OS for research planning
Michael Wood
mjwood at admin.uwa.edu.au
Mon Dec 17 17:06:39 PST 2007
Reflection on Alison's paragraph:
"One of the facilitators then briefly ran through some of the
necessities of a good action plan-concrete elements such as goals, who
will execute the plan, in what time frame and with what resources".
This is good timing to offer what happened in an OS I conducted last
week. In some previous OS events I have noticed that the Action Plans
emerging have been somewhat sloppy and ill-defined. In the event last
week I took an extra minute (JUST a minute) to explain the lay out of
the Action Planning sheet , including drawing attention to columns at
the bottom entitled "what", "who" and "when", and encourgaging people to
complete all three columns. The result was a trippling of the number of
action plan returns (related to similar group sizes in the past) , and
with every single one completed with far more specificity than on any
previous occasions, including with the same group 3 months earlier. So
on the face of it, it seems that just that little bit of extra
explanation was helpful in relation to the concreteness of final
outcomes.
So....I will continue to do this and monitor the results.
Michael Wood
Western Australia
-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of
Allison Hewlitt
Sent: Saturday, 15 December 2007 1:32 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: OS for research planning
Hi Bo, All
My sense is that another example may not be necessary - especially as it
doesn't involve doctors and other health care practitioners - BUT I
thought that some might enjoy this story of an event which brought
together a research team of some 30 members spread across seven
countries in the spring of 2005 to develop plans for solving some of the
key science issues confronting wheat improvement.
It is one of my two most memorable OS experiences. Here is the write-up
(taken from "Knowledge Sharing Solutions for a CGIAR without
Boundaries")
Open Space: Setting the agenda
On Wednesday morning, with 39 people sitting in a large circle in the
bodega (a warehouse that serves as a site for sorting and packing wheat
seed samples), WIG coordinator Trethowan formally opened the group's
first annual meeting. He stressed that the meeting would be an
opportunity to discuss wheat science, specifically how to conduct
high-quality research for CIMMYT's programs. One of the facilitators
then explained the Open Space approach. During the facilitator's
introduction, a scientist strongly objected to the process proposed and
to the presence of the facilitators from the KS Project team-"Here we go
again with a couple of management consultants who are going to waste our
time and distract us from our own agenda." It was clear that he wasn't
alone. There seemed to be particular concern about the large amount of
time allocated to the exercise - especially in light of the brevity of
the overall meeting. He preferred to have a more formal structure
imposed on the meeting at the outset.
The objection stopped the flow of the meeting dead in its tracks. There
was an uncomfortable edge to the opening session. The facilitators
offered further explanation of the process and Trethowan asked the group
for a measure of trust. The session then continued as planned.
Participants with topics to propose wrote them down on cards. All the
cards were posted on a wall-the "marketplace"-with times and locations
of discussion groups.
The topics identified by participants covered a lot of scientific
territory-from wheat breeding strategies to training for national
research systems and biotechnology applications. The small-group
discussions were generally animated, focused and at times provocative.
Over the course of the day, participants continued to add new topics to
the marketplace. Space had been created to discuss all issues of
importance and participants were now willing to take advantage of it.
By the end of the day, participants were engaged and energized and
requesting additional time the following day to continue their
discussions. When participants were asked to share their impressions of
the day in a phrase or sentence, their responses included the following:
"Where's the low morale?... I take my hat off to you all.... How can we
put words into action?... Cross-fertilization of ideas.... I can now put
faces to names.... Glad not to have regular presentations....
Hope we can get into the science tomorrow."
Ranking topics and action planning
Most of the second day, Thursday, was devoted to discussion of selected
topics and to drafting of action plans for those priority topics. This
process began with a 20-minute period of reading followed by quiet
discussion of the brief reports that came out of the previous day's
discussions.
Upon completion of a voting process, the WIG coordinator announced the
five priority topics for further discussion and action planning. One of
the facilitators then briefly ran through some of the necessities of a
good action plan-concrete elements such as goals, who will execute the
plan, in what time frame and with what resources. With those guidelines
made clear, the participants broke into subgroups. Once again, the
discussions were lively, detailed, and fruitful, resulting in five
plans.
With day 2 of open space complete, what did the participants think of
the process and results so far? Brief comments during the closing of the
circle just before adjournment offer a few hints: "provocative ...
interactive ... even better ... anxious ... mesmerized ... don't know
what to believe ... family ... hungry ... tequila!"
For the full article (and other examples of OS used by scientists and
researchers) see
http://www.ks-cgiar.org/images/stories/pdf/ks_magazine.pdf
Best
Allison
Agneta Setterwall wrote:
> Hi Bo,
>
> One year ago I facilitated together with a colleague of mine, who is a
> doctorate scientist, an open space with invited scientists. The theme
> was about sustainable rural development, and the goal was in fact to
> generate /new ideas, questions, perspectives, methodologies and
> collaborations/ in an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary conference.
> Some of the participants had a background i social science and others
> in natural science.
>
> Of course it all went very well, but to be sure before I answered you
> I now asked her about the longterm effects - did it really made a
> difference? And she said yes, of course - but it had been better to
> have more open space time. We had a 6 hour open space day 2 in a one
> and a half day conference, that was all we could get at the time. Day
> 1 some keynote speakers had their time, and the way we could find to
> open up a little day 1 was to let all participants choose which one of
> the keynote-speakers they wanted to discuss with in parallel groups
> after the presentations. They did not have to decide which one before
> the presentations. This was a little more open space spicy than usual
> in conferences like this, but my friend and I felt a little frustrated
> and longed to day 2 when we could at last let loose...
>
> I can tell you more if you are interested. I have facilitated several
> open space with scientists, both before and after this one.
>
> best wishes
> Agneta Setterwall, in a chilly and sooo grey Uppsala, Sweden
>
>
>
> Bo Laurent wrote:
>> Hi OSList,
>>
>> I'm a newcomer to the list. I've been to a demonstration of OS by
>> Lisa Heft, and I'm now involved in planning a conference (for spring
>> of 2009) that will use OS, and a diverse group of invited
>> participants, to generate new ideas for research. The field is a
>> healthcare issue in which progress has been obstructed by isolation,
>> adversarial factions, and too little attention to human functioning
in social systems.
>>
>> We're working now on raising money to support the conference. Do you
>> have examples you can share with me, or point me to, where OS has
>> been used in scientific research? Especially in generating new ideas,
>> questions, perspectives, methodologies, and collaborations?
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Bo
>>
>> *
>> *
>> ==========================================================
>> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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>>
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--
Allison Hewlitt
Senior Program Officer - IDRC/Bellanet
mail: ahewlitt at bellanet.org
skype: allison_hewlitt
--
tel: +1 613-236-6163 x2393
--
150 Kent St
Ottawa Canada
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>From Mon Dec 17 20:53:20 2007
Message-Id: <MON.17.DEC.2007.205320.0500.>
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:53:20 -0500
Reply-To: 76066.515 at compuserve.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: douglas germann <76066.515 at compuserve.com>
Subject: Re: Circles within rectangles
In-Reply-To: <964DA666B1164996BA4ECEBFDEE69AF4 at Christinelapto>
Content-Type: text/plain
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Christine--
How about out of doors? A large tent or two?
:- Doug.
On Sat, 2007-12-15 at 16:31 -0700, Christine Whitney Sanchez wrote:
> Thank you, Michael. Your calculations were very helpful. The client and I
> are in the stage of really wanting Open Space(s) but truly not finding the
> space(s) to hold all the people. While we might have to let go of OST, I am
> holding the space that we will find a way to open the space for 7000. You
> are so right - it is pure fun!
>
> Warm wishes from a brilliant Phoenix afternoon,
>
> Christine
>
> Christine Whitney Sanchez
> CWS - Collaborative Wisdom & Strategy
> 2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue
> Phoenix, AZ 85048-8990
> 480.759.0262
> www.christinewhitneysanchez.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Michael M
> Pannwitz
> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 1:07 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Circles within rectangles
>
> Dear Christine,
> thats about 10 000 square meters (only a small part of the world thinks in
> feet) and comparing that to the approximately 3000 squaremeters we had for
> the event with 2108 in Germany (you will definitely break the record!!)your
> space would hold about 5000 people.
> Our space was 70 by 40 meters, not exactly square, yours is 150 by 70...very
> similar in shape...you do have to consider that the inner circles can be
> real perfect circles but as you add more circles they turn more and more
> into ovals...or you just add half circles at the long ends of the the room.
> For the 2108 people we had 10 or 12 concentric circles (people sitting on
> small pillows...the firedepartment would not permit chairs unless they are
> bolted to the floor)...that made it real easy to create breakout spaces
> throughout the large room (marked by gas filled ballons that were attached
> to small bags filled with sand, the balloons bearing the breakout space
> number, we had 70 spaces...for the closing circle participants pitched in
> creating the circles again...
> Seems that for 7,000 people you need a space about 1,5 the size you have
> now. Or, calculating for huge crowds, you might think of 1,5 square meters
> per person wish you lots of work, which, if it is really work, is pure fun
> Greetings from Berlin mmp
>
> Christine Whitney Sanchez wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I would appreciate your help in figuring out how many people we can
> > fit into Open Space concentric circles in a room that is 500 feet by 216
> feet.
> > AND...how big a space would it take to accommodate 7,000 people in
> > Open Space?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any help you might offer.
> >
> >>From clear and chilly Phoenix,
> >
> > Christine
> >
> > Christine Whitney Sanchez
> > CWS - Collaborative Wisdom & Strategy
> > 2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue
> > Phoenix, AZ 85048-8990
> > 480.759.0262
> > <http://www.christinewhitneysanchez.com/>
> > www.christinewhitneysanchez.com
> >
>
> Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> ++49-30-772 8000
> www.boscop.org www.michaelmpannwitz.de
>
>
> Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 470 resident Open Space
> Workers in 76 countries (working in a total of 132 countries
> worldwide)
> www.openspaceworldmap.org
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
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>From Tue Dec 18 14:34:53 2007
Message-Id: <TUE.18.DEC.2007.143453.0100.>
Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:34:53 +0100
Reply-To: thomas at openspaceconsulting.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Thomas Herrmann <thomas at openspaceconsulting.com>
Organization: Open Space Consulting
Subject: SV: Circles within rectangles
In-Reply-To: <1197942800.5930.73.camel at doug2>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Just an idea, that might have been in the air before - haven't followed the
whole thread.
An option is to have 10 large OS-meetings á 700...maybe connect them somehow
before/during and/or after... There may be some advantages and disadvantages
with this.
Warm regards
Thomas
-----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
Från: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] För douglas germann
Skickat: den 18 december 2007 02:53
Till: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Ämne: Re: Circles within rectangles
Christine--
How about out of doors? A large tent or two?
:- Doug.
On Sat, 2007-12-15 at 16:31 -0700, Christine Whitney Sanchez wrote:
> Thank you, Michael. Your calculations were very helpful. The client and
I
> are in the stage of really wanting Open Space(s) but truly not finding the
> space(s) to hold all the people. While we might have to let go of OST, I
am
> holding the space that we will find a way to open the space for 7000. You
> are so right - it is pure fun!
>
> Warm wishes from a brilliant Phoenix afternoon,
>
> Christine
>
> Christine Whitney Sanchez
> CWS - Collaborative Wisdom & Strategy
> 2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue
> Phoenix, AZ 85048-8990
> 480.759.0262
> www.christinewhitneysanchez.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Michael
M
> Pannwitz
> Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 1:07 AM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: Circles within rectangles
>
> Dear Christine,
> thats about 10 000 square meters (only a small part of the world thinks in
> feet) and comparing that to the approximately 3000 squaremeters we had for
> the event with 2108 in Germany (you will definitely break the
record!!)your
> space would hold about 5000 people.
> Our space was 70 by 40 meters, not exactly square, yours is 150 by
70...very
> similar in shape...you do have to consider that the inner circles can be
> real perfect circles but as you add more circles they turn more and more
> into ovals...or you just add half circles at the long ends of the the
room.
> For the 2108 people we had 10 or 12 concentric circles (people sitting on
> small pillows...the firedepartment would not permit chairs unless they are
> bolted to the floor)...that made it real easy to create breakout spaces
> throughout the large room (marked by gas filled ballons that were attached
> to small bags filled with sand, the balloons bearing the breakout space
> number, we had 70 spaces...for the closing circle participants pitched in
> creating the circles again...
> Seems that for 7,000 people you need a space about 1,5 the size you have
> now. Or, calculating for huge crowds, you might think of 1,5 square meters
> per person wish you lots of work, which, if it is really work, is pure fun
> Greetings from Berlin mmp
>
> Christine Whitney Sanchez wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I would appreciate your help in figuring out how many people we can
> > fit into Open Space concentric circles in a room that is 500 feet by 216
> feet.
> > AND...how big a space would it take to accommodate 7,000 people in
> > Open Space?
> >
> > Thanks in advance for any help you might offer.
> >
> >>From clear and chilly Phoenix,
> >
> > Christine
> >
> > Christine Whitney Sanchez
> > CWS - Collaborative Wisdom & Strategy
> > 2717 E. Mountain Sky Avenue
> > Phoenix, AZ 85048-8990
> > 480.759.0262
> > <http://www.christinewhitneysanchez.com/>
> > www.christinewhitneysanchez.com
> >
>
> Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> ++49-30-772 8000
> www.boscop.org www.michaelmpannwitz.de
>
>
> Check out the Open Space World Map presently showing 470 resident Open
Space
> Workers in 76 countries (working in a total of 132 countries
> worldwide)
> www.openspaceworldmap.org
>
> *
> *
> ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu:
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>
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>
> *
> *
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>From Wed Dec 19 18:30:08 2007
Message-Id: <WED.19.DEC.2007.183008.0900.>
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 18:30:08 +0900
Reply-To: oskorea at gmail.com
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Stanley Park <oskorea at gmail.com>
Organization: Open Space Institute of Korea
Subject: Re: Suspense Junkies
X-To: deborah at hartmann.net
In-Reply-To: <4751A9BA.8010603 at hartmann.net>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Deborah and OS friends,
Real funny! I love this thread!
As I see it, an OS practitioner better describes what I had decided to
perceive who I am doing what I do. I find loving it because it simply
describes that I am a person who praticices Open Space. No
teacher/Student, Doctor/Patient, Hammer/Nail dichotomy. Are we all are
participants in a cosmic dance of Shiva (self-organizing)? os=so...
hahaha^^
on this day of a rather calm, Presidential election in Korea,
Peace & Love for All
park
Deborah Hartmann 쓴 글:
> lol
> I just coined this term on an IM chat, talking about being an Open
> Space facilitator: Suspense Junkie
> as in.... "oh, I'm a professional, um, wait-er"
> hee hee
> --
>
> Deborah Hartmann
> Agile Process Improvement Coach
> Lead Editor for InfoQ.com/Agile
> deborah.hartmann.net
>
> * * ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
> subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
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Deborah Hartmann 쓴 글:
> lol
> I just coined this term on an IM chat, talking about being an Open
> Space facilitator: Suspense Junkie
> as in.... "oh, I'm a professional, um, wait-er"
> hee hee
> --
>
> Deborah Hartmann
> Agile Process Improvement Coach
> Lead Editor for InfoQ.com/Agile
> deborah.hartmann.net
>
> * * ==========================================================
> OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU ------------------------------ To
> subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of
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