advice on os for 600 (Harrison)

Thu Dec 18 04:34:19 PST 2008

Dear Peggy

Thanks so much for these.  I find the images very moving.

Marty

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Peggy
Holman
Sent: 14 December 2008 23:06
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: SPAM LOW: Re: [OSLIST] advice on os for 600 (Harrison)

Martin,

I have no suggestions to add to what you've already heard but I will offer a
couple quick items from the OS I did with 2,100 in Bogota (1,800 street
kids, ages 14-22 and about 300 teachers).

First, pictures because I think they tell more than words:

>From Bogota -
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12z8htv.a6xi9ezn
<http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=12z8htv.a6xi9ezn&Uy=-
n1ik87&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp>
&Uy=-n1ik87&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Ux=0

(guess I should move these to flickr one of these days...)

>From Wuerzburg, Germany (taken by Erich Kolenaty of the OS that Harrison and
Michael did in Germany for 2108) -
http://www.transformation.at/index.php?art_id=46

A quick story about balloons: Inspired by the idea from the German OS, I
suggested this strategy for Bogota before actually seeing the space.  We
were at a school that had lots of class rooms so space markers weren't
necessary.  Still, they had blown up quite a few balloons because I
suggested it.  You'll see them in the pictures with the kids in rooms all
over the place. :-)

We had about 230 sessions posted - again about 10%.  Seems this might be a
good number for large groups.

We ended up outside for the plenaries because they didn't have an indoor
space big enough for a group this size.  (Since it was the middle of the
rainy season, the sunshine we had was a miracle!)  We used tape to create
circles (about 13 deep) and aisles on the courtyard pavement.  Because the
center of the circle was small, we had teachers with markers and paper
passing them out when the time was right.

You'll see a photo with my colleague, Andres Agudelo, holding a microphone
as the crowd of kids around him announced their sessions.  This was their
equivalent to a line.  It was polite and respectful as each took their turn.
And such a contrast from the picture of people in line in Wuerzburg!
Announcing the sessions took about 45 minutes.  As Harrison said, just name
and topic and on to the next person.

Another image you'll see is of the agenda walls.  We set up a different wall
for each time period.  A sheet of paper with the room number writ very large
was pre-set, as was tape to hold the session announcement.  So a session
host just posted the topic announcement by attaching to the tape already in
place.

We also opened each plenary with a few minutes of silence.  I think
everyone, especially the kids, were blown away by those few quiet moments
together.  It was a statement of respect for themselves and each other that
they were so disciplined in these moments.

Guess that's about it for now.

Have fun!

Peggy

______________________________

Peggy Holman

The Open Circle Company

15347 SE 49th Place

Bellevue, WA  98006

425-746-6274

www.opencirclecompany.com

For the new edition of The Change Handbook, go to: 
www.bkconnection.com/ChangeHandbook 

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

On Dec 12, 2008, at 9:55 AM, Martin Boroson wrote:

Hi Harrison

Thanks for the idea about numbering balloons.  I have been using balloons of
different colours, which creates a lovely, playful feel, but I’ve also been
worried about people who are colour-blind, and of course one does run out of
colours that are easily distinguished.

Numbering them solves this problem!

Marty

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: 12 December 2008 14:58
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: SPAM LOW: Re: [OSLIST] advice on os for 600 (Harrison)

How do you estimate the number of breakouts to schedule?

That was a dicey call. Michael and I figured 150 – but as the line of
participants continued to grow – we knew that some adjustments were in
order. Fortunately we were doing all this in a two large circus tents, and
for breakout rooms we had 150 helium filled balloons numbered 1-150. To make
a break out space, just grab a balloon and set up shop. As the need for more
spaces exploded we just kept blowing up balloons. Worked like a charm and it
was pretty too. Just imagine a field of waving balloons.

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

Open Space Training  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com

Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com

OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Martin
Boroson
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2008 8:21 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] advice on os for 600 (Harrison)

Harrison,

Based on your numbers below, that’s about 10% of the total participants who
hosted sessions 
 further confirmation that the percentage drops
significantly as the total number of participants increases. 

How do you estimate the number of breakouts to schedule?

Many thanks,

Marty

  _____  

From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Harrison
Owen
Sent: 11 December 2008 15:35
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: SPAM LOW: Re: [OSLIST] advice on os for 600

Jack said,” 6) Yes, it will take a long time for people to annouce their
sessions. I can't see a way to avoid this.” For whatever it is worth, I have
never found this to be the case. But you do have to keep the folks moving
with a large group. I set the stage for this by saying as we start on
announcing sessions that this is not the time for a speech. Just announce
your title and state your name – and move on. One secret is that I ALWAYS
hang on to the mike. I act just like a sticky microphone stand. If somebody
starts on a speech (something more than title and name) I let them go for a
very little bit and then intervene to say “No Speeches.” Some times you have
to do this twice, but I have never had to do it a third time. Net effect is
that even with very large groups (2108 German Psychiatrists) announcing 236
sessions took a little less that ½ an hour. No problem. Yes there were 236
sessions, which is a record for me. Of course they may have been just 234,
but Michael Pannwitz will know :-)

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Drive

Potomac, Maryland   20854

Phone 301-365-2093

Skype hhowen

Open Space Training  <http://www.openspaceworld.com/> www.openspaceworld.com

Open Space Institute  <http://www.openspaceworld.org/>
www.openspaceworld.org

Personal website  <http://www.ho-image.com/> www.ho-image.com

OSLIST: To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives
Visit: <http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html>
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Jack
Martin Leith
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2008 6:36 AM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: [OSLIST] advice on os for 600

Hiya Marty.

Please forgive the brevity of this reply. I've got a lot to crack through
today.

I've been involved in a number of very large OS events, including one for
1,000 people.

These are my top tips and watch-outs!

1) If you have more rounds of OS (sessions, in your words) you'll need fewer
places to meet.

2) When you estimate the amount of wall space needed to display the agenda,
double it. As people post their sessions (in my words!) get them to string
them out in a thin line (i.e. not stacked three deep).

3) After people have signed up you can scrunch up the session annoucement
sheets (does anyone have a neat word for these?) and use the space that's
left over for session reports.

4) If you're using the Post-it method for booking places to meet, show the
capacity of the room on it. Imagine you're hosting a session, you've chosen
a meeting place with a capacity of 20, and you see 50 signatures, you can do
a bit of horsetrading to get yourself a bigger room while you're still at
the wall. Otherwise by the time you discover the room's too small the 50
people will already be there, and 30 of them will be without a seat.

5) Personally I wouldn't worry too much about the concentric circles. Just
have a circle of chairs inside another circle etc, all at the same height.
Stagger them so that, if I'm sitting in the back row, what's in front of me
is a smallish space, not another chair.

6) Yes, it will take a long time for people to annouce their sessions. I
can't see a way to avoid this.

7) Consider having video cameras and big screens so that everyone can see
you, and the session announcers.

Happy to talk with you offline if that would be helpful.

Break a leg!

Jack

Jack Martin Leith
Bristol, United Kingdom
Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)
Skype: jackmartinleith
email: jack at jackmartinleith.com
www.jackmartinleith.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jackmartinleith

2008/12/10 Martin Boroson <marty at becomingme.com>

Hello everyone:

I may have the opportunity to facilitate a one-day Open Space for a group of
500 - 600 people in January.  The event is an annual staff conference for
the UK division of a US multinational.  (The confidentiality agreement is
quite strict so I can't say who this is.)  

The vast majority of the staff will never have been to an event like this,
as the staff conferences have usually been based on presentation, rather
than participation.  However, I've just done a day-long Open Space for the
directors and senior managers, and based on the success of this, I believe
they will decide this week to use OS for their whole staff, in order to
foster a greater sense of community and introduce OS principles into their
work practices.  This is a huge culture shift, and yet it is happening very
easily, so the moment must be ripe!    

We will be looking for a venue next week, and I'd like some practical
advice, especially from anyone who has dealt with the special logistics of a
large event like this.   We may use a racetrack (enclosed and heated!), and
if so, that would be big enough for most of the breakouts to be in the main
area.  If not, then I imagine I need to leave some extra space in the
schedule for people to locate and get to the breakouts.

So my specific questions are:

a.  Do you have any 'top tips' on special needs for a group of this size?

b.  Any special suggestions for how to create the circle/s?  (I am
considering three concentric circles:  one of cushions, one of benches, and
then one of chairs.  But we could also possibly build risers.  How much
space will we need for this circle/these circles?  Do you suggest three
concentric circles or more? 

c.  How much extra time will be needed for the agenda setting, given the
size of the group?

d.  How many sessions should I expect from 600 people?  (In a highly
motivated group of 100 people, I would usually provide breakout spaces for
about 50 sessions.  But my guess is that this ratio should go down as the
numbers increase.  Also, we expect a lot of people who are too shy,
reserved, or not sufficiently motivated -- this time -- to post a session.
So I am guessing that I'll need about 150 breakout slots.

d.  Any advice on the schedule?  The day is limited to 8.30 – 16.30.  Some
people might be able to stay later, but we can't plan on this.  I normally
don't schedule tea breaks, but in this case, it might be necessary to give
people time to find their way around the venue.  Here are three versions:

Version A:  3 sessions, each 1.5 hours in length; no tea breaks or transit
time between sessions.

8.30 – 10.00                Intro and agenda setting

10.00 – 11.30              Session 1

11.30 – 13.00              Session 2

13.00 – 14.00              Lunch

14.00 – 15.30              Session 3

15.30 – 16.30              Closing Circle

Version B:   Same as A, but sessions are 1 ¼  hours in length; with 15
minute transit times or tea breaks

8.30 – 10.00                Intro and agenda setting

10.15 – 11.30              Session 1

11.30 – 11.45              Break

11.45 – 13.00              Session 2

13.00 – 14.00              Lunch

14.00 – 15.15              Session 3

15.15 – 15.30              Break

15.30 – 16.30              Closing Circle

            Version C:  4 sessions, each 1 hour in duration; no transit time

8.30 – 10.00                Intro and agenda setting

10.00 – 11.00              Session 1

11.00 – 12.00              Session 2

12.00 – 13.00              Lunch

13.00 – 14.00              Session 3

14.00 – 15.00              Session 4

15.00 – 16.30              Closing Circle

THANK YOU!

Marty

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