[OSList] number of topics and number of timeslots, presence board members

[Linda Stevenson]

Hi, Jeroen, I have used the following information successfully with clients - some of it may be of some use to you tomorrow, especially the last sentence! Good luck,Linda   Self-Organization and Open Space Technology The phenomenon of self-organization is not new.  It has been around a few billion years. However, the intentional focus on self-organization utilizing Open Space Technology with organizations and communities, with just a 25 year history, is relatively new.Self-organization and complexity theory were first talked about by scientists.  It simply means that groups and communities as they come together have an inherent capability to organize “all by themselves.”  From bacteria, bees, ant colonies, and now groups of people - what they all have in common is the ability to engage, collaborate, and create higher, more successfully adaptive, levels of functioning.Open Space Technology is designed to leverage that natural power of self-organization to create more effective organizations and communities. Such a process requires not only a new way of thinking about process, but also about leadership and facilitation.  Originated by Harrison Owen, the Open Space process has been used throughout the world in organizations of every kind and size from 5 to 3,000 participants. He began designing Open Space Technology when, after spending a year and a half helping to shape and organize a large international conference, the evaluations indicated that the best part of the highly structured event were the coffee breaks! That was an “ah-ha”moment for Harrison who then set out to design a process that was so elemental it could not fail and just as compelling as a really good coffee break. With the help of some friends and colleagues Open Space emerged.In hindsight, the coffee break and Open Space are quite simply highly effective and efficient examples of deliberately tapping into the power of self-organization – the natural ability of groups and communities to creatively collaborate and successfully adapt.  The elegance and simplicity of the process as well as the powerful collaborations and the effective results always surpass expectations.Margaret Wheatley describes the relevance of self-organization to organizations and communities as follows:In self-organization, structures emerge. They are not imposed.  They spring from the process of doing the work. These structures will be useful but temporary.  We can expect them to emerge and recede as needed.  It is not the design of a specific structure that requires our attention but rather the conditions that will support the emergence of necessary structures.  When we work with organizing-as-process rather than organization-as-object, it changes what we do.  Processes do their own work.  Our wonderful abilities to self-organize are encouraged by openness.  We, like all life, can anticipate what is required of us, connect with those we need, and respond intelligently.The success of Open Space Technology depends on establishing and trusting that the following “conditions” can set the stage for self-organization:An important issue Levels of complexity Rich diversities of opinions and     participantsPlenty of passionPotential for conflictGenuine sense of urgencyGiven the complexity of any human system, the process itself may sound too simple, but the results are unbelievably effective and efficient.  OST always works, provided the initial “conditions”are met and the integrity of the process is honored.Open Space thrives on new connections, new learning, and new ways of being together.  From finding common ground and experiencing trust, there emerge more effective collaborations, structures, and leadership through continued partnerships and communication based on passion and taking responsibility for any next steps which are identified during the process.Opening such a collaborative space will allow the discovery of not only the issues and opportunities, but also the greater capacities needed.  It also can unleash the creative leadership potential, talents and resources of everyone involved while allowing them to take responsibility for the emergent outcomes. Everyone involved will become the champions for necessary change.  As Margaret Wheatley insightfully points out “people don’t resist change, they resist having it imposed on them.”  In other words, people don’t get behind something they were not involved in helping to create.    
 > Date: Tue, 29 May 2012 23:03:43 +0200
> From: jrn.rmrs at gmail.com
> To: oslist at lists.openspacetech.org
> Subject: Re: [OSList] number of topics and number of timeslots,	presence board members
> 
> Hi Linda,
> 
> thanks for the offer. Tomorrow I have a talk with members of the
> projectgroup. I'll keep you posted on the outcome and depending on the
> outcome of this talk  I might take you up on your offer.
> 
> all the best
> 
> jeroen
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