Why is a grid sometimes useful?

[Kaliya *]

On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 5:14 AM, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

> Actually the "grid" is a late arrival inflicted upon us by those with an
> orderly mind.


I specialized in bringing interactive processes including open space to
technical audiences who by default ARE orderly. I am continually given
suggestions by them to make the whole process more orderly and more
pre-planned. I resist all of these.

I naturally put up a grid the first time I did open space from having
remembered participating in one Bill Aal and Margo Adair ran 3 years before
(they didn't do a grid but I didn't remember exactly how they had a time /
space way but this seemed to me like the natural way to do it).   I have
kept using a grid because if i didn't I would have full scale rebellion from
the guys I facilitate - "not organized enough" and they would make it a
grid.  Open space pushs their boundaries a lot and having a grid works.

Orienting in time/space is a lot less cognitive effort on a grid. It helps
people feel comfortable in the unconferences because they can easily find
where they are, what to be in space and time.

---
I make my grid out of paper. It is movable - from where the agenda is made
to where it will live the rest of the time (these can't always be the same
time).  It is like a giant origami. I am thinking about writing up/videoing
how to do it.

---
I will say that I always think about how to expand the grid. To have an
extra panel to add on to the edge.
The issue with Bar Camper is that they typically don't have enough space
allocated for breakouts.  They don't make the agenda together in the morning
(when people arrive they simply put things ont he wall) there is usually a
limited attempt to create a collective container and can some times be no
ending of the day together.   They are not doing open space but think they
are because they have a blank grid. :(

---
I

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