Demo OS in 90 minutes?

Thu Apr 15 14:23:51 PDT 2010

Welcome back to everybody! For whatever it is worth I find that opening
space(s), even small ones, is/are better than just about anything -- with
one proviso. "Demonstrating" Open Space is a non-starter. The "process" is
so simple, to say nothing of its 13.7 year history, that it "always" works
so long as there are the essential pre-conditions. That means a Real
Business issue (people care), lots of complexity, plenty of
diversity(opinions/people), serious passion/conflict, and a "decision time
of yesterday" (urgency) -- and you are off to the races. Lesser degrees of
all of the above and it can get pretty Blah! Which is why "demonstrating"
OST is usually a loser. But then again any other form of meeting will come
up at the same place. (0) -- If there is no real existential reason to have
the meeting -- Don't do it! Having said all of that it is also true that
when you are at the "high" end on the scale of pre-conditions, more
time/space is definitely a plus. Essential in fact.

ho 

Harrison Owen
7808 River Falls Dr.
Potomac, MD 20854
USA
Phone 301-365-2093
www.openspaceworld.com
www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)
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-----Original Message-----
From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Suzanne
Daigle
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 4:26 PM
To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
Subject: Re: Demo OS in 90 minutes?

In doing very short OS sessions, I have called them a "Taste of Open
Space" or even a "Mini Taste of Open Space".

What a gift today to see all these fabulous exchanges coming in so
quickly. It's been awhile. I truly missed our postings with all the
depth, passion and so many wonderful insights and ideas like we are
seeing on this topic now.

Suzanne

On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 3:53 PM, Larry Peterson <larry at spiritedorg.com>
wrote:
> I’ve led many 1.5 hour facilitation pieces in my 35 years of practice with
a
> sponsor preset, brief opening, 45mn to 1hr self-organized discussions,
> report forms, brief conversation at the end sometimes with a “fishbowl”
type
> format with the initiators.  I’ve done it for groups of 100 or more.  They
> seem to like it and it gets some results.
>
>
>
> I tend not to call it Open Space but a derivative.  To me opening space is
> about creating the conditions for self-organization.  One round allows
them
> to self-organize likely only one discussion (or two short ones)  –
different
> than participants knowing/experiencing they are organizing a day or
multiple
> hours themselves, with limited facilitation intervention.  It is clear
that
> the sponsor or facilitator is still guiding the short discussion.  It
stills
> gives the client (or facilitator) the illusion of control.  The outcomes
can
> be achieved, the slight burst of energy in the direction that is desired.
> It is primarily instrumental rather than creating the conditions for
> believing that “whatever happens” is worth taking the risk.  I do find
that
> for many these days even 1.5 hours of openness is beyond some sponsor’s
> capabilities – and it is certainly better than no openness at all.  So, I
> understand why it is sometimes required.  I’ve just gotten tired of doing
it
> that way.
>
>
>
> I hope the “demo” leads to a fuller experience.
>
>
>
> Larry
>
>
>
>
>
> Larry Peterson & Associates in Transformation
>
> Toronto, Ontario, Canada
>
> larry at spiritedorg.com   416.653.4829 http://www.spiritedorg.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> From: OSLIST [mailto:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU] On Behalf Of Lisa
Heft
> Sent: April-15-10 2:27 PM
> To: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
> Subject: Re: [OSLIST] Demo OS in 90 minutes?
>
>
>
> (okay, here also is my test to see if I am back on the OSLIST, able to
post
> and to receive - thanks Michael for your thoughtful attention and thanks
to
> the Boise person as well...here...goes... with my signature in its colored
> font intact - if this does not work I will try with a plain text
> signature...)
>
>
>
> Thanks for inviting this, Annamarie -
>
>
>
> It helps me explore where my own points of 'going for it' are - and where
I
> tell a client it is not the right tool when there is so short a time:
>
>
>
> I have also done very short Open Spaces - I bow to Jeff Aitken who
inspired
> me in this area when I was holding so tightly to 'no shorter than three or
> four hours'.
>
>
>
> However, I am a big believer of analyzing overarching objectives, desired
> outcomes, context of the task and what comes before and after this
> particular meeting connected to that task, designing in appropriate and
> useful participant-driven documentation and more.
>
>
>
> I then ask myself: with this short a time availability, and for these
> objectives and desired outcomes, what is the right tool for the
> deliverables? (including Open Space, World Cafe and other great dialogic
> tools - and knowing that Open Space has different deliverables depending
on
> the amount of meeting time).
>
>
>
> I am also passionate about access and inclusion. So another question I ask
> myself is - is making very short discussion rounds or only a few minutes
to
> post topics favoring only the quick responders in the room - and does that
> give a sense of the overall group's interests or issues.
>
>
>
> I consider how one of the useful elements of Open Space is *multiple*
> sessions so people can see their thoughts link and change across the
> sessions, and as the conversations progress, notice things they didn't see
> before.
>
>
>
> I am also very big on documentation - a way to provide data for the
ongoing
> work of the group - more than the feeling of the moment of conversation.
>
>
>
> I ask the host if more time is available (including that lunch, including
> that networking time - whatever I can get to expand the meeting length)
and
> I explain why more is better.
>
>
>
> I explore what other designs would deliver what the host is asking for in
a
> way that allows for reflection or emergence or breathing room.
>
>
>
> And if I end up using OS (which I have done on occasion for such a short
> time) it is because there is no other alternative which will provide the
> desired outcomes and deliverables in this short of a timeframe.
>
>
>
> I do not use a part of Open Space and call it Open Space. If I use one
> element or adjust it (for example just the part about inviting people to
> think of topics they are passionate about, making a sign, posting it on
the
> wall and being amazed at the diversity of thought) I do not call it Open
> Space.
>
>
>
> And I look out for opportunities to invite the group or host to a full-on
> Open Space sometime soon, so they will come to know the difference in what
> is possible and how the mind (and relationships, and networking, and
> discovery) work over longer times in Open Space together.
>
>
>
> Thank you for inviting the question - I had fun opening up my brain to see
> how I do things when asked to do short Open Spaces.
>
>
>
>
>
> Lisa
>
>
>
> Lisa Heft
>
> Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
>
> Opening Space
>
> lisaheft at openingspace.net
>
> www.openingspace.net
>
>
>
> Ask me about the Open Space Learning Workshops - April 21-23 and December
> 15-17, 2010 - San Francisco
>
> October 15-17, 2010 - Medellin, Colombia
>
>
>
> OSLIST - the World Open Space community in conversation
> (English) http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
>
> The Open Space World Community space (all
> languages) http://openspaceworld.ning.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Suzanne Daigle
NuFocus Strategic Group
7159 Victoria Circle
University Park, FL 34201
FL 941-359-8877;
CT 203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com

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