[OSList] Smallest group OS

Mon Jun 24 15:33:31 PDT 2013

“Absolutely Present / Totally Invisible” ...Not the usual criteria for “good” facilitation. But then I’m very hopeful we can all work ourselves out of a job. Really be Totally Invisible. 

ho 

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 04843

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com 

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

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From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Paul Nunesdea
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 5:28 PM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Smallest group OS

Thanks a lot for this Harrison.

What an incredible blessing this List!

My best wishes to you all,

Paul 

>From my iPad

On 24/06/2013, at 17:29, Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net> wrote:

All good points Adriana! To me it is all about the sincerity/integrity of the Invitation. The actual time taken, even the words spoken don’t make that much difference. But sincerity/integrity does. If the facilitator is just “doing a job” – (running a process) everything comes out pretty flat. No Spirit, as it were. But when the words/actions of the invitation come from a deep sense of conviction and respect for the group – that this really IS a unique moment in time with unique and marvelous people – the effect is markedly different. I suppose the critical thing is that the facilitator really does care for the people and their efforts – even if the language they speak and the task they confront is totally foreign. For me this is being “Totally Present.” And also being “Absolutely Invisible” which means getting out of the way so the People can get on with their business.

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 04843

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com 

www.ho-image.com (Personal Website)

To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org

From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Lourdes Adriana Diaz-Berrio Doring
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 10:16 AM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Smallest group OS

Harrison: 
Yes you are right, (this case, when to long) will be boring but I saying the opposite case the opening was to short and they did not take time to look in the circle at the people. I was fast, and I felt that the connection was not established so well, in the group. 

But this group had a lot to share so at the end it was really Ok buy I fell like the open space was more like a protocol for them, not something that was really deepening the level of consciousness about "we as a unique once in time group being together in this moment here and now" and the quality of the presence. It was superficial ...to me...
Adriana

2013/6/24 Harrison Owen <hhowen at verizon.net>

Adriana – There may be a secret in what you observe. OS is not a “process” we do or explain, and so at some level what we “do and explain” really doesn’t make any difference. Self Organization is what we are and OS is simply an invitation to be what we are. However, when the invitation is fussy, elaborate, endless, boring – it is really annoying. But if the conditions are right (“hot issue,” people who care, lots of diversity, etc) it all works out. Of course when the invitation is offered in a sloppy, endless way that is annoying, but thankfully it passes quickly and The Facilitator can retire to the shadows where he/she belonged in the first place. J

Harrison

Harrison Owen

7808 River Falls Dr.

Potomac, MD 20854

USA

189 Beaucaire Ave. (summer)

Camden, Maine 04843

Phone 301-365-2093

(summer)  207-763-3261

www.openspaceworld.com <http://www.openspaceworld.com%20>  

www.ho-image.com <http://www.ho-image.com%20>  (Personal Website)

To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of OSLIST Go to:http://lists.openspacetech.org/listinfo.cgi/oslist-openspacetech.org

From: oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of Lourdes Adriana Diaz-Berrio Doring
Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 8:37 PM
To: World wide Open Space Technology email list
Subject: Re: [OSList] Smallest group OS

Lisa thank you for sharing this! 
I went to 2 OS recently with a lot of people from Agile community, coaches and srcum masters and what I noticed is that they did not take time to focus the group and neither to really explain the principles. They just read those and I feld that the energy was not the same. They are using OS without event reading the book so they dont get that part. On the other hand they have a lot of energy and topics they want to talk about together so the event was OK but I had an impression of something related to the quality of the presence was missing there.
This happend 2 times.
I have the impression that people just take the "external format" of OS but they are not getteing the essence but as, I said in the other hand, the space was opened and the guys enjoyed a lot. 

Adriana

2013/6/23 Lisa Heft <lisaheft at openingspace.net>

Hello, dear colleagues -

I know of some of you who have done Open Space with... yourself. 

That is a very small group indeed.

Erich and Arturo, I smile. (your message is copied below).

And I give you a hug from across the world.

My smallest group was...

I was asked to give a post-conference workshop for an international facilitation conference. A day-long workshop - which I was simply going to do as an Open Space session for whatever the facilitators might like to talk about. 

The mistake in conference design (which I have remembered since, to inform future such experiences) - was to have that post-conference day (instead of pre-conference) and to have it on a holiday weekend (when participants would rather either go home early to be with family or spend the day in the lovely location enjoying and touristing around). Oh. And also to have zero pre-registration. Which is something I now require - in the interest of planning, materials and resourcing as well as the relationship formed when someone says 'I choose to come'.

I set the room up - agenda wall with (the way I do it) brightly colored session times posted across the wall, big Open Space guidelines posters (principles, law, insects) posted around the room, markers and paper like a lovely little mandala in the center of the big circle of chairs. And because the room was large enough - 5 pre-set little circles of chairs around the sides of the room.

I had a great conference volunteer - who had chosen to be the volunteer helper for my session because he wanted to learn more about Open Space.

Okay so eventually we decided to begin because... he was the only person who came.

I asked him if he wanted to join me in an experiment - how small can an Open Space be. Can it be with one participant.

He was excited, and off we went!

At that time, my part of the experiment was - I was wondering in my head - one reason Open Space can work so well is because of the diversity of participants and the diversity of ideas. So in this experiment, I decided to do the unusual. I never post topics when I am facilitating. Because it is the participants' work, not mine. But for the sake of experimentation, I decided to post some topics - to throw in some diversity. I decided he was the expert on all things Texas - because it was in Texas and I was a visitor to that region.

So we both sat on the floor and make topic signs and topic signs and topic signs. And then posted them on the Agenda Wall.

(I decided after this experiment that it was not necessary for me to 'help' in this way - in future if I had a group of 1 I would let them simply make their own topic signs, without adding any of my own. However in this experiment, I did indeed join the discussions with him - which is also something I do not do when I facilitate.)

This Open Space event went from 8:30 in the morning until 3:30 in the afternoon, and it included 16 discussion topics.

We started in one discussion area, and because I knew that Open Space engages the body as well as the mind and heart, I recommended that we have conversations in different locations rather than stay in one location.

Remember we had 5 little breakout areas - circles of chairs, around the room.

My one participant decided to take clusters of discussion topics to each small discussion circle - so we would see them and discuss them. Whenever he felt our discussion about a topic was over, it was over. And we went on to the next.

And guess what? We also had international visitors.

Why? 

Because our session room was near the bathrooms. ;o)

We kept the meeting room doors open. So people coming by would look into the room, see us engaged in conversation and the whole set-up with circles of chairs and posters and signs, and ask what was happening.

So of course, we would say, 'We're currently talking about this, and you see on the wall all the things we have and will be talking about. You are welcome to join us."

And as you may guess... That person would reply (to whatever topic we were at that moment discussing) - "That is exactly what my dissertation is about!" / "I have been thinking so much about that!" / "That is exactly what my research / my organization / my interest is about!"

And they would stay with us for that session, adding their diversity, insights and energies.

Then they would go to the bathroom, and be on their way.

I am sorry I did not document the conversations - I have since that time gained more understanding of the importance - for both post-meeting reflection and for integration of the experience - of the power of documentation. So we could have done some cool mapping or notes-taking of any kind that worked for us.

Anyway - it was a wonderful day-long session. And a wonderful experiment.

I have had other experiences with (for example) 4 participants - who were the only ones who came. 

Yes, I recommend other processes sometimes when there are less people - as always, I am looking at fitting process with objective, desired outcomes, and so many other things.

But when Open Space fits, I have done tiny Open Spaces. 

I simply  remind people (as I do anyway in larger participants groups) - 'Whoever comes is the right person' also means that if nobody comes to your session, you could be a visionary. We need your diverse thought and exploration. It deepens our understanding of the issue or task. And (I add) 'when do you ever get an hour to write - and write and write - about a topic for which you have such passion?'

If it is a small group also do as was mentioned earlier in this conversation - 'try it first without all joining together or compressing the agenda' and as was mentioned, people never go back to the other once they experience the power of reflection, law of two feet, opportunity and possibility.

In my workshops, I share this story.

And as those of you who have recently been in my Open Space Learning Workshop know, when I share this story, I also share the story of when Brother Chris Corrigan did Open Space in ... I think it was an Inuit community... and nobody came. And at the end of the day, as I recall, the head of the community said they got a lot of work done that day and could they hire Chris back again please.

So did I Chris do the smallest Open Space ever... or the largest - where an entire community was held in his spacious open arms?

Cheers, from a gray California afternoon,

Lisa

Lisa Heft

Consultant, Facilitator, Educator

President Emerita, Open Space Institute US

Fellow, Columbia University Center for International Conflict Resolution

Opening Space

The lovely Arturo wrote...

Recently I facilitate an OST with 2 people including me. We had 12 topics, which became 5 conversations. Its was a very learning experience and we where positively surprised as always in every OST. Lisa Heft has also a beautiful experience of a OST with two people. 

The wonderful Erich wrote...

At this occation I would remind you of the report of fabulous Lisa Heft who I guess 10 years ago gave a report to the list on the smallest open space ever been held in the world: Only one participant!

It must be able to find the story somewhere in the archives - perhaps Lisa would like to tell again ;-) ?

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Adriana Díaz-Berrio Ph.D. CRHA
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Adriana Díaz-Berrio Ph.D. CRHA
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       <http://www.diazberrio.com/images/sampledata/fruitshop/logo.jpg> 

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