[OSList] Stating the subject at the Opening

[Michael M Pannwitz]

On 26.10.2011 00:00, Eleder_BuM wrote:
> Dear open space facilitator colleagues, in between Olmué and London,
> wherever we are we continue opening space and learning by doing... I'm
> opening space 3 times in the next weeks after a busy spring and calm
> summer.... This is great news and this is what takes me back to deepen
> in my learning process.
>
> During the evaluation meeting of my last experience I got curious about
> an important subject. The promotor felt that after the opening the group
> wasn't clearly headed towards the goal she had in mind. She found the
> group a bit lost, in part because of Open Space Technology itself was
> strange for them, but in part also because, during the 15 minutes
> introduction and before with the invitation and pannels we didn't get
> them to understand well what they were supposed to pursue during the day.
>
> The group wasn't a established one. People didn't know each other much
> and they were spending just one day in OS. I suppose that specially in
> these cases, prework is most important to try to define a clear
> objective for the meeting, specific enough to reach some interesting
> point during the OS.  I read here some time (and it seemed very
> reasonable to me): the shorter the OS the more specific the subject
> should be.
>
> But besides, some of my doubts are as follows:
>
>   * Do you think that, even if we reach a smart invitation text that
>     points to a well defined subject, it's usually efective enough? I
>     mean, maybe people read it some days/weeks before the event, they
>     just thought "oh, interesting, I'll go!" and some days later they
>     just appear on the OS day with a fuzzy idea of the purpose...
In my experience the "well defined subject" is of little importance. 
What really makes a difference is in how the "subject" was developed and 
how those that developed it communicate/spread it. This is always the 
task of the Planning Group which includes the sponsor and, in my case, 
is led by me without intervening in the content. In other words, the 
Planning Group, which is convened by the sponsor, arrives at the 
"subject" and decides on how the word is spread to those that are 
invited (usually, the people invited need to be reached in variing ways 
depending on stuff like internet access, regular mail access, 
literacy...etc., the Planning Group will know).

>   * Do you try to get the subject of the OS to penetrate you deep and
>     take some time during the opening to explain it as well as you can
>     to have the group well directed and energized from the start ? Or,
>     maybe, you just state it with not too much passion and you have the
>     promotor explain the subject -who knows how- before you take your
>     turn as facilitator?
In my practice, it has proved very effective when the sponsor and his 
people are penetrated deep by the burning business issue or the subject. 
The sponsor opens the event (in my book, the space is always open, so no 
need to open it) by saying "Welcome", "a few sentences about the 
subject" and, most important "what his most fervent wishes are for the 
event and its outcome"...for this I suggest a total of 5 minutes or 
less. At the end of the 5 minutes he invites me to introduce the process 
in which I always point to the "subject" which is posted on the wall 
just above the bulletin board and make it clear to myself that it is not 
my subject but that of the sponsor.
>   * Would a good explanation of the subject really be important to have
>     a more productive time together?
In my experience with 177 os events I have always found it pretty 
unproductive to have a "good explanation of the subject", it just 
reduces the time for the participants who have made the decision to come 
that is are interested and have taken responsibility... they know why 
they have come, ready to invest a day or two or three of their life and 
want to get going..
>   * Or... is some indefinition wellcome to have the group take the time
>     to find their own definitions and the most interesting fields?
Regardless of what the subject is, people will follow their passion and 
convene a group... sometimes this looks right on target to some and 
sometimes it seems completely off target...I have never seen this as 
unproductive or detrimental, just exactly the opposite.
>   * What is you practice and experience on this?
Touching all bases before the event and letting go during the event has 
always worked... in those instances where things worked less well, I 
have almost always stumbled onto the reasons...and learned.

> I'm sure this questions will dive us in interesting conversations and
> quite good learning. I'm eager to listen your voices. Who takes the
> first turn?
>
I agree fully with you, questions around our practice are most 
productive in developing our practice further. I am most interested to 
hear what will happen to your energy and spirit facilitating three os 
events in a week.

Greetings from Berlin
mmp

> Lolll,
> /
> /
> *ElederBuM31 *Bilbao & Mundaka
> *Buru-mapak-Open Space Technology-Creativity
> *http://www.burumapak.blogspot.com/ (Basque) @Eleder_BuM
> <http://twitter.com/Eleder_BuM>  (Twitter)
> http://www.in-fluyendo.blogspot.com/ (esp)
> http://www.flowandshow.blogspot.com/
> http://bm31-liburuak.blogspot.com (books)
> <http://bm31-liburuak.blogspot.com%20/>
> http://www.bilbohiria.com/gaika/berbaz (radio interviews in Basque)
>
>
>
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-- 
Michael M Pannwitz, boscop eg
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49-30-772 8000
mmpanne at boscop.org	www.boscop.org


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