The Theme
Yana Demenko
yana at demenko.info
Wed Jun 20 03:39:32 PDT 2007
Yes, Chris, on the one hand, you are right ... Whatever needs to happen will
happen during the OSonOS and sometimes there is no need in posting the
theme. But worldwide OS community is transforming all the time. IMHO, today
we got a lot of "hot" and hidden issues inside. To hide them for now is not
a constructive way. Don't you think so? Why not to put them on the board and
start to talk about? I think that OSonOS is a right time for that kind of
issues.
Just for example ... have a look on the table of content of 15th WOSonOS's
book of proceedings (there was the theme as you know). And what do you see?
Issue #1 - A different way of training for OS facilitators. Go to that
particular page and you will see a bit more! People from Eastern Europe,
Asia, Canada and Australia are talking about "schools" differences. I think
it is a good result of using the theme.
Has it a chance to appear without a theme? Maybe :) but there were also some
"peacemaking goals" of the hosting team ;)
Best,
Yana Demenko
[post] p.o.box 4-?, Kyiv-1, 01001, Ukraine
[e-mail] yana at demenko.info
[web] www.demenko.info
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Corrigan
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 9:37 PM
Subject: Re: The Theme
Sometimes the theme is important, for a certain focus, for work that is
directed to fairly concrete results. For open conferences though, I can't
remember the themes of any of the conferences I have been at, let alone the
ones in Open Space. It's interesting that despite weak themes, people come
anyway. Open Space is then perfect in this situation. I always invite
people in the opening circle to simply connect with the energy that brought
them to the gathering and see if there is a compelling question that they
are willing to host a conversation around.
I have to admit a rather nagging frustration with conference organizers who
insist on action outcomes from meetings that are poorly planned. There is
nothing wrong with a conference being an open learning experience.
Conferences are not the same thing as organizing meetings.
My basic template for OSOnOS is simply this: open space for 2.5 days.
Whatever needs to happen will happen. At the OSonOS meetings I have been a
part of, it's the quality of the interaction that matters, not the focus on
notes, or action planning. Just being with others, enjoying each other's
company and learning a few new things is enough for me.
In this case then, it makes all kinds of sense to have an invitation that is
light on the theme and heavy on the "look who is coming" part. Having a
website set up with an RSS feed to continue to update people about the
conference as the plan is unfolding is a useful idea. As people confirm,
you post their names to the site and it inspires others to come. Once
everyone is in the room, open space and get out of the way. What could be
simpler?
Chris
*
*
==========================================================
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
>From Wed Jun 20 07:02:41 2007
Message-Id: <WED.20.JUN.2007.070241.0400.>
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:02:41 -0400
Reply-To: deborah at hartmann.net
To: OSLIST <OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
From: Deborah Hartmann <deborah at hartmann.net>
Subject: Re: The Theme
In-Reply-To: <5a91755f0706191137k4db62834y80584f4020deffaf at mail.gmail.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
I've been mulling over the BarCamp phenom and its relation to Open
Space. I'm starting to think there are 2 kinds of events:
Issue/Problem focused (classic Open Space)
Community-based (BarCamp = OS minus Focused Theme/Reports/Action Planning )
For ex: I'm starting to think maybe the theme for TorCamp is always the
same: Something like - building a more vibrant software community in
Toronto (the theme of the original TorCamp). In these, the right people
come because they are/want to be part of the community. The community
becomes whatever they bring, so it's the right stuff. We want them to
bring a variety of stuff, because it's not about focus but serendipity
and new connections...
New, raw thoughts. Got to run. Will check in to see what others think
and build on this.
btw: I'm running an exciting session today - not OS, but two different
retrospectives for an organisation: Cultural Retro followed by a Process
exercise called Value Stream Mapping (from the Lean Manufacturing
school). Tomorrow they begin to step into their improved future process! :-)
deb
Chris Corrigan wrote:
> Sometimes the theme is important, for a certain focus, for work that
> is directed to fairly concrete results. For open conferences though,
> I can't remember the themes of any of the conferences I have been at,
> let alone the ones in Open Space. It's interesting that despite weak
> themes, people come anyway. Open Space is then perfect in this
> situation. I always invite people in the opening circle to simply
> connect with the energy that brought them to the gathering and see if
> there is a compelling question that they are willing to host a
> conversation around.
>
> I have to admit a rather nagging frustration with conference
> organizers who insist on action outcomes from meetings that are poorly
> planned. There is nothing wrong with a conference being an open
> learning experience. Conferences are not the same thing as organizing
> meetings.
>
> My basic template for OSOnOS is simply this: open space for 2.5
> days. Whatever needs to happen will happen. At the OSonOS meetings
> I have been a part of, it's the quality of the interaction that
> matters, not the focus on notes, or action planning. Just being with
> others, enjoying each other's company and learning a few new things is
> enough for me.
>
> In this case then, it makes all kinds of sense to have an invitation
> that is light on the theme and heavy on the "look who is coming"
> part. Having a website set up with an RSS feed to continue to update
> people about the conference as the plan is unfolding is a useful
> idea. As people confirm, you post their names to the site and it
> inspires others to come. Once everyone is in the room, open space and
> get out of the way. What could be simpler?
>
> Chris
>
> On 6/19/07, *Michael M Pannwitz* <mmpanne at boscop.org
> <mailto:mmpanne at boscop.org>> wrote:
>
> If you follow the admonition "never work harder than you have to"
> (Practice of Peace) letting go of the idea of having a theme for the
> WOSonOS might come easier...Open Space on Open Space rocks enough
> for me
> and all the OSonOS that I have been too have rocked or whatever
> regardless of the theme or no theme.
> Its different, however, if the business issue differs from "Open Space
> on Open Space". Then it is the task of the sponsor and a planning
> group
> (best a crossection of the whole system that is to be invited)to
> create
> the theme. I have seen some great, inspiring themes emerge out of
> sessions like that.
> However, looking back, it seems to me that the act of finding a theme
> (getting the act together) is much more significant for the Planning
> Group and its task of writing an invitation for their event and
> all the
> other stuff they do
> than the theme itself.
> Greetings from Berlin to Toronto
> mmp
>
>
>
> Deborah Hartmann wrote:
> > Bhavesh wrote
> >>
> >> ... I felt the theme wasn't particularly powerful or meaningful. It
> >> may be better to have no theme, or to use this time more for
> sharing
> >> and exploring between OS facilitators.
> >>
> > I've been thinking a lot on this - the BarCamp community tends
> also to
> > have weak themes, and yet their events definitely rock.
> >
> > Are there two kinds of events? (or more?) I mean:
> > a) to solve a given problem / explore a particular issue
> > b) simply to build a community
> >
> > Themes can feel contrived for the second kind of event. However, I
> > strongly believe that the theme is a key to "whoever comes is
> the right
> > people". So... how is a theme selected/constructed when there
> seems to
> > be no one common issue?
> >
> > Ex: RoCoCoCamp had a very weak theme... the organizers had a
> really hard
> > time coming up with one, and then it wasn't clearly articulated
> or even
> > consistently used in event invitations. But the event clearly
> had a big
> > impact, to read the blogs and news that came after.
> >
> > Anyone else thinking about this? What have you done in similar
> situations?
> >
> > Thanks
> > deb
> >
> > Deborah Hartmann
> > Agile Process Coach
> > deborah DOT hartmann DOT net
> >
> > "Learn the principle, abide by the principle, and dissolve the
> > principle." -- Bruce Lee
> >
> > *
> > *
> > ==========================================================
> > OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> > ------------------------------
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> > view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu
> <mailto: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 <mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU>
> ------------------------------
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
> view the archives of oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu
> <mailto:oslist at listserv.boisestate.edu>:
> http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
> To learn about OpenSpaceEmailLists and OSLIST FAQs:
> http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist
>
>
>
>
> --
> CHRIS CORRIGAN
> Facilitation - Training
> Open Space Technology
>
> Weblog: http://www.chriscorrigan.com/parkinglot
> Site: http://www.chriscorrigan.com
>
> Principal, Harvest Moon Consultants, Ltd.
> http://www.harvestmoonconsultants.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
--
Deborah Hartmann
Agile Process Coach
deborah AT hartmann DOT net
mobile: fouronesix 996 4337
"Learn the principle,
abide by the principle, and
dissolve the principle."
-- Bruce Lee
*
*
==========================================================
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