[OSList] Fwd: Brainstorming versus Open Space

Harrison Owen hhowen at verizon.net
Tue Jun 26 07:09:41 PDT 2012


Amen to that Peggy! Open Space and Brainstorming are polar opposites. In
fact I usually make the clear statement in my introduction that "Open Space
is NOT brainstorming" - which I characterize as thinking of "good ideas for
somebody else to do." Open Space is all about working with what you care
about. And if you don't care - don't go there. Or something.

 

ho

 

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org
[mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Peggy Holman
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2012 9:47 AM
To: Open Listserv
Subject: [OSList] Fwd: Brainstorming versus Open Space

 

Dear Gijs,

 

I would say that Open Space has little to do with brainstorming.  Ideas in
brainstorming are abstractions, something to throw out and release.  They
belong to no one.

 

The invitation in Open Space is to follow what has heart and meaning, to
take responsibility for what you love.  That has a whole different energy
about it.  People step forward because they care.  When they do that, their
whole being is involved.  The result is that even when it is tough, people
work through whatever dissonances arise.  Breakthroughs happen.  It's an
essential part of the secret sauce that makes the magic called Open Space.

 

Congratulations on your talk!

 

appreciatively,

Peggy

 

 

_________________________________

Peggy Holman

peggy at peggyholman.com

 

15347 SE 49th Place

Bellevue, WA  98006

425-746-6274

www.peggyholman.com <http://www.peggyholman.com/> 

www.journalismthatmatters.org <http://www.journalismthatmatters.org/> 

 

Enjoy the award winning Engaging Emergence: Turning Upheaval
<http://peggyholman.com/papers/engaging-emergence/>  into Opportunity

 
"An angel told me that the only way to step into the fire and not get burnt,
is to become 
the fire".
  -- Drew Dellinger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





 

On Jun 25, 2012, at 7:53 PM, Gmail wrote:





Dear OS colleagues,

 

Can someone add to my answer below. At yesterrday's independently organized
TEDxBinnenhof event in Shangai, I presented a personal story: "Open Space
helps Innovation". Time given  was only 7 minutes, so had chosen the short
explanation (the criteria of complexity, urgency, passion and Openess to
outcome, the circle, the invitation, the bulletin board as well as the
spirit of an experienced session and the benefit fit had for the sponsor.
After the presentation I got the logic pragmatic question of clarifying the
difference between OST and the known-brainstorming sessions. 

 

My answer:

Open Space (OS) is a very structured process and therefore can have up to
2000 participants without prior set agenda. Everyone is free to put up a
subject of discussion/brainstorming that matters to them. In turn these
particular subjects form their own ' circle'.Adjacent sessions are convened
at the same time with different hosts from the participants themselves. .
During the sessions, there will be several groups of people discussing
different topics but with relation to the main crux of the meeting.
Participants go in and out different sessions, like bumblebees in nature,
cross pollinating. OS may look like brainstorming in a very short meeting,
but in OS you get more structured feed-back from different perspectives and
from different groups. 

 

I hope to learn from you.

 

Gijs

 

 

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