Unconferences

[doug]

Lisa--

I am not clear--are these words bolded yours or Kaliya's? Either way I
like them a lot.

			:- Doug.

On Tue, 2010-09-07 at 17:40 -0700, Lisa Heft wrote:

> Hi, Annamarie -
> 
> Harold, I think Kaliya describes it so beautifully.
> From what I am hearing, the word 'unconference' - when used by most
> people - seems to be a generic term for 'not the usual PowerPoint type
> of meeting/conference' - started perhaps in the tech communities but
> is now a term used by others.
> 
> 
> It does not mean Open Space. To everyone.
> And just as we often hear of groups using 'Open Space' and then when
> we ask them to describe it, it's something completely un-Open Space
> (but just uses a circle, or just uses topic signs on a wall, or
> something), I hear that in the tech / hybrid / mashup world what often
> is referred to as Open Space or Unconference is not anything we would
> call Open Space. 
> 
> 
> So often what I hear is it is not the complete form:
> - Opening Circle - invitation and explanation of process, principles
> and law
> - participant-driven co-created agenda (without clustering, without
> facilitator's 'helping', without voting or elimination of topics, and
> done at a time-for-everyone speed rather than
> whoever-thinks-the-fastest speed)
> - multiple participant-led discussions around the room (that folks can
> wander amongst) for multiple session times (without facilitators
> 'helping', with time enough for not-just-the-quickest-responders to
> participate, ideally with some sort of participant-generated
> documentation of the discussions)
> - as mentioned above - ideally some sort of participant-documentation
> component that ultimately becomes a co-created Book of Proceedings (to
> share more than the moment of talking / to provide data to all, to
> share knowledge with everyone about what you discovered and learned in
> the certain sessions you hosted or attended)
> - facilitator becoming totally present and completely invisible and
> holding space - not directive or intervening or traffic controlling -
> after welcoming/inviting/explaining/opening
> - Closing Circle for comment and reflection
> 
> 
> Not squished into too short a time frame, not hybridized or morphed
> (for this results in different deliverables than the compete OS tool
> delivers), not cut into pieces, no pressure to present, and ideally
> welcoming of all kinds of people (quick responders, slow responders,
> topic convenors, witnesses, established leaders, emergent leaders,
> folks of lower power or rich difference, and so on).
> 
> 
> So. I hear there are some wonderful facilitators who use true Open
> Space for tech-based Unconferences / camps. Certainly most
> 'agilistas' (Agile community) seem to help each other learn Open Space
> well.
> I know some of you folks who specialize in using OS in tech
> communities / camps / unconferences personally. You are amazing.  You
> do it so well.
> 
> 
> I also hear there are things that sound sort of like it, that are not
> it, that I wish were not called Open Space. I would love it if the
> term 'Open Space' were only used for the complete form. I welcome
> people to do any parts of interactive / dialogic work that work for
> them - I just like participants and other users to know which tools
> deliver what - proper naming for understanding proper use of tools.
>  Just like knowing a hammer is best for some things and when you say
> hammer you have thought about what it's most useful for and what it's
> design can deliver. Rather than using it for everything or pulling it
> apart into components and expecting the same results.
> 
> 
> I welcome all experimentation, all stretching, all sharing of
> different experiences, too.
> 
> 
> What do others think?
> 
> 
> Lisa
> 
> 
> Lisa Heft
> Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
> Opening Space
> lisaheft at openingspace.net
> 
> 
>  
> 
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