[OSList] Open Space with some off-limits -- Individual Sessions

[doug]

Harold--

Now *that* gives me energy!

Dey Dos in another listserv said "I smile when I go to sleep and I smile
when I wake up." It is just that sort of soft, gentle, true voice I hear
in your words and spirit, Harold. Thank you!

			:- Doug.




On Sat, 2011-07-23 at 04:54 -0600, Harold Shinsato wrote:
> Doug,
> 
> By successful I would mean that I enjoyed myself! And that usually
> happens when there's good information exchange. Where there are ample
> "AHA" moments. Where people have fun. Where new friendships and
> partnerships are forged. Where there's less posturing and pronouncing
> and more learning.
> 
> A not so secret secret of Open Space is that often happens outside of
> sessions - but I like to think of them simply as butterfly sessions...
> Just another kind of session.
> 
> Arlo Belshee gave some advice about what works for him - which is not
> to plan his sessions before hand, but instead to see and feel where
> the energy is at in the room. It seems like a mix of inspiration and
> presence. He didn't talk about his purpose or intentions, nor did we
> ask. I don't think Arlo is aiming at high attendance, but just what
> works. But he does gets good attendance. Most people have a good time,
> and learn things. It helps that he's really smart and respected, and
> is good at dialog and humor.
> 
>     Harold
> 
> On 7/19/11 8:05 PM, doug wrote: 
> > Harold--
> > 
> > "How can I get better at convening successful sessions at OST
> > conferences?" That of course depends on what you intend by
> > "successful." 
> > 
> > I do like your listing of what other people do to get folks to their
> > sessions, but I do not understand. Does Arlo use this method to get
> > people to attend, or simply to get the conversation started in his
> > breakout?
> > 
> > 			:- Doug.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Mon, 2011-07-18 at 00:12 -0600, Harold Shinsato wrote:
> > > Harrison and Suzanne,
> > > 
> > > Thanks for attending my session on how to improve individual session
> > > facilitation!
> > > 
> > > I totally agree that the "whatever happens" helps deal with the
> > > results of hosting a session, Suzanne. And I also completely agree
> > > that the process of the Open Space itself should not be interfered
> > > with. I'm not looking for an OST intervention!!! Wandering
> > > facilitation trainers - ugh!
> > > 
> > > My wondering isn't about improving Open Space - it's about improving
> > > myself - and maybe making that learning available to others also
> > > interested in improving their own participation.
> > > 
> > > For myself, hosting an Open Space conference has been weirdly more
> > > simple than getting people to come to my sessions! Part of it is that
> > > there is so much help for how to host an Open Space. Lisa Heft's
> > > training was indispensable for me. Attending other people's Open Space
> > > events was also incredibly powerful. There's the manual, there's
> > > OSList. And actually hosting and facilitating them was the biggest
> > > training ground of them all. In a way, that's also true for convening
> > > successful OST sessions. Practice. Do it. Learn from doing. Do it
> > > again. What I sense is that there's a lot of the "learn from doing"
> > > that we don't really have to be doing alone. That could be shared.
> > > There's a wealth of experience to get to the learning faster!
> > > 
> > > Interestingly, the one particular challenge I had with getting the
> > > Open Space to work was the same challenge I had with my sessions.
> > > Getting people to come. It's nice saying "whatever happens" and
> > > "whoever comes" but I think more guidance could be made available (but
> > > again, not in the Open Space). One of the best advice I heard about
> > > this is that it's just about inviting people into the circle and doing
> > > it again and again. But again, I think more could be uncovered. One
> > > thing I just had a sense for myself was to reach out to already
> > > existing communities and participate. The way to reach out is
> > > something I'm still learning. The book "Made to Stick" has helped with
> > > the wording. But I can tell there's more to learn.
> > > 
> > > There's another bit of advice I received just yesterday from a fellow
> > > software developer who is also an Open Space fan. Arlo Belshee was
> > > attempting to answer the question of an author I respect greatly about
> > > what would work best as a session. I had already said my piece which
> > > reflected my awareness of the community and what topics were the most
> > > interesting, and how that might intersect with his own interests. I
> > > found Arlo's advice even better, and in a way it was related. Arlo
> > > said he never plans his sessions in advance as to what he's going to
> > > say. Instead he reads the room and hears what people are talking
> > > about. And Arlo gets great attendance at his sessions at all the Open
> > > Space events I've seen him at - which have been quite a few. In a way,
> > > Arlo's advice sounded a lot like a Toyote Production Systems practice
> > > (a lean manufacturing practice) called Genchi Genbutsu - "Go to the
> > > source to find the facts to make correct decisions." It's about being
> > > more present and see what's actually going on. Some people already
> > > know and can surface what needs to surface at the right time. I seem
> > > to need to work at it!
> > > 
> > > This all happened yesterday for me at Seattle Lean Camp, which was a
> > > properly facilitated Open Space Technology conference. Jeremy
> > > Lightsmith did a great job opening the space. Many people wondered
> > > after the event why people are still paying thousands for traditional
> > > conferences when so clearly we get better results for just $50 using
> > > Open Space. It's a good question!
> > > 
> > > I got another powerful hint at what can help get people to come to
> > > your sessions. At the Open Space evening news on Saturday for Lean
> > > Camp Seattle, the facilitators asked what percentage of the attendees
> > > had been to "Lean Coffee". It was over 50%! Their Lean Coffee was
> > > described as the same thing as Open Space except in just a couple
> > > hours. It's an open forum that happens about once a month at a cafe'
> > > in Seattle to talk about lean management/software issues. Whoever
> > > comes is the right people. They put their topics up on cards, like the
> > > Open Space billboard, and then work their way through the topics in
> > > vote priority order. It's not quite the same as an OST conference, but
> > > multiple people claimed that their lean coffee events were basically
> > > "the same" as OST. Jeremy Lightsmith and Jim Benson have succeeded in
> > > creating a full blown Open Space conference and getting high
> > > attendance by creating the feeling of Open Space in stammtisch style
> > > in advance - creating community and credibility by taking the time to
> > > initiate and invite again and again people into conversation.
> > > 
> > > There's a lot more to be said here but this is already way too long.
> > > Perhaps it'd be better for me not to ask the question, just be happy
> > > with the guidance that's already available, and be satisfied. I hope I
> > > don't offend by continuing to ask the question and wondering - if
> > > people don't like my question I'm probably going to continue to host
> > > the session and attend just by myself. I seem to do that often! But
> > > I'm going to keep asking: How can I get better at convening successful
> > > sessions at OST conferences?
> > > 
> > >     Regards,
> > >     Harold
> > > 
> > > 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Harold Shinsato
> harold at shinsato.com
> http://shinsato.com
> twitter: @hajush
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