[OSList] Conversation today with Brian Burt of MaestroConference

Wed Aug 29 16:50:30 PDT 2012

thinking about lisa's list of what is open space, i wonder, brian, are
you expecting to call this open space or something that fits into the
suite of titles that you already offer?

my guess and preference would be the latter.  some of the pieces of
the standard briefing, law of two feet and principles might be useful
hints, same as they were when folks started meeting f2f this way with
harrison, but it doesn't need to be called open space.

i don't imagine this as a tool for facilitators, but a tool for
leaders and organizers and conveners everywhere.  i'd think if we get
it clean enough, then open space will happen wherever folks with good
heads and good hearts begin to use it, regardless of whether they've
ever heard of ost or not.

if the most basic mechanisms for circling, bulletin board, marketplace
(room to move, two feet) and breathing (a way to get back to plenary)
could be created, i think the world could fill in the rest for itself.

it sure would be fun to get together with with those of you who are
most passionate, and brian's folks with the tools, and really have a
go at the details of this thing.  <grin>  bet we could knock it out in
no time.

m

--

Michael Herman
Michael Herman Associates
312-280-7838 (mobile)

http://MichaelHerman.com
http://ManorNeighbors.com
http://OpenSpaceWorld.org

On Wed, Aug 29, 2012 at 4:51 PM, Lisa Heft <lisaheft at openingspace.net> wrote:
> I am glad of this part of the conversation - I think it is truly useful to
> know 'inside and out' the human dynamics of what someone sees, moves like,
> feels in face-to-face interaction and facilitation - in order to design
> virtual and other technical tools to approximate that. And important to know
> what one loses or gains in human dynamics, inclusion and interaction - when
> one adjusts, hybridizes, stretches or omits any part of a process.
>
> Koos, thanks for your kind words - and I look forward to seeing you at the
> WOSonOS. I have a very nice photo of you at WOSonOS 2003 as a group of one.
> It makes visual to me a lovely reflective moment.
>
> It's interesting to think how - in Open Space we honor the visionary - the
> group of one. Who is encouraged to explore and write their thoughts even if
> nobody else comes to their discussion. How to support and honor that person
> in this online / phone call environment.
>
> It is also interesting to think of multiple modalities - how different
> individuals absorb and exchange data / sensing / communication / feeling in
> a face-to-face event.
> Online: often people who do are not of the culture to hang out in online
> spaces disappear from the process or the conversation - because they cannot
> 'feel' it. Which is why facilitation online is more than just setting up
> rooms where people can go. Good facilitation online highlights what's
> happening to those who may not have the ease or culture to go seek it. So I
> like these ideas about making so many things visible and visual for the
> not-usually-online sorts of people.
> Also some people do not absorb much orally - or via text - but instead
> absorb and navigate kinesthetically, relationally, graphically.
> One of the basic approaches to designing a learning environment (for
> example) are to design everything everywhere to include multiple modalities
> (kinesthetic, relational, audio, text, graphic, reflective thinking /
> silence and so on) - to include / welcome / honor people who's mode is not
> text-based, computer monitor-based, audio.
>
> Something else to consider - this is personally important to me as I like to
> call tools by their names so non-facilitators can understand and access what
> they will need for different tasks and deliverables - and I imagine
> important to you, Brian, so you do not call some new product by a name that
> implies otherwise: When can it be called 'Open Space' and when has it
> morphed to become some very lovely facilitated / interactive / dialogic
> process - but no longer namable as 'Open Space'.
>
> This is true for what we do face-to-face and what we create online.
>
> There are so many great things facilitators do that include a group
> co-creating an agenda, or breaking into small groups and being able to go
> from group to group, or posting things on walls, or sitting in circles. And
> they work. But they tend to work differently / hold together differently /
> have different deliverables and dynamics than Open Space.
>
> And whenever I have heard from someone who said, 'Yes, we did Open Space and
> it did not work at all / felt funny / was rushed / had no 'there there' - it
> turns out that it was a few parts of Open Space-like stuff - but not the
> full form.
>
> When I say 'Open Space' I mean its complete form. Otherwise I drop the name
> and that is fine, also. But I do not call something l-i-k-e Open Space,
> 'Open Space'.
> Just as I do not call something l-i-k-e  World Cafe, 'World Cafe'.
> Important for me to know that clients and others using these tools know what
> they are picking up and applying - just as it is to know what a hammer or a
> sewing needle do. What tool for what job / what deliverables. Especially
> when dealing with humans and their time and their emotions and their
> important work and interactions.
>
> So what is the form which we can name as Open Space?
> You may feel differently than me, dear colleagues, and I welcome your other
> opinions, whether I may agree with them or not.
> I think - as a learning community - our periodically exploring this can help
> Brian and others know when to not name the final product 'Open Space' but to
> find some other great name - or to not use a process name at all.
>
> I will begin here and see what you think:
>
> What is Open Space?
>
> - Opening Circle including the naming and posting of participant-driven
> topics
> (hopefully not rushed, to include the reflective thinkers as much as the
> quick-responders; not voted on, crowd-sourced or clustered - so even the
> visionary thinker's topic has equal presence and even a group of 1 is
> valued; ideally not done in advance of the circle - so people can 'play off
> of each others' energies and ideas rather than just get their stuff up
> there)
>
> - Principles and law
> (ideally with explanations that honor the group of one / visionary thinker
> and the self-care-as-productivity that the principles and law invite)
>
> - a participant's ability to move between groups, and to have side /
> butterfly conversations; ability to 'see what is happening in the room'
>
> - facilitator not as an interventionist or 'helper'
> (more visibility than usual may be necessary online to equal the
> non-interventionist presence / holding space an Open Space facilitator is
> and does)
>
> - continuous session times
> (what I mean by that: not a one hour here, then another hour the next day
> sort of thing) and (if possible) multiple session times
> (Michael - this is for the meeting part - I understand what you are saying
> for the open open ongoing space you mention. And yes: a bit trickier across
> international time zones but I agree Koos - bounding the time does its part
> to create the container even with the flexible participant-driven
> whenever-time within the container)
>
> - Closing Circle for comment and reflection
>
> - documentation of the conversations so more than just the members of a
> group get to learn from each other; so participants can reflect upon and
> integrate their learning post-event
> (participant-driven documentation of some kind - any kind - is such an
> amazing and natural output of Open Space that is different than other
> dialogic process - I would hate to lose this part - though I am not attached
> to its being disseminated to participants 'before they leave' the event - to
> me, it can also happen post-event)
>
>
> I know that many OS events are wonderfully successful without what I
> personally see as ideal. But those are often the times when I drop the name.
> Again: I welcome others' completely different opinions and experiences. I
> welcome great new designs and processes. Including new tools and processes
> that take their inspiration from other great tools and processes.
> And: I am interested in hearing your thoughts on the naming of things, dear
> colleagues.
>
> Lisa
>
>
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