[OSList] Fwd: [Mindful] Prepare for an open space session?

Thu May 19 04:05:59 PDT 2011

Hi all

This landed in my in box and i thought it might be of interest. I can't go
so I won't be able to experience how open space is 'taken to the edge'. I'm
trying to keep an open mind (trying being the key word) and am reminded that
we humans seem to have an endless capacity to try and organise that which is
self-organising :)

Cheers

Viv

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mindful <hello at thisismindful.com>
Date: 18 May 2011 21:55
Subject: [Mindful] Prepare for an open space session?
To: viv at mcwaters.com.au

                *We look forward to seeing participants ready to start at
9am Saturday morning at Hub Melbourne (we'll send a reminder of all the
details Friday) tweeting with #mindful!*

We are always in a space, at a time, and so there will be a portion of the
time we spend together at Mindful to experiment with this concept. We are
really excited that Steve
Hopkins<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=a0c0a173e0&e=c6fb013ecc>
 (founder of Trampoline<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=00bb89b307&e=c6fb013ecc>
 and Awesome Foundation<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=b043ef1a21&e=c6fb013ecc>
Sydney)
is going to lead us in an experimental version of the popular open
space<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=1c0036fd9a&e=c6fb013ecc>
technique
during the day. This video and email describes where Steve will lead us.

*Taking open space to the edge*

Open Space Technology is a fantastic tool for organizing groups of people
together to solve complex problems. I've used and experimented with Open
Space at events like Trampoline, CPX and the Lantern Mental Health
Unconference over the last few years and have always been impressed by it's
ability to create interesting conversations. At Mindful on the weekend,
we're going to extend that experimentation once more, and push the concept
further along.

Some of the things we'll play with are:

*1) A human grid*

Open Space is great because it allows everyone the chance to set the topics,
time, and place that sessions will occur. This is good except for when the
crowd takes over and you get lesser quality sessions, which reduces the
energy in the group.

So we're going to have a person act as the grid. That's me.

With a human grid, people will still pitch their talk to the group, but the
human grid will only place the session into the agenda if it resonates with
the collective assembled. Real interest can't be faked, and our intuitions
as a group are excellent at detecting low enthusiasm. So we'll use that to
select our sessions.

*2) Rule of two feet*

We've all been there before. You arrive for a session but within the first 5
minutes you realise its not for you. But you stay. The rule of two feet is
one of the most crucial aspects of an open space meet, so why don't people
exercise it?

People get addicted to the people. They stay not because they're
contributing or participating in the talk, but because they've become
attached to the idea of being a part of the group.

This is a shame, because the very best Trampoline sessions we've seen over
the 5 events so far has been where all of the attendees of a session were
participating, through active listening, discussion and enquiry - which
can't happen if some people in the audience would rather be somewhere else.

So, at Mindful, we're going to remind you during sessions to move on once it
stops resonating for you. Perhaps we'll change the rule to the 'law of
resonating feet' to really make that clear.

I'll stop sessions and nudge you to move on to what resonates.

*3. Space and Time*

In an open space setting, all you can really control is the space you're in,
and the time you're in it. As we've discussed above, creating sessions which
resonate strongly with people is the aim, but resonance is more than just a
good topic. It's everything else, too. It's the ambient nature of the space
you're in and a the suitable time to be in it.

So how do you create spaces which resonate? You make them appeal to
different frequencies of thought. At Mindful we'll create very different
spaces, with different lines of enquiry to be drawn throughout the sessions.
This way, it will hopefully become easier for people to discern what mood
their resonating in at any given time and move to an appropriate
conversation.
If you're keen to talk or lead a line of enquiry, then come prepared to do
so!

--
We look forward to meeting you, ready to start at 9am Saturday morning.

Buy Mindful* tickets at
Eventbrite.<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=bb5977f210&e=c6fb013ecc>

Thanks to our sponsor Integral
Development<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=6bf5b17a50&e=c6fb013ecc>
 (@integral_org_au<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=1f2be15097&e=c6fb013ecc>)
for enabling Mindful!

<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=025cbdc071&e=c6fb013ecc>

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on
Twitter. Have a great week!

Ross Hill<http://thisismindful.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=59026299c97e28d9781a0d99a&id=5f00566f21&e=c6fb013ecc>and
Jan
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-- 
Viv McWaters
Beyond the Edge Pty Ltd
PO Box 665 Torquay 3228
Australia
+61 417 135 406
Email me: viv at mcwaters.com.au
Connect on Twitter: vivmcw
Chat to me on Skype: vivmcwaters
Read my blog: www.vivmcwaters.com.au
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