura Hsu from Taiwan (hi, Laura!) dropped in to share =
how she
teaches the method of OST, and we had a wonderful exchange of ideas and
materials.  (Bye, Laura!)</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>So we had international cross-cultural input and surprises =
that
happened when new folks sat in our third chair!</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>- - - - -</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>To close, I passed my favorite special rock around our =
circle, now
reformed in the middle of the room, of six chairs.  Doug shared =
some
thoughts, I sat in another chair to share with him what sometimes people =
say in
a closing circle, and then I sat in my own chair to close.  In the =
center
of the circle were fabric, the rock, my Tibetan bells, my compass, =
flowers and
some food offerings.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>It was a wonderful, magical experience, and it taught me =
much that
I would never have known in any other way.  Doug is off to lead his =
own
Open Spaces, and I thank him for his partnership in what was a =
delightful day
full of learning, laughter and exploration.</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>And PS: We still made enough noise for the two other =
workshop
groups to hear us through the walls!  I guess joy is sometimes =
loud....</span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'> </span></font></p>

<p style=3D'margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3D2 =
color=3Dblack
face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
color:black'>Lisa</span></font></p>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'>___________________________</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><font size=3D2 color=3Dblue face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:blue;font-weight:bold'>L
i s a   H e f t</span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblue face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:blue'>Consultant,
Facilitator, Educator</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblue face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
lang=3DES-MX style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:blue'>O p e
n i n g  S p a c e</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><a
href=3D"mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net"><font color=3Dblack><span =
lang=3DES-MX
style=3D'color:black'>lisaheft at openingspace.net</span></font></a></span><=
/font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'><a
href=3D"http://www.openingspace.net"><font color=3Dblack><span =
lang=3DES-MX
style=3D'color:black'>www.openingspace.net</span></font></a></span></font=
><font
size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>

</div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dblack face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span
lang=3DES-MX style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet =
MS";color:black'> </span></font></p>

<blockquote style=3D'border:none;border-left:solid blue =
1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 4.0pt;
margin-left:3.75pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
lang=3DES-MX style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>

</blockquote>

</div>

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