[OSList] Intro and inquiry: Open Space with some off-limits topics

[Harold Shinsato]

Hi Dan - fellow Agilista!

Fascinating question. It does seem to be something o.k. to do in polite 
conversation - "let's not go there". But there's no guarantee it will 
work in a conversation between equals. "There" might be exactly where 
the conversation needs to go. Getting consensus about taboos at the 
beginning of an Open Space doesn't sound like a good time investment. 
Setting up the taboos without consensus declares that the organizers are 
the high priests. Big problem! Like Harrison said - the invitation sets 
the focus and that's the best way to keep things on track rather than 
declaring all the places the conversation should not go. But maybe 
there's an exception - do you have a specific situation?

Departing from the "givens" question for the entire Open Space, I 
continue to wonder about how to successfully convene a single session 
within an Open Space event. In each convened sessions, you might 
actually have the "let's not go there" conversation and it will work. 
The group is small enough to do so. And if the session convener starts 
with the taboos and people don't like it, they can use their two feet or 
they can just ignore the convener and have the conversation anyway. 
Mostly I think the "let's not go there" admonition works when someone 
brings up a "dead horse" topic that no one else in the circle really 
wants to hear, rather than declaring all the taboos in the beginning of 
a session.

It's interesting that Open Space gives very minimal advice for convening 
sessions - but I can tell that some are much better at it than others. 
Both in the choice of topics that are relevant and in the actual 
facilitation of the group conversation. I continue to be curious about 
what works and what doesn't work for the convening of individual 
sessions in an Open Space.

     Harold

On 7/12/11 9:30 AM, Dan Mezick wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am a respectful lurker who now has an inquiry, so it is time to 
> introduce myself.
>
> Hi! I am Dan Mezick, coach to Agile teams, their sponsors, and 
> executive management. I live in CT. I am friendly, curious and 
> playful. I enjoy conducting frequent experiments. I like to be 
> surprised and learn.  I have a history of software development. I 
> receive a software patent in 1999.  In 2003, I run an elaborate search 
> engine optimization experiment that results in over 120,000 
> unsolicited, incoming web links from all around the world, in 20 days. 
> Those 120,00++ links-in result in a #1 Google rank for over 7 years.
>
> Now I am curious about Open Space. I play with it. I read all the 
> books from Harrison. I experience many surprises as I read these 
> books.  I convene five OST events in Boston since 2009. The largest is 
> the Agile Boston Open Space in Sept 2010 where 275 people participate. 
> I have experience directly facilitating some smaller OST meetings for 
> clients recently.
>
> I am currently quite fascinated with Open Space and OST dynamics.
>
> This list is very awesome and awe-inspiring. I am very happy to be here.
>
> If you like to be surprised, you may enjoy this:
> http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp.html
>
>
> Here is my inquiry:
>
>
> My Inquiry
> =========
>
> "Let' s not go there."
>
> This is a common utterance used in conversation, one that clearly 
> signals that the space is closed to that topic.
>
> Open Space, limited by only a broad Theme, is not very limiting. 
> Authority often is concerned with this wide-ranging freedom to explore 
> "just about anything" when considering OST, and what might result from 
> that afterward.
>
> I wonder if any of us have experience with doing OST with some 
> sections in the discussion-space explicitly closed.
>
> I wonder how these limits are expressed-in-fact; for example inside 
> the Invite or in the composition of the Theme.
>
> I wonder how the "explicitly stated as closed" space is then 
> successfully maintained in an OST setting. I then wonder how much fun 
> the event is, when some space is closed.
>
> I wonder also, if this is an oxymoron, that just does not work very 
> well, ever.
>
> I think have read here somewhere here, in a passing comment, that 
> sometimes, certain topics are closed in OS meeting.
>
> I wonder if anyone has experience trying this, and if any specific 
> knowledge about this is documented explicitly anywhere.
>
> Thank you for your help ! I am preparing to be surprised.
> _______________________________________________


-- 
Harold Shinsato
harold at shinsato.com <mailto:harold at shinsato.com>
http://shinsato.com
twitter: @hajush <http://twitter.com/hajush>
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