[OSList] [OSLIST}; The OST Theme...frame as a question?

[Michael M Pannwitz]

Dan, there is a database with 777 os events listed giving, among many 
other things, the headings, you will be amazed ... in many different 
languages from all cultures and continents,
it takes a few seconds to load
> http://www.openspaceworldscape.org/

My style has been to have the planning group come up with the heading.
Also, I found, the folks that follow the inivitation (in which there are 
usually a few lines of text, including questions, challenges and whaot 
have you) simply pretty much ignore the heading and come up with their 
issues that often appear not to have anything to do with the heading.
The process of finding a heading, however, does amazing things with the 
planning group such as actually becoming a planning group, going out and 
inviting folks, etc.
enjoy
mmp


On 24.03.2014 12:05, Daniel Mezick wrote:
> Is the OST theme always defined as a question? Is it ever offered as a
> statement? I'm not sure.
>
> I'm not sure because in the USERS GUIDE TO OPEN SPACE book from
> Harrison, the story about the theme "Fixing Arizona" is not a question.
> So, I'm guessing a non-question is OK. For the record, I prefer a
> question. And I tell clients to frame it as a question, on the
> hypothesis that questions tend open space and statements tend to close
> space...
>
> THE BRIEF USERS GUIDE (http://www.openspaceworld.com/users_guide.htm) is
> silent on the issue:
>
> /<BEGIN>
> THE THEME/ -- Creation of a powerful theme statement is critical, for it
> will be the central mechanism for focusing discussion and inspiring
> participation. The theme statement, however, cannot be a lengthy, dry,
> recitation of goals and objectives. It must have the capacity to inspire
> participation by being specific enough to indicate the direction, while
> possessing sufficient openness to allow for the imagination of the group
> to take over.
>
> There is no pat formulation for doing this, for what inspires one group
> will totally turn off another. One way of thinking about the theme
> statement is as the opening paragraph of a truly exciting story. The
> reader should have enough detail to know where the tale is headed and
> what some of the possible adventures are likely to be. But "telling all"
> in the beginning will make it quite unlikely that the reader will
> proceed. After all, who would read a story they already know?
>
> <END>
>
> --
>
> Daniel Mezick, President
>
> New Technology Solutions Inc.
>
> (203) 915 7248 (cell)
>
> Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>. Blog
> <http://newtechusa.net/blog/>. Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/>.
>
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-- 
Michael M Pannwitz
Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
++49 - 30-772 8000



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